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Thursday, May 17, 2007

Mad in Craft

Posted by John Holbo on 05/17/07 at 08:00 AM

This is, I suppose, a follow-up to Scott’s Shakespeare post. As evidence that students are not reading Shakespeare any more, I present you with an photo of a number of undergraduates (you can tell by the ponytails), emerging from a Theory seminar, only to be confounded by the appearance of some itinerant tragedians in traditional garb:

I got it from the ISB, where the speculation is that the unknown performers are working from the ‘eighth folio’ version of the play, in which Laertes dresses up as a Bat-Man of vengeance against crime. (Scholars have since undone that story-line in the epic “Crisis on Infinite Elsinores” mini-series. Now if only someone could keep Booster Gold from showing up in Act 5.) Actually, I think the reference is clear. The character in bat-motley is set to caper and prance as the fellow on the right - with the S, for Hamlet - declaims:

That I essentially am not in madness,
But mad in craft. ‘Twere good you let him know;
For who, that’s but a queen, fair, sober, wise,
Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib,
Such dear concernings hide?

Comments

Your posting is hysterically funny. See you soon, S

By on 05/17/07 at 09:28 AM | Permanent link to this comment

Hey, my mom-in-law reads my blog. Hi, Snowdy.

It occurs to me that the play would actually be improved if Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle replaced Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, with all that entails.

By John Holbo on 05/17/07 at 10:00 AM | Permanent link to this comment

How strange or odd some’er I bear myself -
As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put a purple Batman Costume on.

By Adam Roberts on 05/17/07 at 10:31 AM | Permanent link to this comment

The time is out of joint: o cursed spite
That e’er Holbo was born to set it right.

By on 05/17/07 at 09:55 PM | Permanent link to this comment

I think what you really meant was:

The time is out of joint: o cursed spite
That e’r red cape was worn o’er shorts too tight

By John Holbo on 05/18/07 at 02:29 AM | Permanent link to this comment

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Thursday, May 17, 2007

Mad in Craft

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