It has been brought to my attention that, while I promised to blog Shakespeare, Milwaukee, and other things happening to me everyday, instead I'm pretty much just blogging Shakespeare. In fact, a couple of times when I have mentioned daily life, I've explicitly said that I will not make a connection between Shakespeare and my life. So,this is to rectify that.
A historic day today. Obama is the new president. Or, more importantly, the Bush era is over. A couple of people at work are conservatives and they were hanging around the desk at 11 today. Officially, power doesn't transfer when the incoming takes the oath. It transfers at noon Eastern, period. So, even though it was still a few minutes before Obama took the oath, they announced at 11 Central that Barack Obama was officially the president, and George W Bush was the former president. I tried to control myself, really, given the customers and the conservatives and everything, but I couldn't help busting out the fist pump.
It was a joyous moment. Tomorrow, let the disappointment begin.
So, how can I relate the Shakespeare I read today to life today?
What's going on today is: the fairies are f-ing everything up. Oberon has told Puck to have Titania fall in love with something vile. So, he puts an ass's head on Bottom and puts a magic love flower on Titania's eyes to make her fall in love with ass-Bottom. Also, Oberon wants Demetrius to start loving Helena, via magic love-flower. But, Puck does it wrong and makes Lysander (who is happily in love with Hermia) fall in love with Helena.
Hmmm. Okay, the ass's head, I don't know. It seems forced. Tribute to the outgoing administration? This is not a political blog. And, let's face it, Bush lacks the deep, generous humanity of Bottom. Bottom answers to Peter Quince, Bush to Dick Cheney, who was the most menacing wheelchair occupant of all time today. And that hat!
Now, how about a non-partisan analogy between the fairies and the government as a whole? You know, the love thing bungled, Puck as director of FEMA?
Eh, it's too strained. The real point here is that the love the lovers supposedly have is nothing. It can be so easily overturned. Flower, schmower. Would either of these guys be willing to sit through ten hours of an America's Next Top Model marathon, even knowing that there's not much hope of a reward? I have my doubts.
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Is my everlasting love not enough of a reward for you? ;)
ReplyDeleteWhy did Shakespeare think he'd get away with just naming this guy "Bottom?"
ReplyDeleteI guess he thought, "Well, I'm Shakespeare...I can do basically whatever the f* I want."
You want a serious guess from me? I'm guessing that 1. he really is the human foundation of what is otherwise a pretty fantastical play. 2. he's a comic character, so what's a funny sounding name for foundation? How about Bottom?
ReplyDeleteThat's my guess. And, you know, also the ass connection.