The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 14.1817 Friday, 19 September 2003
[1] From: Michael Friedman <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 09:35:16 -0400
Subj: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
[2] From: Kenneth Campbell <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 08:34:43 -0700
Subj: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
[3] From: Thomas Larque <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 17:00:21 +0100
Subj: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
[4] From: Virginia Byrne <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 12:29:06 -0400
Subj: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
[5] From: Phil Rogers <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 13:40:29 -0400
Subj: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
[6] From: Larry Weiss <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 15:04:08 -0400
Subj: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
[7] From: Carol Barton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 16:32:49 -0400
Subj: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
[8] From: Al Magary <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 17:02:04 -0700
Subj: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Friedman <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 09:35:16 -0400
Subject: 14.1810 Seven Ages
Comment: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
Gremio in *The Taming of the Shrew* seems the most obvious choice for a
pantaloon.
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kenneth Campbell <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 08:34:43 -0700
Subject: 14.1810 Seven Ages
Comment: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
I think Polonius has a scene or two that can be played that way and your
school boy might be found in LLL playing hooky.
[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Thomas Larque <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 17:00:21 +0100
Subject: 14.1810 Seven Ages
Comment: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
>I'm directing the school play this year. I teach at a high school for
>gifted students. I'm thinking of doing a medley of Shakespeare scenes
>with Jaques' seven ages speech as the through line. While I am not
>having any difficulties with lover / soldier scenes, I am at a bit of a
>loss for the school boy (MWW 4.1 and LLL 1.1), justice (Merchant, though
>I know I'm fudging it) and pantaloon / old age scenes. I'd welcome any
>suggestions...
For old age, how about the Gobbos in 2.2 Merchant of Venice? The father
is blind with age (sans teeth, sans eyes, sans everything) and cannot
recognise his son, who mocks him mercilessly, pretending to be somebody
else telling him that his son is dead, before he admits to being himself
and asks his father's blessing.
Justice Shallow is a Justice surely, and so is his fellow Justice
Silence, so how about 3.2 from Henry IV part 2, when Shallow is
entertaining Falstaff and boasting about their youth together - giving
himself credit for exploits that were not so impressive as he
remembers. Agewise, Shallow may be a rather old Justice, of course, not
quite the man that Jacques imagines, but he holds the right post.
I'm working from memory (apart from the scene numbers, which I've
searched out on the web) so I can't think of any better schoolboy scenes
than the one between the Welsh schoolmaster and boy in Merry Wives. If
there is such a scene, then it isn't as famous as the MWW one, which is
what everybody seems to quote when talking about Shakespeare's own
schooldays.
I hope that is of some help.
Thomas Larque.
[4]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Virginia Byrne <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 12:29:06 -0400
Subject: 14.1810 Seven Ages
Comment: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
At the risk of being attacked might I suggest that Hamlet, prince of
Denmark was indeed a schoolboy.
Virginia Byrne
[5]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Phil Rogers <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 13:40:29 -0400
Subject: 14.1810 Seven Ages
Comment: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
Well, for Justice there are Shallow and Silence in 2Henry4 3.2; they'd
also do for Pantaloon, being sans sense, among other things. There's
the LCJ in the same play in several meaty scenes (and all three in
5.5). What about Angelo in MforM 2.1 (though maybe lacking in wise saws
and modern instances)? There's a Justice in that scene, but he doesn't
say much. Prospero judging? Leontes in WinT 3.2? The women's roles
are better there, though. You could call Canterbury a Justice in Hen5
1.2, but the scene might put your high school audience (and perhaps your
actors!) to sleep.
Phil Rogers
[6]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Larry Weiss <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 15:04:08 -0400
Subject: 14.1810 Seven Ages
Comment: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
Schoolboy -- What's wrong with MW/W IV.i?
Justice -- The Dukes in R&J, Othello, M/M, etc, or even Prospero
Pantaloon -- Gremio, of course; but Justice Shallow and Old Capulet may
be easier to stage.
[7]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Carol Barton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 16:32:49 -0400
Subject: 14.1810 Seven Ages
Comment: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
What a musical name!
Stretch your schoolboy, too, Joe: Prince Hal. Or make him a schoolgirl
being played by a schoolboy---Bianca. Or Caliban . . . if you are a true
teacher, that last needs no explanation! :o)
Best,
Carol Barton
[8]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Al Magary <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Thursday, 18 Sep 2003 17:02:04 -0700
Subject: 14.1810 Seven Ages
Comment: Re: SHK 14.1810 Seven Ages
>I'm directing the school play this year.
>I'm thinking of doing a medley of Shakespeare scenes
>with Jaques' seven ages speech as the through line...
You can get lots of leads (literally) in _The Arden Shakespeare Book of
Quotations on The Seven Ages of Man_, comp. Jane Armstrong (Arden
Shakespeare, 2001). Inexpensive at Amazon.
Less Shakespeare, more other poets can be found in the Naxos recording
_Seven Ages of Man: An Anthology of Poetry With Music_, which includes
Ian McKellen doing the title piece.
Wasn't there a 1950s TV production _Seven Ages of Man_ with John
Gielgud? I recall an ancient Signet paperback whose glue dried out and
the pages fell like, uh, autumn leaves.
Al Magary
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