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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.2013  Tuesday, 6 December 2005

[1] 	From: 	Donald Bloom <dbloom@asms.net>
	Date: 	Monday, 5 Dec 2005 16:04:07 -0600
	Subj: 	RE: SHK 16.2003 Living Characters

[2] 	From: 	L. Swilley <lswilley@houston.rr.com>
	Date: 	Tuesday, 6 Dec 2005 06:02:28 -0600
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 16.2003 Living Characters


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Donald Bloom <dbloom@asms.net>
Date: 		Monday, 5 Dec 2005 16:04:07 -0600
Subject: 16.2003 Living Characters
Comment: 	RE: SHK 16.2003 Living Characters

Don Bloom (him again!) wrote: "Does anyone ever say anything good about 
Claudius?"

What I was looking for was something positive which was not flattery, 
something after the fashion of

1692: O what a noble mind is heere orethrowne!
1693: The Courtiers, souldiers, schollers, eye, tongue, sword,
1694: Th'expectation, and Rose of the faire state,
1695: The glasse of fashion, and the mould of forme,
1696: Th'obseru'd of all obseruers, quite quite downe,
1697: And I of Ladies most deiect and wretched,
1698: That suckt the honny of his musickt vowes,
1699: Now see what noble and most soueraigne reason
1700: Like sweet bells iangled out of time, and harsh,
1701: That vnmatcht forme, and stature of blowne youth
1702: Blasted with extacie, o woe is mee
1703: T'haue seene what I haue seene, see what I see.

and

1784: Since my deare soule was mistris of her choice,
1785: And could of men distinguish her election,
1786: S'hath seald thee for herselfe, for thou hast been
1787: As one in suffring all that suffers nothing,
1788: A man that Fortunes buffets and rewards
1789: Hast tane with equall thanks; and blest are those
1790: Whose blood and iudgement are so well comedled,
1791: That they are not a pype for Fortunes finger
1792: To sound what stop she please: giue me that man
1793: That is not passions slaue, and I will weare him
1794: In my hearts core, I in my hart of hart
1795: As I doe thee.

and

2248: Looke heere vpon this Picture, and on this,
2249: The counterfeit presentment of two brothers,
2250: See what a grace was seated on this browe,
2251: Hiperions curles, the front of Ioue himselfe,
2252: An eye like Mars, to threaten and command,
2253: A station like the herald Mercury,
2254: New lighted on a heaue, a kissing hill,
2255: A combination, and a forme indeede,
2256: Where euery God did seeme to set his seale
2257: To giue the world assurance of a man,
2258: This was your husband

and

3714: Let foure Captaines
3715: Beare Hamlet like a souldier to the stage,
3716: For he was likely, had he beene put on,
3717: To haue prooued most royall; and for his passage,
3718: The souldiers musicke and the right of warre
3719: Speake loudly for him:

Cheers,
don

p.s. I don't care how brilliant a manager he is; in my book, if he 
commits murderer, he's a murderer

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		L. Swilley <lswilley@houston.rr.com>
Date: 		Tuesday, 6 Dec 2005 06:02:28 -0600
Subject: 16.2003 Living Characters
Comment: 	Re: SHK 16.2003 Living Characters

Something good to say about Claudius:

Besides the interesting points made in recent postings about Claudius, 
we should note that the very proper order of business he dictates in 
I.ii is 1) establishing his own right and ability as King, 2) the 
welfare of the state (in dealing with Fortinbras and Norway), 3) dealing 
with the personal requests of his minister (Polonius/Laertes), and 
finally 4) addressing his own family problems (Hamlet).

One point made throughout the play seems to be that though Claudius has 
come to the throne by ugly means, he is better suited to be king than 
Hamlet. The point is repeated from "Richard II," where it is clear that 
the level-headed Bolingbroke is better suited to be king than Richard - 
but, like Claudius, he has come to power by evil means and will pay for 
it dearly.

      L. Swilley

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