He’s Probably Right, You Know

Had to share this email I just got from regular contributor Carl Atkins (with his permission):

I have been noodling around with some research on Twelfth Night and came across this remark by H. H. Furness (in the preface to his New Variorum edition from 1901), which I just loved. I thought you might get a kick out of it: "If the use of the adverb 'probably,' in connection with all statements regarding Shakespeare, were legally forbidden on pain of death without the benefit of clergy, I think the world would be the happier, certainly the wiser."

I like that little bit about "without the benefit of clergy." From the days when a fate worse than death was dying without the benefit of clergy!

He then throws in this kicker at the end, which made me laugh out loud:  Note that the passage of this law would have reduced Stephen Greenblatt's "Will in the World" to about 2 pages.

:)  Thanks Carl!

What, Nobody Wants Free Books?

Where is everybody?  The response for my Christmas Carol Contest has been less than overwhelming.

To recap : In celebration of Charles Dickens’ timely ghost story A Christmas Carol, I’m giving away two of Shakespeare’s own ghost stories – Manga Macbeth and Manga Julius Caesar.  To get in on the action, just email me and tell me the Shakespeare reference in Dickens’ original that from what I can tell most of the movie/tv/audio versions seem to snip out for some reason.

Contest ends at end of day on Christmas Eve.  For hopefully obvious reasons y’all will understand if I don’t get around to announcing the winners until after the holiday, however.

Shakespeare (and Lisa Simpson) Saves The Day

http://www.hulu.com/watch/37976/the-simpsons-quoting-shakespeare?c=Animation-and-Cartoons

I had not seen this one.  Who knew that the ability to quote Shakespeare might save your family from a bomb-wielding maniac? :)