Shakespeare, Heroism and ‘Heroism’

Posted on February 2, 2015 by jimmie

“Either our history shall, with full mouth, Speak freely of our acts; or else our grave, Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth, Not worshipp’d with a waxen epitaph.”“Either our history shall, with full mouth,
Speak freely of our acts; or else our grave,
Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth,
Not worshipp’d with a waxen epitaph.”

King Henry V, act 1, sc. 2

For the following notes, there is no need of a muse of fire to ascend the brightest heaven of invention. Nor of a kingdom for a stage, princes to act, and monarchs to behold the swelling scene. For it is a scene that, at best, it would be well if it were forgotten.

The facts speak by themselves and refer to a book and a movie called “American Sniper.” Continue reading →

Posted in Best Shakespeare Quotes, Elegant Shakespearean Quotes, Fighting your Adversary, Psychological Shakespeare, Shakespeare in Politics | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare, Heroism and ‘Heroism’

Comedy of Terrors

Posted on January 23, 2015 by jimmie

cartoon illustrating the Shakespearean quote from Hamlet, "Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go"“Madness in great ones must not unwatch’d go.”

Hamlet, act 3, sc. 1

 

While “misery acquaints a man with strange bed-fellows”(1), the FBI looks for strange bed-fellows to increase their misery – in the name of the war on terror and terrors.

Some background for our international readers. The Continue reading →

Posted in Amusing Shakespeare, Best Shakespeare Quotes, Elegant Shakespearean Quotes, Philosophical, Psychological & Historical Considerations, Psychological Shakespeare, Social Exchanges Shakespeare style | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Comedy of Terrors

Charlie Hebdo, Ali Aba and 40 Hypocrites

Posted on January 15, 2015 by jimmie

Illustration of Shakespeare's quote from hamlet “'Tis too much proved--that with devotion's visage And pious action we do sugar o'er The devil himself.” ” ‘Tis too much proved – that with devotion’s visage
And pious action we do sugar o’er the devil himself.”

Hamlet, act 3, sc. 1

Ali Baba had to deal with forty thieves. After the Charlie Hebdo attack, Paris dealt with forty heads of state. But while the thieves in the tale practiced thievery, the heads of state practice hypocrisy, on a scale worthy of the Arabian Nights. There they were, the governors of nations, the commanders of armies, the presiders of senates and rulers of cabinets. Continue reading →

Posted in Amusing Shakespeare, Philosophical, Psychological & Historical Considerations, Psychological Shakespeare | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Charlie Hebdo, Ali Aba and 40 Hypocrites

Shakespeare, Islam and Charlie-Hebdo

Posted on January 9, 2015 by jimmie

Illustration for Shakespeare quote

“…For mine own good,
All causes shall give way: I am in blood
Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o’er”

Macbeth, act 3, sc. 4)

First of all, I should apologize to my 25 readers for dealing with a subject that already generated millions of words, often “stuffing the ears of men with false (or at least questionable) reports”. The ‘25’ number puzzle will be dealt with at the end of this article. Continue reading →

Posted in Best Shakespeare Quotes, Shakespeare in Politics, Shakespeare on Mass Psychology and Group Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare, Islam and Charlie-Hebdo

Shakespeare and Memories for 2014

Posted on December 30, 2014 by jimmie

illustration for sonnet, "When to the session of sweet, silent thought, I summon up remembrance of things past"When to the session of sweet silent thought,
we summon up remembrance of things past….

(Sonnet # 30)

…. as we do at the end of the year, our memories for 2014 include, among other things, three historical anniversaries. One hundred years since World War I, six hundred years since the real First World War, fought at Bouvines, in France, by the forces of King Philip Augustus against the Coalition of the (then) Willing – that is England, Flanders and the German Emperor Otto. At the end of this article, there is a link to a related Historical Sketch video, dealing with this now forgotten but nevertheless important event.

But I now ask the reader to “season his admiration for a while with an attent ear”, Continue reading →

Posted in Elegant Shakespearean Quotes, Philosophical, Psychological & Historical Considerations, Presentation Ideas, Romantic Shakespearean Quotes | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare and Memories for 2014

Shakespeare and a Rose for Christmas

Posted on December 23, 2014 by jimmie

an illustration of the lines from Love's Labours Lost, At Christmas I no more desire a rose, Than wish a snow in May's new fangled mirth, But like of each thing as in season grows“At Christmas I no more desire a rose,
Than wish a snow in May’s new fangled mirth,
But like of each thing as in season grows.”

(Love’s Labours Lost, act 1, sc. 1)

I began the blog thinking of the 25th Anniversary of the American invasion of Panama, conducted on Christmas Eve (1989) – when the poorest barrios of Panama City were blessed by 400 bombs, resulting in  hundreds of predictable victims. And thinking of the related facts, Continue reading →

Posted in After Dinner Quotes, Elegant Shakespearean Quotes, Philosophical, Psychological & Historical Considerations, Romantic Shakespearean Quotes, Shakespeare on Flowers | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare and a Rose for Christmas

Shakespeare, Torture, Ideology and Ridicule

Posted on December 16, 2014 by jimmie

An image of Ayn Rand followed by a Shakespearean quote “If that be right which Warwick says is right, There is no wrong, but everything is right. On Torture, ideology & ridiculeShakespeare, Torture, Ideology and Ridicule“If that be right which Warwick says is right,
There is no wrong, but everything is right.”

(King Henry VI part 3, act 2, sc. 2)

Historians have written at length on the ideas that inspired great events. Take the 18th century, for example – when there grew, at large, a diffused sensibility towards nature. In turn, sensibility towards nature spawned sensitivity towards man and led to the idea that all men should have rights, not only the nobles. Continue reading →

Posted in After Dinner Quotes, Best Shakespeare Quotes, Elegant Shakespearean Quotes, Fighting your Adversary, Philosophical, Psychological & Historical Considerations, Presentation Ideas, Shakespeare and Politics, Shakespeare in Politics, Shakespeare on Mass Psychology and Group Behavior | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare, Torture, Ideology and Ridicule

Shakespeare, Ferguson, Reality and Symbols

Posted on December 10, 2014 by jimmie

an image of Ferguson's placard as visual support for a Shakespeare quote from Coriolanus, about class struggle. ": the leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an inventory to particularise their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them"“We are accounted poor citizens, the patricians good. What authority surfeits-on would relieve us: if they would yield us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess they relieved us humanely; but they think we are too dear: the leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an inventory to particularise their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them”

(Coriolanus, act 1, sc. 1)

The computer gives us a model to describe the workings of our body and brain. Current graphic software, used to create pictures and images, gives us a model to describe society. Continue reading →

Posted in After Dinner Quotes, Historical Quotes, Philosophical, Psychological & Historical Considerations, Presentation Ideas, Shakespeare and Politics, Shakespeare on Mass Psychology and Group Behavior | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare, Ferguson, Reality and Symbols

Shakespeare and Disbelief

Posted on November 30, 2014 by jimmie

shakespeare words applied to the unbelievability of a UN vote. Most noble sir, That which I shall report will bear no credit, Were not the proof so nigh“Most noble sir,
That which I shall report will bear no credit,
Were not the proof so nigh.”

Timon of Athens, act 5, sc. 1

At the United Nations, a motion was recently tabled to condemn the glorification of Nazism. USA, Canada and Ukraine voted against the motion. Continue reading →

Posted in After Dinner Quotes, Amusing Shakespeare, Historical Quotes, Philosophical, Psychological & Historical Considerations, Presentation Ideas, Shakespeare and Politics, Shakespeare in Management, Shakespeare in Politics | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare and Disbelief

Shakespeare and One Medal Too Many

Posted on November 26, 2014 by jimmie

Medal of Freedom - Shakespearean quote, What a god is gold, That he is worshipp'd in a baser temple Than where swine feed“What a god is gold,
That he is worshipp’d in a baser temple
Than where swine feed!”

Timon of Athens, act 5, sc. 1

This week, with the customary pomp and circumstance, Obama bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on 18 recipients. It is the highest civilian honor in the Unites States. Continue reading →

Posted in After Dinner Quotes, Fighting your Adversary, Philosophical, Psychological & Historical Considerations, Presentation Ideas, Shakespeare in Management, Shakespeare in Politics, Shakespeare Invocations, Social Exchanges Shakespeare style | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare and One Medal Too Many