Happy April Fool’s Day! Today I’d like to look at the rich history of Shakespeare’s fools and clowns! Clowns are some of Shakespeare’s classic comic characters, but fools are complex characters that entertain, satirize, and even philosophize. They may dress the part, but they are no fools.
This clip from Mel Brooks’ comic masterpiece History of the World, Part I, has the writer/director perform as Comicus, a ‘stand-up philosopher’ from Ancient Rome- a philosopher who is basically a stand-up comic. As you’ll see, unlike clowns, most of Shakespeare’s fools basically fulfill this role- to satirize and make fun of people and institutions.
What Is A Fool?
Fools and clowns are based on medieval minstrels who, as this video from Monty Python’s Terry Jones shows, were itinerant entertainers who had to do a number of jobs including play music, dance, sing, compose poetry, juggle, and on occasion- START A WAR!
Fools Vs. Clowns
A fool is the renaissance version of a minstrel- an official royal entertainer who worked at royal courts. A clown is a comic part in a play. They often danced, sang, and did improv comedy. To illustrate the difference, here’s a short video about the life of Henry VIII’s favorite fool- Will Sommers
Foolish Founding Fathers
All of Shakespeare’s fools and clowns are based on ancient Italian sources-from the Roman comedies of Plautus and Terrence to the improvised comedy known as Commedia Del ‘ Arte
Short featurette documentary on the artform of “Commedia Del’ Arte” by The National Theater in London
Commedia is based on stock character types that Shakespeare adapted and fleshed out- Arlequinno became the constantly hungry Dromio, (among others), while Capitano became Falstaff and Pistol. Even Shylock has remnants of Brighella in his DNA. According to Dario Fo in his book: Manuale Minimodell’Attore, Shakespeare adapted stock characters from commedia to be his clowns, and sarcastic characters called sots, who commented on the action to become his fools (Fo, 107)
Will Kempe- Shakespeare’s First Great Clown
Despite his strength and skill as a dancer, Kempe specialized in playing oafish buffoons like Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Falstaff in the Henry IV plays, and Peter in Romeo and Juliet. In the Second Quarto edition of Romeo and Juliet, you can see in the stage directions “Enter Will Kempe,” right before Peter speaks:
According to Will In the World by Steven Greenblatt, Kempe and Shakespeare had a falling out in the late 1590s, which many scholars have assumed might have been due to Shakespeare’s distaste for clowns wasting time with jokes that bogged down the play:
Hamlet: Let those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them. For there be of them will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too. Though in the meantime, some necessary question of the play be then to be considered. That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. Hamlet, Act III, Scene ii.
Kempe, for his part, seemed a little big for his britches; he and his fellow clowns seemed to think that Shakespeare's scripts were just vehicles for his own jokes and songs (Reynolds, 247). He then sold his share in the Chamberlain's Men, derriding them in print as "My notable Shake-rags," and then staged a publicity stunt where he danced across England!
1600-1613: The Golden Age Of Foolery
Kempe’s replacement was Robert Armin, an accomplished writer and singer, who specialized in playing satirical Fool roles. Armin appeared in several Shakespearean plays after 1599.
Unlike Kempe, Armin’s characters are essential to the plot of the play, and his jokes support the themes and ideas of the plays themselves. As Feste in Twelfth Night, Armin makes jokes that make fun of the overly-serious Orsino and Countess Olivia:
Feste. Good madonna, why mournest thou? Olivia. Good fool, for my brother's death. Feste. I think his soul is in hell, madonna. Olivia. I know his soul is in heaven, fool. Feste. The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen. Twelfth Night, Act I, Scene v.
Touchstone in “As You Like It”
Sometimes Armin’s characters are satirical mirrors of Elizabethan society; in As You Like It, Touchstone the Fool mocks the culture of dueling; implying that there are hundreds of loopholes that a gentleman may use to challenge a man to a duel, without actually fighting.
Touchstone. I did dislike the cut of a certain courtier’s beard; he sent me word, if I said his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was. This is call’d the Retort Courteous. If I sent him word again it was not well cut, he would send me word he cut it to please himself. This is call’d the Quip Modest. If again it was not well cut, he disabled my judgment. This is call’d the Reply Churlish. If again it was not well cut, he would answer I spake not true. This is call’d the Reproof Valiant. If again it was not well cut, he would say I lie. This is call’d the Countercheck Quarrelsome. And so to the Lie Circumstantial and the Lie Direct.
Jaques (lord). And how oft did you say his beard was not well cut?
Touchstone. I durst go no further than the Lie Circumstantial, nor he durst not give me the Lie Direct; and so we measur’d swords and parted.
The Fool in “King Lear”
Perhaps Armin’s greatest comic creation was The Fool in King Lear; the ultimate satirist who makes fun of the king’s foolish choices. He tries to talk sense to the increasingly mad king, until he vanishes entirely, and Lear himself starts making fool-like cracks at the audience:
Lear Thou hast seen a farmer's dog bark at a beggar? Earl of Gloucester. Ay, sir. Lear. And the creature run from the cur? There thou mightst behold the great image of authority: a dog's obeyed in office. The usurer hangs the cozener. Through tatter'd clothes small vices do appear; Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold, And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks; Arm it in rags, a pygmy's straw does pierce it. None does offend, none- I say none! Get thee glass eyes And, like a scurvy politician, seem To see the things thou dost not. King Lear, Act IV, Scene vi.
Through realizing his own foolishness, Lear recovers his sanity, and makes peace with his daughter, which beautifully shows the importance of fools, clowns, and satirists; to question ourselves, to sharpen our critical thinking, and to endure hardships with good humor. Therefore on this April Fools Day, I say,
“Here’s to the fools, to folly, to farce. Let them push the wealthy on the ar— APRIL FOOLS!”
References
Best, Michael. “Shakespeare’s Actors: Will Kempe” Internet Shakespeare Editions, University of Victoria, 28 Sept. 2016, ise.uvic.ca/Foyer/citing. Accessed 30 Sept. 2023.
I teach a class specifically on Shakespeare’s comedies where I’ll talk a lot about the way Shakespeare writes clowns. I’ll also delve into the history of Commedia Del’Arte and how it influenced Shakespeare’s characters! For more information, visit http://www.outschool.com
Let me begin with a special shout out to Jesse Buckley, the first Irish woman to win an Oscar for her portrayal of Shakespeare’s wife Anne ‘Agnes’ Hathaway in the movie Hamnet.
I promise I will write a full review soon, but for now here’s a behind the scenes look at the film:
In addition, here’s a link to my post on how Shakespeare depicts Irish culture in his plays
And finally, today is the anniversary of Marcus Brutus’ attempt to win over the Roman crowd, attempting to justify his tyrannicide. Here’s a scene from HBO’s Rome, in which Brutus surrenders to Caesar after the Battle of Pharsellus. In this scene, Caesar is played by Irish actor, Ciarán Hinds.
In many ways, Medieval Times is a campy, theme park-esque place. Done’t get me wrong, I love this place and puppet Shakespeare and I enjoyed it immensely, but from a historical perspective, Medieval Times has more in common with Disney Land than British history. That said, it still contains a nod to this ancient culture that praised and highly ritualized the concept of judicial combat.
The Court
You are cast as a lord or lady, representing a fantasy kingdom (which corresponds to the color of the crown you wear). I was fortunate to get the Red crown for Valentines Day, and was seated right next to the King and Queen (more on that later). The hall was decorated with colored banners and each kingdom was introduced with trumpets and flags. The feast was a celebration of the uniting of all the surrounding kingdoms under the King and Queen. As the king and queen came out, everyone cheered and the royals toasted each kingdom and praised and thanked them all for their service to the crown. The monarchs then promised each lord and lady there a greater reward with sports, games, spectacles, and of course, the feast itself.
Feudalism
Map of the kingdoms in England during the Wars of the Roses
As I mentioned in my Game of Thrones post, a king’s main job was to unite all the lords in the land and get them swear fealty to him, binding the whole country under the crown. It was King Henry VI’s failure to keep the lords in line that resulted in the civil war known as the Wars of the Roses. Feasts like the one in Medieval Times, were essentially propaganda to keep the lords allied with the king. They demonstrated the power of the king and communicated loudly and clearly that the lands would be stronger together, as opposed to endless war. So, this kind of pageantry was political as well as entertaining, and the king and queen’s dialogue preserves the purpose of this kind of feast, which as a history nerd, I deeply appreciated.
Court Sport
While we waited for the feast, the knights entertained the court with displays of their skills and strength. They rode towards the quintain and hit it with their lances, threw spears at a target, and even their horses got a chance to trot without riders, showing how well trained they were.
The knights practice throwing spears at the target
The Joust
Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince Of Tyre has a very elaborate and detailed depiction of how jousts worked in the Medieval and Renaissance eras. Shakespeare knew that the joust was the ultimate display of skill, chivarly, and the ideals of courtly love. Knights were portrayed as romantic heroes who fought for a simple favor from a lady such as a rose or handkerchief and each one defined himself by his strict code of honor and virtue. All these traditions are hightlighted in the scene where Pericles fights in a tournament to gain the love of the princess Taisa:
Enter A pavilion for the [p]reception of King, Princess, Lords, &c.
[Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, and Attendants]
Simonides. Are the knights ready to begin the triumph? First Lord. They are, my liege;750 And stay your coming to present themselves. Simonides. Return them, we are ready; and our daughter, In honour of whose birth these triumphs are, Sits here, like beauty's child, whom nature gat For men to see, and seeing wonder at.755 [Exit a Lord]
Thaisa. It pleaseth you, my royal father, to express My commendations great, whose merit's less. Simonides. It's fit it should be so; for princes are A model which heaven makes like to itself:760 As jewels lose their glory if neglected, So princes their renowns if not respected. 'Tis now your honour, daughter, to explain The labour of each knight in his device. Thaisa. Which, to preserve mine honour, I'll perform.765 [Enter a Knight; he passes over, and his Squire] presents his shield to the Princess] Simonides. Who is the first that doth prefer himself? Thaisa. A knight of Sparta, my renowned father; And the device he bears upon his shield770 Is a black Ethiope reaching at the sun The word, 'Lux tua vita mihi.' Simonides. He loves you well that holds his life of you. [The Second Knight passes over]
Chivalric ideals aside, the joust also had a practical purpose- it was a way for knights to train for war, an a way for them to win fame, money, and good reputations at court. As you can see in the photos above, the knights were separated by a wooden barrier called “the tilt wall.” Each knight was identified by the colorful designs on their banners, shields, and the blanket draped over the horse. Once the king or marshal threw down the warder, the knights charged headfirst at their opponents, armed with shields, lances, and full armor. Knights scored points for breaking lances and shields or by knocking other knights off their horses. Naturally, to create the most impressive display possible, all the knights at Medieval Times fell off their horses and no lances broke.
First, and most important, was the Joust Royal, or "tilting," in which mounted knights armed with lances charged at their opponents across a barrier. This was followed by a "tourney" in which mounted knights ran at each other without a tilt barrier (as pictured here).> Combatants armed with spears and swords also fought on foot over a barrier Best, Michael. "Chivalry and Duels." Internet Shakespeare Editions, University of Victoria, 28 Sept. 2016, ise.uvic.ca/Foyer/citing. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.
The Lance
The video above is from Weapons That Made Brittain, in which historian and reinactor Mike Loads, explains with vivid details, how Knights learned how to master the art of the Lance, and how the Lance became one of the most important weapons of the knight.
Duels
In the climax of the evening, the knights stopped fighting for sport, and started fighting for power! The Green Knight (as green with envy as his armor and horse), suddenly refused to dismount from his horse and began striking knights left and right. He then challenged the leadership of the king, threatening to rebel from the kingdom, along with his fellow knights! The king then decided to choose a champion to fight the Green Knight to the death! The Red Knight, (who as I mentioned before, represented my kingdom, and threw a rose as a favor to my family), picked up the glove of the envious Green Knight, thus signifying that he would be the champion, and fight for the fate of the kingdom!
Why the Green Knight?
Illustration from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, 14th century.
At the hall door comes a frightening figure, He must have been taller than anyone in the world: From the neck to the waist so huge and thick, And his loins and limbs so long and massive, That I would say he was half a giant on earth. But more than anything His color amazed them: A bold knight riding, The whole of him bright green.Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
In most (but not all) interviews and clips I’ve seen, the Green Knight is the bad guy- the one Knight whom almost everyone is supposed to root against. When I got home, I wondered why this was. After all, isn’t the black knight usually associated with villainy? My personal theory is that this is a subtle reference to the classic medieval story, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The eponymous Knight is supernaturally strong and able to even survive decapitation! He serves in the story, as the ultimate test for our young hero, Sir Gawain. I think the writers of Medieval Times definitely did their homework, making this Knight the antagonist.
The duel began on horses, but quickly changed to single combat on foot. They fought with axes, maces, and of course swords.
Even though dueling was a bloody and dangerous pastime, it has a long history that even kings couldn’t erase. Back in Anglo-Saxon times, private disputes, (such as the murder of one’s father) could be settled through means of a duel. In this period, England was occupied by the Danes, (which we would now call Vikings), and several Viking practices of judicial combat survive. For example, the Hólmgangan, an elaborate duel between two people who fight within the perimeter of a cloak. These kinds of fights continued throughout medieval Europe and, like Medieval Times Shakespeare knew their devastating dramatic potential.
At the end of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the revenge cycle between Hamlet, Leartes, and Fortinbras, comes to a close using a duel. Hamlet has murdered Leartes’ father but Hamlet did not intentionally kill him. This kind of legal dispute would certainly have been settled with a duel in Saxon times. This is one reason why Leartes scorns Hamlet’s offer of forgiveness at the beginning of the scene, and instead trusts in the outcome of the fight to prove his cause. Hamlet and Leartes begin fighting officially under the terms of a friendly fencing match, but it becomes clear early on that at least in the mind of Leartes, this is actually a blood-combat. Laertes is demanding blood for the death of his father, and like the Green Knight, his fight will decide the fate of the Danish throne.
Hamlet. Come for the third, Laertes! You but dally. Pray you pass with your best violence; I am afeard you make a wanton of me.
[Laertes wounds Hamlet; then] in scuffling, they change rapiers, [and Hamlet wounds Laertes].
[Laertes falls.]
By the Renaissance, dueling was highly controlled by traditions of honor and fair play. As Laertes admits, poisoning Hamlet and fighting him to the death without his knowledge would be considered treason, and highly dishonorable. The Green Knight does every possible thing to make the audience see him as the villain with his lack of courtesy, dirty tricks, and disdain for the king and queen. He is so dishonorable that, even Americans, who have nothing but disdain for monarchy and in real life, value independence and self-sovereignty, would rather take the side of the monarch and his stooge the Red Knight over the Green Knight, just because he refuses to play fair.
I’ve criticized Ms Swift in the past, offering praise for her work as a whole, but not when she tackled Romeo and Juliet in “Love Story.” So, when I heard she was making a new song specifically about Ophelia, the young ingenue role in Hamlet, I wasn’t sure what to think. I am pleased to report that Taylor Swift’s song has a masterful grasp of not only Shakespeare, but of many classic iconic ingenues (both real and fictional). And her album, Life of a Showgirl, has a salient point to make about relationships, love, and Ms Swift as a woman and artist.
And I of ladies, most deject and wretched, Have sucked the honey of his music vows. -Hamlet, Act III, Scene i.
Put quite simply, the fate of Shakespeare’s Ophelia is, bad. In Hamlet, Ophelia is the prince’s girlfriend. Over the course of the play, her brother Laertes leaves her for France and Hamlet breaks up with her before accidentally killing her father, Polonius. Ophelia cannot take the strain of all this misery, and she loses her mind, unable to communicate except through flowers or little songs, as this clip from Slings and Arrows shows:
Geoffrey Tennent (Paul Gross) explains Ophelia’s torment to young actress Claire
Once Ophelia loses her mind, she dies by drowning. Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude relates how she was picking flowers for garlands (flower crowns), and the branch she was holding broke. She was then weighed down by her gown and sank into the river:
Gertrude: There is a willow grows aslant a brook, That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream. There with fantastic garlands did she come Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples, There on the pendant boughs her coronet weeds Clamb’ring to hang, an envious sliver broke, When down her weedy trophies and herself Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up; Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes, As one incapable of her own distress, Or like a creature native and indued Unto that element; but long it could not be Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pull’d the poor wretch from her melodious lay To muddy death.
Hamlet, Act IV, Scene vii.
It’s unclear whether Ophelia committed suicide, died by accident, or if Gertrude actually mercy killed her to end her suffering. In any case, Ophelia lost her family, her mind, and eventually, her life.
Ophelia’s Songs
Like Taylor Swift herself, Ophelia deals with her pain through songs and they range from upbeat and pretty, to deeply nihilistic:
And will he not come again? And will he not come again? No, no, he is dead; Go to thy deathbed; He never will come again. His beard was as white as snow, All flaxen was his poll. He is gone, he is gone, And we cast away moan. God ‘a’mercy on his soul! And of all Christian souls, I pray God. God b’ wi’ you. -Hamlet Act IV, Scene v.
It’s the actress’ ultimate test to determine what these songs mean, (“Though this be madness, yet there’s method in it)”. I’ve seen some Ophelias who seem vapid, and consumed by melancholy. Others are full of rage, particularly at Hamlet and Claudius, since they are responsible for her dire fate. As you probably know, if you read my review of Branaugh’s Hamlet, my favorite Ophelia is Kate Winslet, who manages to be all of these and more. Her songs tell the story of a woman who followed her heart, and ended up broken for it; a fate Taylor Swift knows all too well.
TS’ Literary Allusions
The eldest daughter of a nobleman Ophelia lived in fantasy But love was a cold bed full of scorpions The venom stole her sanity And if you’d never come for me I might’ve lingered in purgatory You wrap around me like a chain, a crown, a vine Pulling me into the fire All that time I sat alone in my tower You were just honing your powers Now I can see it all (see it all) Late one night You dug me out of my grave and Saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia
The central conceit of the song is how an unnamed person stopped the speaker from suffering the same fate as Ophelia. The song suggests that Ophelia’s first mistake was that she was too naive “living in a fantasy.” One thing Ophelia’s father and brother repeatedly impress on her is that she cannot be the wife of a prince like Hamlet, since (like so many Disney characters), she isn’t actually royal. There is a deep danger to this unequal power dynamic, which explains her image of a bed full of scorpions, (which by the way, could be cribbed from Macbeth’s line “O full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife”).
It’s particularly interesting that Swift uses allusions, not just to Ophelia, but to other characters as well: Her imagery of venom and purgatory suggests the Ghost of Hamlet’s father, who alludes to being stung by a serpent, and who might be trapped in purgatory. Like Ophelia, the ghost is languishing and suffering because of a man’s crime. I love how she intertwines the ghost and Ophelia with the metaphor of a chain, crown, and vine. While the ghost suffers due to his crown and his chains, one would wish someone would come up to Ophelia with a rope or vine, to save her from her drowning death.
The final image I’d like to discuss is the notion of being pulled out of a grave. Obviously, the Ghost comes out of his grave, but so does Ophelia! In Act V, Scene i, her brother Laertes jumps into his sister’s open grave and fights with Hamlet over her corpse!
Laertes. Lay her i’ th’ earth; And from her fair and unpolluted flesh May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish priest, A minist’ring angel shall my sister be When thou liest howling.
Gertrude. Sweets to the sweet! Farewell. [Scatters flowers.] I hop’d thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’s wife;3580 I thought thy bride-bed to have deck’d, sweet maid, And not have strew’d thy grave.
Laertes. O, treble woe Fall ten times treble on that cursed head Whose wicked deed thy most ingenious sense Depriv’d thee of! Hold off the earth awhile, Till I have caught her once more in mine arms. [Leaps in the grave.] Now pile your dust upon the quick and dead Till of this flat a mountain you have made T’ o’ertop old Pelion or the skyish head Of blue Olympus.
Hamlet. [comes forward] What is he whose grief Bears such an emphasis? whose phrase of sorrow Conjures the wand’ring stars, and makes them stand Like wonder-wounded hearers? This is I, Hamlet the Dane. [Leaps in after Laertes.]
Hamlet. Thou pray’st not well. I prithee take thy fingers from my throat; For, though I am not splenitive and rash, Yet have I in me something dangerous, Which let thy wisdom fear. Hold off thy hand!
The question is, who is this mystery figure who metaphorically pulled Taylor Swift from her grave? To answer that, we need to look at the music video itself.
Imagery In The Video
Taylor Swift poses as Ophelia in her 2025 music video Taylor stands her ground as a pirate/ siren in “The Fate of Ophelia”Taylor seems tied up backstage in The Fate Of OpheliaTaylor dons fiery red and seems happy to be a showgirl again
Taylor As Ophelia
I certainly expected Taylor to appear in an Ophelia-like pose, and I suspected she’d base it on the famous 1851 painting Ophelia by John Everett Millais. For the record though, apparently the pose is based on a lesser-known painting by Friedrich Heyser from 1900 .
Ms Swift establishes who Ophelia is using a pose reminiscent of these late 19th and early 20th century paintings. They make Ophelia into a sort of fairy tale character. The lighting is bright and ethereal. The colors suggest a literal watercolor painting, which is important, given the motifs of water and fire in the song. Taylor seems placid, dreamy, and extremely passive.
Taylor as a mermaid/siren
Taylor as a Mermaid/ Siren
Taylor’s character keeps changing through the video- she goes from Ophelia “A creature incapable of her own distress,” into more active and more assertive characters. First, a mermaid. This isn’t so much of a departure from Shakespeare since, as you saw above, Gertrude compares her to a mermaid. Like Ophelia, mermaids are singers with strong connections to water, who sometimes give their lives for humans, (like in the iconic Hans Christian Anderson story The Little Mermaid).
Taylor stands her ground as a pirate/ siren in “The Fate of Ophelia”
However, in ancient Greek mythology, mermaids are known as sirens, and they can drive men mad with their songs. Taylor’s character has turned tables on Ophelia and is taking control of the men in her life in this image. She becomes a sort of siren/ pirate, using a sword to keep men at bay. This also echoes how, after being sent oversees, Hamlet himself boards a pirate ship and makes the pirates take him back to Denmark, so he can finally take revenge on Claudius. Of course, Taylor Swift wouldn’t settle for the supporting character of Ophelia, and has recast herself as the starring role.
Taylor seems tied up backstage in The Fate Of Ophelia
Waiting In the Wings
The title of Taylor’s album is The Life of a Showgirl, so the whole song is an homage to Taylor’s chameleon like persona, which evocatively, (and provocatively), come through in this shot. The strategic ropes and the bobbed haircut suggest a 1920s flapper, one of the most famous kinds of showgirls. In addition, Taylor is backstage in a dark theater, where ropes and pulleys are frequently used in stagecraft.
The shot and the album as a whole also explore the joys and sorrows of celebrity. Taylor is literally tied to the stage. Perhaps she sees herself as part of the scenery, not a real person. One might even recall how Prospero, one of Shakespeare’s self-insert characters, recalls how ephemeral the illusion of theater and film can be:
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and1880 Are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve1885 And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind.
I interpret this image as Taylor enjoying the glamor and creativity of the limelight, but also feeling lonely and not totally fulfilling. A showgirl is still not totally alive, without an audience.
Taylor dons fiery red and seems happy to be a showgirl again
The Fire
At the climax of the song, Taylor’s persona becomes a dynamic showgirl in fiery red and orange; the complete opposite of the quiet and passive Ophelia. The song itself makes a reference to being pulled from the water into the fire- from cold, lonely death, to dazzling life. She seems to be happy to be a star and, for the first time, she is sharing the stage. Clearly, finding support and backup (pun intended), is what saves her from the fate of Ophelia. The question remains though, who saved her?
Ophelia In Art
Video from the Tate Modern art gallery about “Ophelia” by John Everett Millais
Ope not thy lips thou foolish one Nor turn to me thy face The blasts of heaven shall strike thee down ere I will give thee grace” –Elizabeth Siddall
Even famous paintings about Ophelia have a tragic story- I mentioned the famous John Millais painting, in which the model for Ophelia was a poet named Elizabeth Siddall. As you can see in the video above, Siddell modeled for Millais in a bathtub for hours in increasingly cold water, leaving her pale and her lips blue. Swift also alludes to Siddall in the shots where she herself is in a bathtub. Here yet again, we have a woman whose every action is dictated by a man, one who cares little for her physical and mental health.
Mystery Solved?
So, who is the mystery man who saved Taylor from the fate of Ophelia? Well, even though the song need not be autobiographical, since the song’s release coincides with her recent engagement, it’s easy to read the song as an ode to Taylor’s fiance, Travis Kelce.
My Take
I know I have been critical of TSs’ interpretation of Shakespeare in the past, but I think she nailed it this time. Her song, and album is a joyous celebration of a healthy relationship, one devoid of jealousy or control. Taylor is celebrating that she can truly be herself around Travis, and that means both her public persona as a superstar, and her private persona that is known only to Travis and herself. Ophelia represents the person Taylor feels pressured to be- a face frozen in time and cold water. Taylor wants a more active persona, and her fiance gives her the courage to do so!
Dream Album-
Now that Ms Swift has tackled both Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet, I would adore it if she wrote songs for more iconic Shakespearean characters:
Antony and Cleopatra- who better to write about the original power couple than Tay Tay!
Twelfth Night- Both Viola and Taylor know what being a tomboy feels like
Lady Anne from Richard III Let’s be honest, Taylor is known for her celebrity feuds, and who had more beef than the Yorkists and the Lancastrians?
Do you agree with my analysis? If you were TS, what Shakespeare plays would you write about? Let me know in the comments!
Lots of teachers play this game and there are many Youtube videos of people playing it. Occassionally, even Shakespearean actors have played it:
There are also online quiz forms available on Quizlet and Gimkit. You can also show your students this video below:
Richard III and Henry Tudor- Bad Blood
Macbeth- Look What You Made Me Do
King Lear- Anti-hero
Lady Macbeth- No Body No Crime
Julius Caesar- My Tears Ricochet
Richard II- Castles Crumbling
Antony and Cleopatra- Style
Mercutio from “Romeo and Juliet”- 22 and “Shake it Off”
Goneril from “King Lear”- Blank Space
Do you agree with my list?
Teachers are increasingly seeing the value in analyzing Taylor Swift with their students to teach them about literature. What a gift Ms Swift has given us with this song!
I’m beyond excited that The Deleclrte Theater is continuing their tradition of producing high-quality, free Shakespeare in the Park, and then giving everyone the chance to see it via streaming over PBS.
This summer’s show is Twelfth Night, my favorite Shakespearean comedy, with an all-star cast
I’m so excited to see Peter Dinklage as Malvolio, one of my favorite characters in Shakespeare, and one that I have played myself. I’m also very interested in Sandra Oh’s interpretation of Olivia. She has proven herself in both dramatic and comic roles, which works well for Olivia, a character who starts out in mourning and ends up madly in love.
The performance I am the most excited about, though, is Lupita N’ongo as Viola. I’ve said before that Viola is one of the greatest characters in all of Shakespeare, so I can’t wait to see her portrayed by Lupita N’ongo, an actress I greatly admire. I loved her performances in Avengers Endgame, Us, and my whole family adored her excellent voice work in The Wild Robot. She has simultaneously a childlike enthusiasm, and a calm and stoicism that I’m sure will translate excellently for Viola, who survives a shipwreck and losing her brother (she thinks) through courage and humor.
Hopefully, I can stream this program soon, and give you a full review. In the meantime, enjoy my past posts and videos about Twelfth Night
I’m pleased to announce that I’ve created a fully online, interactive Shakespeare class for kids ages 6-11 to start them on a lifelong journey of Shakespeare! The course will include games, videos, webquest activities, and puppet shows!
Title: Shakespeare for Kids!
Purpose:
Video trailer
The goal of this class is to introduce Shakespeare to young children in a fun and interactive way. For example, each lesson starts with a fun and funny introduction to a Shakespearean topic by our friend Puppet Shakespeare. Each class will also feature interactive games and quizzes that break down the poetry, language, characters, and plots of Shakespeare to help kids lose their “Shakes-fear” and begin engaging with classic literature
Each class builds from learning about Shakespeare to learning about the language and poetry of his plays, to finally an in-depth analysis of one play: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” After watching videos, playing games, and filling out handouts about these topics, the student will go on a “webquest,” that is, a series of webpages that feature activities, outside websites, and a short- puppet show retelling of “Midsummer” for the student. The goal is that by the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the dialogue of the play, summarize the story, know the characters, and enjoy the poetry.
Format: Nearpod with video and web links.
Ages 6-10
Description: 2 week course, $10 per week.
Part I: Who Is Shakespeare?
Learn about Shakespeare’s life and career with an interactive timeline, handouts, and an engaging puppet show! This section will include me reading from the excellent children’s book: William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki.
Part II: Words, Words, Words
WIlliam Shakespeare (Or Bill as I like to call him), wrote in a very special way. Back then playwrights were called poets, so not only did he have to make plays, he had to write them so they would sound like lines of poetry.
Part III: Shakespeak
Figure out how to translate all the “thees” and “thous” that make reading Shakespeare a challenge nowadays
Part IV The Play’s the Thing!
What kinds of plays did Shakespeare write? This handy lesson will teach you about the basic types of plays Shakespeare wrote, and give you a quick summary of each!
Part V: Disney vs. Shakespeare
Poster for Disney’s Elemental, which bears many similarities to Shakespeare’s Romeo and JulietContinue reading →
One of my colleagues at work showed me this book, and it really fired my imagination. Taylor Swift is one of the most if not THE MOST successful singer/songwriter of our era. Her songs go across multiple genres and tones and, like many writers, they often contain allusions to classical poetry, nursery rhymes, and occassionally even Shakespeare.
My own Reservations with Taylor
I’m not exactly a Swifite, and I know I’m running the risk of offending MILLIONS of people here by offering criticisms of Taylor Swift, but I honestly think it’s a good idea to be able to critique the things you love. In the past I’ve criticized Shakespeare’s plays, his characters, and even suggested that he might be racist. I would like to offer that, in the case of Love Story, Ms. Swift simplifies the plot of Romeo and Juliet, and leaves out its tragic elements, which kind of misses the point. As an allusion, it seems a little watered down. That said, I feel other TS songs are better, use their allusions more skillfully, and create a more coherent picture in the listeners’ mind. Dispite my issues with this one song, I heartily admit that Ms. Swift is prolific, talented, and has created songs that are classic works of art!
What I’m not interested in doing is getting into a “battle” where I try to justify Shakespeare as being better than Taylor Swift. When I see memes like the one above, it makes me immediately disengage with whoever posted it. I don’t want a Swiftie to talk in the comments about how Shakespeare was a talentless hack. Alternatively, I don’t want a Shakespeare nerd to dismiss Taylor as being infantile or any other critique. Both these writers had different goals, went about them differently, and achieved success in their own special ways. So now, let’s look at how Taylor Swift borrowed from different literary traditions to make her songs more dramatic, more visceral, more insightful, and more poetic.
Her Literary Allusions
Obviously, Love Story mentions Romeo and Juliet, as well as The Scarlet Letter and various princess stories. TS rarely makes direct references to Shakespeare in her work, but some scholars have suggested that there might be more oblique references in some of her songs. For instance, when I look at the lyrics of Willow, I can’t help wonder if she wasn’t at least partially inspired by Shakespeare’s song of the same name in Othello:
Wait for the signal and I’ll meet you after dark Show me the places where the others gave you scars Now this is an open-shut case Guess I should’ve known from the look on your face Every bait and switch was a work of art
The more that you say The less I know Wherever you stray I follow I’m begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That’s my man
I can’t hear this song and not hear the parallels with the Othello story- the speaker alludes to eloping with her beloved (which Desdemona nearly does in the first act), that he has scars (which Othello clearly does mentally and physically). In addition, I imagine the refrain as like a duet between Othello (who is reluctant to kill Desdemona), and Desdemona (who wants to leave Cyprus and have a normal married life with Othello:
Desdemona: The more that you say The less I know Othello: Wherever you stray I follow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans Desdemona: That's my man
Even if Shakespeare isn't mentioned directly in many of Taylor's songs, like Shakespeare she often uses Greek myths, the Bible, and other popular works as allusions. Some scholars have suggested that both Shakespeare and TS write using their own experiences through the lenses of classical poetry and literature. Simmilar to how Shakespeare probably wrote Hamlet to deal with his grief over his son's death, Taylor writes songs about past relationships, feuds with pop stars, and her own evolution as an artist through the lens of Shakespeare, novels, poetry, and other works.
TS’s Poetry
Ms. Swift’s songs are more than just catchy beats with a few allusions stuffed in. Like Shakespeare, she makes use of alliterations, internal rhymes, clever metaphors, and strong rhythms that help her songs tell their stories clearly and effectively. As an exercise, I fed the lyrics to “Bad Blood” into a poetry analyzer and found a very interesting analysis:
The poem features a rhythmic and catchy structure, typical of song lyrics. The syllabic patterns vary but often maintain a consistent beat, enhancing its musical quality. The use of internal rhymes and alliteration (e.g., “mad love,” “bad blood”) adds to the flow and memorability. The stresses often fall on the first word of each line, creating a strong start and a compelling rhythm that engages the listener. The word choice in the poem is evocative and charged with emotion. Phrases like “bad blood,” “deep cut,” and “salt in the wound” create vivid imagery and convey the depth of the narrator’s pain. The use of questions, such as “Did you have to do this?” and “Did you think we’d be fine?” emphasizes feelings of confusion and hurt. –Studycorgi.com
I highly encourage students and teachers to do an analysis of both Shakespeare and Taylor Swift because studying one can help us appreciate the other. Similarly, learning the way each writer conveys ideas can help the reader become more creative!
Who Said It? Shakespeare or T.Swift?
Lots of teachers play this game and there are many Youtube videos of people playing it. Occassionally, even Shakespearean actors have played it:
There are also online quiz forms available on Quizlet and Gimkit. You can also show your students this video below:
What iF SHakespeare’s Characters were Swifties?
I posted on Reddit a while back to ask the internet which Swift songs would be great soundtracks for the lives of Shakespearean characters. This is sort of an outgrowth of my: Infinite (Variety) Playlist activity. Here are some of the results I got:
Mercutio from “Romeo and Juliet”- 22 and “Shake it Off”
Goneril from “King Lear”- Blank Space
Do you agree with my list?
I hope this post can help teachers see the value in analyzing Taylor Swift with their students, and help students in analyzing Shakespeare. I think the term “classic” applies to anything good enough to stand the test of time. Shakespeare has already passed that test, and based on her clever allusions, evocative wordplay, and emotionally-charged subjects, I believe Taylor Swift to be classic too!
LADY CAPULET Good night. Get thee to bed and rest, for thou hast need. Lady Capulet and the Nurse exit. JULIET Farewell.—God knows when we shall meet again. I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins That almost freezes up the heat of life. I’ll call them back again to comfort me.— Nurse!—What should she do here? My dismal scene I needs must act alone. Come, vial. She takes out the vial. What if this mixture do not work at all? Shall I be married then tomorrow morning? She takes out her knife and puts it down beside her. No, no, this shall forbid it. Lie thou there. What if it be a poison which the Friar Subtly hath ministered to have me dead, Lest in this marriage he should be dishonored Because he married me before to Romeo? I fear it is. And yet methinks it should not, For he hath still been tried a holy man. How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo Come to redeem me? There’s a fearful point. Shall I not then be stifled in the vault, To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes? Or, if I live, is it not very like The horrible conceit of death and night, Together with the terror of the place— As in a vault, an ancient receptacle Where for this many hundred years the bones Of all my buried ancestors are packed; Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth, Lies fest’ring in his shroud; where, as they say, At some hours in the night spirits resort— Alack, alack, is it not like that I, So early waking, what with loathsome smells, And shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth, That living mortals, hearing them, run mad— O, if I wake, shall I not be distraught, Environèd with all these hideous fears, And madly play with my forefathers’ joints, And pluck the mangled Tybalt from his shroud, And, in this rage, with some great kinsman’s bone, As with a club, dash out my desp’rate brains? O look, methinks I see my cousin’s ghost Seeking out Romeo that did spit his body Upon a rapier’s point! Stay, Tybalt, stay! Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink. I drink to thee. She drinks and falls upon her bed within the curtains.
The Given Circumstances
This famous soliloquy comes from Act IV, Scene iii. In this speech, Juliet grapples with her fears and anxieties about taking the Friar’s sleeping potion.
Traditional Interpretations
Ellen Terry (Vinal Record Recording, C. 1911)
Ms. Terry, like her famous grandson John Gielgud, is more interested in delivering the text clearly, beautifully, and strongly than getting Juliet’s character across. Consequently, by our standards, her reading of the speech is slow, declamatory, and maybe a bit over-the-top. However, this kind of delivery really brings out the rhythm of the verse, the beauty of the individual words, and the structure of the speech itself, so I recommend actors listen to it as a jumping off point. In my opinion, having a good technical grasp of the speech will keep an actor from going too far with the emotion, (making it hard for the audience to hear and understand them). This is why there’s still value in these dusty old recordings.
Olivia Hussey (Romeo and Juliet directed by Franco Zephirelli, 1966)
Zephirelli was very sparing with the dialogue- choosing to condense this entire speech to one line “Love, give me strength.” Hussey has a great deal of passion in the speech, as if she is absolutely certain that taking the potion will re-unite her with Romeo.
Claire Danes (Romeo +Juliet, 1996)
Claire Danes contemplating the vial in Romeo + Juliet
Danes has a sense of almost macabe trance-like energy when she delivers the speech. Like all the edged weapons in the movie, the dagger is replaced by a gun. Most of the speech is cut because Luhrman wanted to emphasize the character’s obsession with violence, rather than fears about ghosts and arranged marriages. Consequently, Danes does little other than put the gun under her pillow, take out the vial, and drink it.
Ellie Kendrick (Globe Theater, 2009)
Ms. Kendrick is one of my favorite Juliets ever! She is a wonderful blend of sweetness and naivety, tempered with anxiety and practical thinking. She delivers the whole speech to different parts of the audience and makes sure every idea and every horrible thought of Juliet lands. Furthermore, her fast pacing around the stage helps her not only connect with the audience, but to use the Globe theater to make them imagine the Capulet vault.
Verse
As I always say, verse is the heartbeat of a character, and based on this, Juliet’s heart is beating a mile a minute. You’ll notice that five of these lines start with a trochee (T), and five of them have trochees. This means Juliet is unsettled, she’s literally off-beat. In addition, there are frequently pauses in the middle of the lines called cesuras, which might indicate that either Juliet is trying to answer her own questions, or that she is so worried, that she’s gasping for breath.
In this second part of the speech, the lines start running together. Juliet’s pace is quickening and she breathes every 2-3 lines instead of at the end of each line.
Structure
The speech is organized as a series of questions:
“What if…”
“What if…”
“How if…”
“Or if I live…”
“O, if I wake, shall I not…”
and then the terrifying statement: “O look…”
So, with this in mind, the actress needs to convey Juliet’s overactive imagination, her fears, and her ability to answer these fears with inner calm and inner strength.
Imagery
It’s a horrific idea being shut up alive with the dead. Shakespeare gives us the sights and smells and the grim reality of feeling “stifled” in a vault. I created this image to demonstrate the smells, the fear, and the claustrophobic nature of the vault.
I chose to have the vault lit with candles, and to use green smoke to represent decay and possibly noxious gas, like the nitre that sometimes dips from walls of tombs. I also added some stone faces of ancestors to stare down at Juliet.
Historical Research
Sarcophagus in church of San Francesco al Corso, an old Franciscan monastery in Verona.
The plain stone sarcophagus above has become a tourist attraction as the traditional ‘resting place’ of Juliet. As I mentioned in my Friar Lawrence post, the Friar who marries Juliet is a Franciscan, which is probably why they chose this church in Verona as the ‘site’ for Juliet’s grave.
It is a plain, open, and partly decayed sarcophagus, in a wild and desolate conventual garden once a cemetery now ruined to the very graves. The situation struck me as very appropriate to the legend, being blighted as their love.
– Lord Byron, Letters and Journals Vol. III
Since Italy is a small, hot country, bodies in the 16th century were buried almost immediately. First, the body would be wrapped up in a shroud or winding sheet, as Juliet mentions at the end. The corpses might be decorated with Rosemary or other sweet-smelling herbs.
A winding sheet for a corpse
Wealthy families like the Capulets or the church, would store all the bodies of their ancestors in burial vaults or crypts. Some bodies would be anointed with oil or preserved with vinegar.
Literary Inspiration: The Cask of Amontillado
Montressor and Fortunato move through the burial crypt in “The Cask of Amontillado”
When I think of the dark, macabre atmosphere of a family tomb, I think of The Cask of Amontillado, a short story by Edgar Allen Poe where the anti-hero Montressor, tricks his enemy Fortunato into going into his family crypt and buries him alive! There are some interesting parallels between Montressor and Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet- both men belong to ancient families, both men are violent, and both refuse to let any kind of insult stand. I think Juliet sees the vault as a hostile place, where her ancestors are angry at her for “betraying the Capulet name,” after marrying a Montague.
Image Research 4: Tybalt’s Angry Ghost
AI image of Tybalt’s Ghost
Like Montressor in The Cask of Amontillado, Tybalt embodies the Capulet feud, and it makes sense that Juliet would see him when she thinks of being shut up in the vault. The real question is, what does seeing him do to her? Is she terrified? Is she remorseful? Is she moved to protect Romeo? How does seeing Tybalt’s ghost motivate her to take the potion?
Other Questions to consider
Why is Juliet so nervous?
How does Juliet feel about running away from home?
Do the ghosts represent something? Guilt? Judgement? Some kind of ticking clock?
What does she see Tybalt’s ghost doing?
How does Juliet pull it together at the end?
Emotional
Not only is Juiet worried about her health, (mental and physical), I get a sense that she might also be experiencing guilt. The notion of her being tormented by spirits that shriek like mandrakes, suggests that maybe the ancient Capulets aren’t very pleased with Juliet. This makes sense because she married a Montegue. I get the sense that maybe, for the first time, Juliet actually feels guilty, as if she’s failed her ancestors. However, for whatever reason, she definitely re-focuses and thinks about Romeo. Either she rejects her ancestors and Tybalt, or maybe she sees the potion as a way of protecting Romeo, or possibly Juliet just wants these fears and anxieties to end, and takes the potion as a release. My actor and I will no doubt try these ideas out and figure out what works within the structure and within her interpretation of the character.
Our Interpretation
Again, it’s a little too early for me to tell you our interpretation yet, but I’ll post it later.
Resources:
Myshakespeare.com. This website will allow you to look up unfamilliar words, download pictures and videos of the scene, and even watch an ‘interview’ with Juliet, where, just as in this speech, she becomes more and more anxious and fearful until the very end.
The Shakespearean Student 