humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare

On Fri, 7 Mar 2008 20:47:22 -0800 (PST), Tom Reedy
wrote:

>On Mar 7, 6:32 pm, bookb...@yahoo.com wrote:
>> On Fri, 7 Mar 2008 15:22:27 -0800 (PST), hj
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> >On Mar 7, 2:17 pm, Tom Reedy wrote:
>> >> The best production of AYLI I ever saw cut Jaques' role. It was a
>> >> breath of fresh air not to have to endure the ages of man speech and
>> >> the following obligatory audience applause.
>>
>> >> TR
>>
>> >==> Damn, I glad it isn't only me! Jacques is (IMHO) superfluous,
>> >dropped in here or there to make an acerbic statement. Actually I like
>> >the 'ages of man' speech, except that there's not very much context
>> >for it--as though Will had this really cool bit of monologue and
>> >didn't care where it went as long as it went *somewhere*. That plus
>> >the fact that I've heard it too often. It's like a very nice song
>> >that's gotten played to death.
>>
>> >  hj
>>
>> I disagree about Jacques.  In considering what characters in the canon
>> are necessary to reveal the bard, Jacques ranks high, IMO.  He gives
>> us perspective in evaluating the experience in the play, departing in
>> the last scene to live in a cave, which is a meaningful comment.
>> Probably anyone who thinks Jacques is merely a distraction to the plot
>> is either unaware of what he says and represents or typically prefers
>> what Masterplots or Readers Digest Condensed Version includes; just
>> read Charles and Mary Lamb and follow the bouncing ball.  bb-
>
>But you didn't see the production, did you? Of the five AYLI
>productions I've seen, it was by far the liveliest.
>
>TR

Actually, my thought is that AYLI doesn't play too well and is
difficult to stage, like Lear; but reading allows more of what
Aristotle labels "thought", and Jacques is good for that. Maybe AYLI
is good for a laugh without thought content, but I say it isn't
Shakespeare. bb