#if i have to suffer shakespeare so does percy

[bnesszai]

8 or 61, percabeth

Hi hi!

I did 61 from the prompts!

“Is it that or because you're in love with me?”

Percy sends a glare Annabeth’s way, but it's softened by the pink on his cheeks. All Percy was trying to do was study Shakespeare so he can pass tomorrow’s test and never have to look at the dude's name again. His girlfriend, though, has delighted in having random lines quoted to her.

It's for education purposes, Percy had told her in a very unconvincing manner.

“You already know that I am, so what does it matter?”

Annabeth laughs. It feels nice these days, to make Annabeth laugh instead of look at him with twisted grief and hurtful words. Amazing what realizing your feelings for someone can do. 

“Maybe I just want to hear you say it.”

Rolling his eyes, Percy turns away from his homework too look at her. Annabeth’s hair is down today, her gray eyes sparkling with mirth and affection. “I think I say it plenty.”

“I think you believe yourself more charming than you are.”

Percy scoffs. “I think you find me plenty charming.”

Annabeth smirks, putting her arms behind Percy's neck. “Maybe I'm just dating you for the status. Hero of Olympus and all that.”

“I am pretty great, aren't I?”

“Shut up, Seaweed Brain.”

Percy grins. This is their game, their play, as it were. And it always ends the same way.

“Make me.”

Annabeth leans down and Percy forgets his name.

[yonemurishiroku]

Take a seat. The point of romeo and juliet is not the romance. Though it's a part of it. The point is it's a tragedy. And all this tragedy happening because all these dumb rich grown ass adults couldn't get over themselves and had to drag everyone including their own children into their bullshit. I hate when in Romeo and Juliet people focus too much on the romance(sex) aspects. Because that's not the point. The point was that they were so young, and had to hide, and only new each other for such a little time. That the world around them became so horrible. That they thought they had no other option but to kill themselves. Fate is also an aspect of the book. Fate is purposely punishing the two families by making the only heirs in their family fall in love and then commit suicide in such a brutal way. Causing both lines to die out. So when you think about all that. That why I'd love a Percy and Nico aus with this concept. Because god does the universe play with fate and tragedy so much. Because you know its Greek and Roman mythology. But also the gods already having so much horrible petty drama with each other that it affects there kids. I feel like it fits with Percico ship really well.

Oh my. I didn't expect a Romeo and Juliet lesson in my askbox but this is much appreciated, thank you! 🤗

Tbh I have never actually read Romeo and Juliet. Mainly because I'm not particularly interested in romances, and again not capable of Shakespear-level English. I know bits of it through the mainstream media, and that's that. In many ways, I enjoy the concept of tragedy. Heaven knows how I always go for the tragic tales. On the other hand, though, I'm a little averse to romance as a whole, so a story that (supposedly) revolves around young love just loses me from the summary. I don't know how it differs with ships, either, it probably has st with my interpretation of it.

Anyway. Percico and tragedy is indeed a match made in heaven. The gods' petty dramas, as frustrating as they are, can be stimulating purely because of their meaninglessness - bc it means things can just be completely out of your control, sometimes all those dramas just came knocking on your door, worse yet demanding a heavy price you don't want to pay. It's the helplessness that pushes them to keep trying - or just my inclination to tear Percy and Nico apart to see them suffer. Probably the latter.

Percy and Nico's dymanic is also a funny thing, if you get what I mean? I mean. They try so hard to make it right, but as they do so, they fail to catch the other's wavelength, fail to pull the other to their own orbit, so they keep following their own thoughts and ideas, which have been derailing since forever. They try - gods know they try - but it hardly pays off. It feels like the universe conspires to separate them.

And maybe it's the vanity that characterizes Percy and Nico's relationship IMO. I want to see them try, fail, and then try again. It sounds like hopelessness, which it is, but there is beauty in trying, even in hopelessness. And that's what is beautiful to me - when there's no hope, but you'll still go on.

[softlighter]

Dear Unsent Letters Writer

Hello! Lovely to not-meet you! Thank you for signing up, and thank you for writing a work for me, I am truly so excited already to just be participating, and the prospect of receiving a work has me absolutely giddy! Now, let's get down to business, shall we?

Likes: I love Happy Endings and Not Totally Angsty Endings, basically, I need a kernel of hope in there at the end and not a complete tragedy. Bitter and sweet combined, y'know? I really do need a kernel of hope and to just not be completely devastated come the end, basically, not a distressing ending, please. Additionally, I love complex characterization, not one-note, and I love feeling characters as human. The human experience is so rich! I love fairy tales and mythological allusions, so if you go the AU route with that, I would be very down for that! Same thing for Shakespeare, I’m a huge Shakespeare nerd, and any allusions or inspirations for that would be more than welcome! I do love smut, and I write it myself, but I absolutely do not expect it. If you find yourself inspired, though, I will be delighted! I’m not against dead dove themes, but again, not a fan of completely distressing endings. Finally, if a general overarching theme I just love is hope.

For me absolutely Do Not Wants, I think they’re self-explanatory, and include scat, watersports, suicide, self harm, unprompted crossovers, character bashing, addiction/substance use, homophobia/transphobia, use of the first person outside of epistolary itself.

Request #1: Ancient Scribe & Modern Scholar (Original Work) Books and Articles, Journals and Diaries I think what's drawing me to this prompt is the openness. Is the ancient scribe a hero? Have they been forgotten by society? Is the modern scholar researching their work in desperation or out of pure curiosity? I will admit, part of my interest in this prompt is because of the potential romantic spin one could take on this, on two people interested in the same topic years apart, but that is absolutely optional, and I would love to read about admiring someone and learning about the person behind their work, too. What does their research/work say, and then maybe what does their journal say? What do they think versus how do they feel? I would love if this was fantasy, and I would be most appreciative if this was between two women, but I'm really leaving this up to you. Some ideas to throw at you if you're stuck: - the ancient inventor of a cure for an ailment the modern scholar suffered from and who is now reading the journals and works their hero who they owe their life to - two priests/priestesses devoted to the same god(dess) centuries apart - someone researching how to cure a broken heart/grief and someone in the midst of that pain - someone who discovered a prophecy and recorded it, and then the scholar realizes they are the subject of the prophecy Really, go wild! I'm excited to see what you come up with.

Request #2: Sally Jackson/Poseidon (Percy Jackson and the Olympians [TV]) Books and Articles, Journals and Diaries, Letters/Emails/Audio or Video Message Transcripts Whew, where to begin! I love a love story, through and through, and I would be most appreciate of any angle that really emphasizes the enduring aspect of their love, even if it's not a traditionally happy ending where they end up together. There's an idea I have where the epistolary aspect is a book/article going through Poseidon's lovers and how Sally is or isn't like those lovers, and there's absolutely potential to bring Medusa in here if that's your vibe, but not necessary! Honestly, I also love the idea of either of them writing and keeping literal unsent letters to each other, about each other, about Percy, about their lives. Why or why not each letter is or isn't sent could be interesting, too, what is "worth" it and what isn't. Selfishness v. selflessness, etc. I just adore Sally Jackson, and I think she deserves the world. If you wrote 1k about Poseidon adoring her, I'd be thrilled.

Request #3: Alicent Hightower/Rhaenyra Targaryean (House of the Dragon) Books and Articles, Journals and Diaries, Letters/Emails/Audio or Video Message Transcripts I love messy sapphics, and I am here for all passion and fury and desperation and, at the end of it all, this quiet, enduring, stubborn love for each other. Maybe it's what gets them through, maybe it's what damns them, but the love they have for each other, even as it evolves. Are the letters sent, are they not? What is said and what isn't said between them, what is heard? I am also here for some tongue in cheek irony, i.e. "historians say they were very good friends" passages for the epistolary aspect and then them being very ;) good ;) friends ;) soft and romantic, smutty, or otherwise! If you want to do an AU where they're queens together and this is still what the historians report, I would cackle with utter delight! So no need to go super angsty with this, I'm also here for the soft letters they wrote as maidens to the scathing confessions they wrote as mothers and everything in between, so long as the love they hold for the other endures, even if they don't want it to. Maybe especially if they don't want it to.

Request #4: Crown Princess/Her Arranged Marriage Bride (F/F) (Original Work) Letters I am here for the PINING. I am here for sensual tension, I am here for sexual tension, I am here for tentative and longing pens flowing over parchment and love, above all else. How did this match come to be? How do they both feel about it? Is either party less-than-willing? What's making them both go along with it? I would really love and appreciate a happy, sweet fic for this, so write as much fluffy sapphic love to your heart's content! Also, if you want to make one of the women a she/they baddied and/or a they/them baddie, I am SO Here for it, but you're not obligated to!

Again, thank you for all your hard work in advance, and I look forward to reading your creation!

[novels-lover]

Review of this son of York.

This is one of the most recent fictional novels about the life of Richard III from his childhood to his death, how is it different from other books? Well, it includes the scoliosis of Richard III as something crucial in his life that defines his character, despite the fact that the author seems to have a positive opinion of RIII in other books that she has written releated to him in this novel RIII is not innocent of all the crimes of those that history has accused him over the centuries, rather the book seeks to present us a balanced portrait of RIII, so he is not a misunderstood hero as in other recent books, the truth is that the book does not have success portraying his childhood that ended up being an illogical and simple portrait, his adolescence is affected by scoliosis and the problems of the country at this point the book does present an interesting, dark, insecure, ambitious character but not a bad person, here i would say that the book improves and becomes a quick read although it sacrifices the descriptive details in the process which does not allow you to get involved in the plot or in the scenarios, even so it becomes a good reading it develops the facts in an entertaining way, the ending is very well achieved with a dramatic and nostalgic touch, it is not a bad book but to be recent it leaves out many facts that are known from history of RIII, it is not the best book about RIII not the worst has good moments so I give it 3 stars no five because throughout the book many events become absurd.

SPOILERS

Anne Easter the author of this book has been writing novels about the family and even Richard's mistress who according to her book (A rose for the crown) gave him 3 children, and in this book she finally decided to take RIII as her character main bringing back to Kate the mistress presented in a rose for the crown, the books are not exactly a saga so it is not necessary to read the others to understand this one or any other.

Richard is a child who grows up in hard times, he faces the death of his father and political betrayals, which makes him a strong child who learns about justice and life (the lessons are credible but they are presented to him and absorbed in a rather ridiculous way), he is sent to the house of his cousin Richard Neville Kingmaker with whom he creates a bond, there he meets other childrens who will be his friends but unlike other books in this case Rob Percy is initially the closest to Richard not Francis Lovell, during these years of training Richard experiences a physical attraction a bit sexualized by Isabel Neville the eldest daughter of his mentor the kingmaker , Richard is almost a teenager like Isabel so this adoration is understandable but unfortunately she he ignores Richard because she likes Geroge of clarence Richard's hated brother with whom he can never get along because of the bulling and the incompatibility of personalities Geroge is an idiot ambitious and Richard is loyal and hardworking (the book does not do a great job showing these positive things in Richard at least not convincingly) Richard soon gets over his "adoration" for Isabel, oh by the way around fluttering like a butterfly is Anne Neville ,Isabel's younger sister who is almost obsessed with Richard whom she sees as a hero Why? No idea , he does nothing but treat her with contempt and manipulate her during those years but Anne seems to be determined to be a victim of life from the beginning. Richard soon begins to be independent and gets a mistress named Kate with whom he has a relationship of pure love and passion (quite romanticized and totally tragic: a royal duke and she a poor nobody) they have three children but Kate will hide the last one from him, Why? For Richard not to have this son on his conscience and go to his political marriage guilt-free (despite the fact that he was conceived before he got married which makes this part absurd and stupid, I mean two bastard children have to be accepeted by his future wife but THREE ?? (would be impossible according to kate's logic), the good thing is that we do not read so much of this cloying and silly romance, although it is clear to us that Kate is and will always be Richard's true love.

Richard suffers bitterly, the scoliosis feels that God punishes him and becomes pious (although he sleeps with Kate who is married and not to him obviosly ) the scoliosis bothers him a lot and is worse when he ends up in Exile in Burgundy for the second time in his life because his brother loses the throne, and more painful for Richard is knowing that his mentor Kingmaker is on the other side fighting for the Lancaster house and has also given his youngest daughter Anne Neville in marriage to Prince Edward of Lancaster that affects Richard and he is like: Nooo Anne! They say that Edward is a monster for sure it will be bad on her and now that I think about it, I would like her for a wife because of her pedigree (So Richard was an idiot with Anne but he is a Duke of York so it's okay, not that this Edward is a Lancaster so he does not have permission to be an idiot with Anne ok ....) Richard triumphs as a commander of his brothe York won and he becomes a hero, everything seems to be going well he has a good relationship with his brother the King and even with his sister-in-law queen Elizabeth, but the ugly part is that his duty is to assassinate the deposed King Henry VI whom he kills with his own hands (It sounds like something stolen from Shakespeare's play, it is also done in an absurd way, it is something like "take off clumsy mercenary I will do it ") from that moment Richard is convinced that God punishes him for this murder and the scoliosis worsens which leads him to develop mood swings and outbursts of anger, he goes to rule the north and decides to marry Anne Neville who lost her husband during the last battle of course that she is still stupidly in love with Richard, he leaves his mistress and promises to focus on his wife Anne who is a strong and sweet girl loving him nonetheless his bastards or his scolicis, she bears his mood swings, the love he always keeps in his heart for kate over the years, and waits in the sanctuary for months because Richard is a bit clumsy negotiating for their marriage with his brothers, thir life together is not so bad in general and he is faithful (in body because in mind he couldn't stop thinking about Kate even after Anne's death he falls into her arms again) he treats Anne with respect but he is not the husband of the year, for him Anne is a consolation but she will never be Kate who he sees through the years and he even uses his children as a remembrance of that love, all this while Anne goes around rubbing his sore back, being a good stepmother, a good wife, an excellent consort, and loving him madly, which I never understood, except to make love to her with charm, he does not do much to make her happy. (seriously Anne why did you love him all your life?).

Richard manages the north with efficiency and sees happy how is killed George Clarence his brother, not only he does not care about him but it seems good to him that they kill him as always they hated each other is understandable or should be but is not ( Richard felt gulty and sad for killing Henry VI, he became pious and God fearing but then he goes to support his own brother's murder for not reason apart from their childish fights every three or more years that they meet each other but it seems that was good for the plot so Richard kills someone else )

He becomes King at the death of his brother Edward with the typical version, Edward's non-legal marriage, Buckigham manipulates everything (Richard becomes alcoholic as events progress and does not use his logic much to unravel all the conspiracies), I was surprised that he will not kill the princes (Shakespeare must be disappointed), his niece elizabeth falls in love with him, Why? No idea at this point Richard is not only angry all the time but also a little out of control with the situation but she loves him, and gets angry when he rejects her "I hate you man I will marry Henry Tudor" (as if she had a vote in the bussines) The ending explains well the betrayal and the mental state of Richard I think that the most redeemable in general is this Richard that is dark quite complex but does not convince me especially considering that he was a man who even today generates hate or love, they had reasons to hate him but I saw few to love him, I think only Kate and Edward could consider him a good person in this book because he trated them well almost always, I recognize that the character is well done the author does a good job with him but I am not convinced nor do I like him I think he is terribly poorly balanced and the book for me is full of silly or a little absurd things that ruined the story, in general I am disappointed to know that now with so much information avaliable Anne easter still went for myths instead of go for facts or use her logic .

[bicycles-bees-bisexuals]

50 Question Book Tag For World Book Day

My darling pal @thebestoftimes tagged me in this and who am I to refuse, though i am a lame loser who hasn’t read very much since high school. I read so much in elementary and middle school that I think I read enough for a whole lifetime. Also I’m a verbose asshole so enjoy my essays on books I read 13 years ago.

Who or what sparked your love of literature?

My mom used to read to me when I was really little and my sister despised being read to so my mom stopped. It made me sad so I started reading to myself and I just kept reading and reading and reading all throughout elementary and onward.

Do you have an ‘odd’ book habit? (page sniffing/never leaving the house with a book)

If I really really really love a book I use it to press flowers, so you’ll know which book is my favorite when you open it and it’s full of flowers

Do you have a book that you think has changed your life? How?

Shit I dunno man, I feel like Tolkien shaped my creativity and his characters are characters that I truly hold dear. But Pride and Prejudice really impacted me, which I know is weird, but it was my first foray into literature written by women for women and I just loved the dynamic of the characters, the spunkiness of Elizabeth Bennet, and the style of writing.

Which book have you reread most frequently?

Pride and Prejudice because I’m a huge freakin’ nerd and whenever I’m sad P&P is my comfort book. This is closely followed by the Lord of the Rings/the Hobbit

You can meet any author and ask one question. What author would you chose and what question would you ask?

Oh shit.....ummmmmm..... Ummmmmmmmmmmm.....I would ask Jane Austen her opinion on the Lizzie Bennet Diaries(after showing her the whole series)

Best book published this year so far?

(I haven’t read any books published this year I am so sorry)

Imagine you’ve started a book and don’t like it. Do you see the experience through to the bitter end?

I am a sinner of the highest caliber and I read the end to see if it’s interesting enough to warrant suffering through the rest

What book is top of your wish list/TBR pile?

Any of Holly Blacks books tbh, I hear such good things about her work and I just haven’t gotten around to reading it yet and I really want to

Favourite place to read?

On the porch in my beach chair with a mug of tea and a blanket

If you buy books, do you lend them out? Ever had a bad experience?

I lend books out all the time. I recently had a person I considered my friend abscond to Russia with several of my books and I am not happy about it

What fictional character do you ship yourself with?

There are so many badass ladies that if I lived in their world I would flirt so hard with them and I can’t decide. Definitely Annabeth and Rachel for Percy Jackson, Hermione/Ginny/Luna from Harry Potter... Brett Ashley from The Sun Also Rises....Arwen from LOTR but also Aragorn and also Eowyn....I just love hot ladies who get in fights alright

Weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark.

A whole sock, it was the nearest object to me and I was in a hurry, but at least it was clean

Favorite quality/qualities in a protagonist and antagonist

I love a flawed character who experiences character growth in the story, be they protagonist or antagonist. Not even in a ‘bad guy becomes good guy’ way, character growth is just so sexy man I wish writers used it more

Favorite genre and favorite book from that genre.

Why must you hurt me in this way, making me decide. I must say Fantasy is my genre of choice, and my favorite is actually The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Best/worst movie adaptation in your eyes

Dragon is by far the worst movie adaptation I have ever seen, I remember being so utterly disappointed and gutted when I watched it, I love those books so much and that movie let me down so hard(the effects were really good for the time though I must give them that)

Do you prefer reading your own books, or library books?

I am poor so library books all the way

How do you choose your next book to read?

I read descriptions until something strikes my interest. Or Jess recommends something to me.

Your favorite word.

Flourish

Book that got you hooked on reading/how you got hooked.

Mrs Peregrins Home for Peculiar Children, which isn’t a book I didn’t expect to like and didn’t have much interest in but the opening line of “I had just come to accept my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen” it was an interesting enough hook to draw me in. I was not disappointed, it’s a pretty great book

Opinion on dog-earing, margin writing, ect.

I dog ear books and write all over them. I love books and I love the stories they contain but I don’t think the pages of each individual book are sacred. My books look loved because they are loved. Unless I’m borrowing them then I don’t dog ear or write in them because that’s rude

Top 5 immediate to read in no order

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Most underrated book you’ve read

Tbh I don’t think I’ve read any underrated books. They’re all pretty highly rated

What is the first book that catches your eye when you look at your bookshelf?

My collectors copy of Sherlock Holmes because it’s beautiful and fancy and those stories hold a dead place in my heart

How do you arrange your books on your shelves?

I don’t arrange them, I just place them so that they fit, though I do keep series together

You have the power to change a book’s ending. Which ending would you change and what would you make happen instead?

Why do you do this to me.....okay I would definitely change the ending of Inheretence by Christopher Paolini. Tbh I wish he hadn’t written the fourth book at all and just left it with Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr but if we accept this book then it must be changed. I would have liked to see more character growth from Murtagh especially, but also Eragon who really regressed in this book. And I think Galbatorix’ death was super anti climatic and didn’t really resolve all of the built up tension from the series, it was too easy and didn’t resolve anything at all.

And Eragon just abandons Arya and the riders and they separate themselves from each other after all they did together, several books of allusion to a relationship and all of the issues between them being resolved and he just leaves. The plot threads just weren’t resolved and honestly I would have to scrap the whole book for the most part and start over.

Favourite book cover?

The book covers for the Inheretence Cycle by Christopher Paolini hold a special place in my heart and are what drew me to that series in the first place. I bought hard covers just for the aesthetic of them

Which book from your childhood has had the most impact on you?

The Chronicles of Narnia, tbh, my first introduction to fantasy

When reading, what do you value most: writing style, characters, plot, world building, pacing, etc?

Characters are the most valuable to me, if I don’t love the characters I don’t love the book

Do you prefer buying books or borrowing them from a library/friend?

Borrowing, for sure

What books/sequels that are being published this year are you most excited for?

Unfortunately I haven’t read enough lately to know what’s coming out this year

Which fictional character would you want as a sidekick?

Samwise Gamgee all the way

How many books have you read so far this year?

Seven, all academic books

What’s been your favourite read so far this year?

The Heliand

You’re stuck on an island with a suitcase big enough to hold five books. What books are they?

Arghhhhh ummm.... the lord of the rings trilogy, Pride and Prejudice, and a book on survival tactics

If you had to go out to dinner with any character who would it be and why? What would you talk about?

Hmmmmm Bilbo Baggins because I wanna hear the hidden stories of his journeys

Is there a book you have such a hatred for that you would throw it off of the highest tower knowing that the last copy of it will be destroyed so that not another living soul can read it?

Inheretence by Christopher Paolini tbh

Do you believe books make nice decoration?

Yeah I do and one day I want to have book shelves displaying all my books

Do you listen to music when you read? Or do you need complete silence? 

I do listen to music because I can’t focus on just one thing at a time because I’m ridiculous

Do you have a favorite book? If not are you in the group that believes there are too many great books out there to just choose one?

I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANTTTFTTTT

Do you sleep with books under your pillow.

No because I move too much in my sleep I would destroy the poor thing

Do you go to the library or do you have a book buying addiction or are you one of those lucky people who is able to do both?

I definitely go to the library because I am poooorrrrr

Own any book inspired clothing?

I have a pride and prejudice book scarf and several Jane Austen necklaces

Have you ever read a book in another language?

Yep I read books in Latin all the time and I used to read books in Spanish because I used to be smart, what the fuck happened to that who knows

Strangest book you’ve ever read?

The Heliand

Favourite type of non-fiction?

Historical Drama, in which they tell real events but in the most dramatic way possible. The best.

Favourite non-fiction book?

I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE (does hidden figures by Margot Lee Shetterly count? If not then I can’t decide)

Favourite subject to read about?

History, always, especially history involving regular people losing their shot

Favourite book you’ve read in school?

No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women by Estelle Freedman

Favourite work of Shakespeare?

Tbh I don’t like Shakespeare but Midsummer Nights Dream is most entertaining to me. Though I love merchant of Venice for all the jokes I get out of it on Bards Dispense Profanity

Character you’d love as a mom or dad or guardian?

All of them would be terrible parents and it would be so delightful but tbh I’d love to have Han Solo and Leia as my parents so I can beat the shit out of my bro Kyle Ron every time he tried to glorify space hitler

[180abroad]

Day 107: Conwy

Today we woke up early again and caught the 9:30 bus out of Betws-y-Coed north to the quintessentially picturesque castle town of Conwy.

On the train into Betws-y-Coed the other day, we had seen some spectacular views of the hills surrounding the River Conwy. On the bus, we got to see even more of the countryside. We passed through a patch of gently rolling, lightly wooded hillsides, dotted with picturesque hamlets and colorful terraced gardens, which I can only describe as The Shire.

Much of it still looked like we were back home in California, but the up-close details--the sheep, the actually old buildings, the pleasant Welsh patter of our bus-mates--made its foreignness a bit more clear.

The old Celtic languages in Scotland and Ireland may be dying out, but Welsh is still very much alive and well, at least in northern Wales. Whenever we overheard a pair of Welsh people talking, it seemed just as likely to be in Welsh as in English. And we figured out a clever trick that some Welsh people seem to do when first meeting someone.

The Welsh word for “hello” is helo, pronounced “hee-low.” To someone who doesn’t know Welsh, it just sounds like saying hello with an accent (which I guess it still is), so they just reply with hello. Someone who speaks Welsh, however, will recognize what they said and reply in kind: helo. And without missing a beat, the conversation can proceed in either English or Welsh as if it was never a question.

Also along the way, our bus crossed over the historic Llanrwst stone bridge--which helpfully had a warning “weak bridge” sign posted next to it. I’m not sure what we were supposed to do with that information, but since the bus driver didn’t seem too much bothered by it, I decided to just not think about it.

Conwy is a charming medieval town still circled by walls that have never been breached or bombed. It instantly reminded me of Dubrovnik, Croatia, which I had visited years earlier. To be honest, the comparison was bubbling in my mind long before we actually set eyes on Conwy, but I was gratified to hear another tourist make the comparison while we were on the castle ramparts. (Perhaps more than gratified--I may have given Jessica a disgustingly gratified grin when we both overheard the comment.)

Driving into town, we passed through a narrow archway penetrating the town walls directly under the view of the castle. And after we got off the bus, that was our first stop.

Architecturally, Conwy Castle is beautiful--maybe one of my top favorites. But as a piece of British history, it is hideous.

For much of their history, the relationship between the English and the Welsh could be compared to the relationship between the Anglo-American settlers and the Native Americans. The Welsh had land, and the English wanted it.

(The English name Wales actually comes from an Anglo-Saxon word for “foreigners,” and the Welsh name for England--Lloegyr--may have originally meant “invaders.”)

Unable to stand toe-to-toe with the English army, the Welsh lords did what every native population does when faced with a technologically superior invader. They retreated to the mountains and waged a guerilla war.

The English responded by ringing the wildlands of Snowdonia with a web of heavily fortified castle towns, from which they could contain the Welsh resistance fighters and launch brutal raiding parties whenever they wanted. For over a hundred years, North Wales was where ambitious young knights and nobles would come to prove their mettle and might.

Despite the castle’s grim origins, the Welsh do an impressive job of presenting it in an accessible, even-handed, and even entertaining way. They make a point to focus on the pride and camaraderie of Welsh culture that allowed them to survive and retain their identity as the era of English imperialism slowly rose and fell.

They are particularly fond of one story that involves one of the greatest April Fool’s tricks of all time.

On April 1, 1401, the English garrison left the castle to attend a Good Friday mass in the city below. They were confident in their iron grip of the city, and they left only two guards to hold the castle gate.

While the garrison was out, the castle carpenter--a Welshman--and two apprentices showed up at the gate to do some work. The guards let them in, whereupon the the apprentices--or rather, Welsh freedom fighters disguised as apprentices--slew the guards, let in a small contingent of other freedom fighters, and barred the gate.

Conwy Castle was so well-designed that this handful of Welsh patriots were able to hold it for three months before finally surrendering to the English garrison. Nine freedom fighters were executed for the coup, but the two leaders who had posed as carpenter’s apprentices were pardoned in exchange for their surrender.

Their names were Rhys and Gwilym Tudor. As in the Tudors who would  become the kings and queens of England less than a century later. Which went a long way toward easing medieval England’s apartheid rule over Wales.

The stairs up to the top of the smaller high turrets around the inner courtyard were ridiculously steep and narrow, but the views were worth it.

Unfortunately, we then had to climb down the stairs. Very slowly.

In the castle’s great hall, we learned that an invitation here during the Middle Ages could have very different implications depending on the context. The hall served as the venue of choice for both honorary feasting and criminal prosecutions. A hallway leads directly from the hall to a dark pit that condemned prisoners would be thrown into to slowly die of thirst or starvation.

As fascinating as everything in the castle was, Jessica and I were suffering under the sweltering summer heat. It wasn’t just bad by British standards--as a Californian, I can definitively say that it was hot.

Luckily, we found a stairway leading down into a mercifully cool basement at the foot of one tower. As a bonus, we got to see a cool model of how Conwy looked at the peak of the English occupation.

Notice how the only ways in and out of the castle were by boat or by climbing a single steep, narrow stairway.

We also learned the curious connection between Conwy and a London football team.

One of the signs mentioned an English knight named Sir Henry Percy, who also went by the nickname “Hotspur.” Henry was the son of a powerful earl and spent the late 1300s in Conwy enforcing English rule. Henry was later immortalized by Shakespeare for his role as the leader of a failed rebellion against King Henry IV.

Jessica wondered if he was somehow related to the Tottenham Hotspur football club in London, it turns out that he is. The Percy family owned a lot of land throughout the country, including much of Tottenham, then an agricultural hamlet north of London, and the Tottenham football club chose to adopt Henry’s famous nickname. (The nickname came from Henry’s eagerness to charge into battle.)

Leaving the castle, we immediately began searching the streets for a place to eat--as much out of a desire to escape the heat as of actual hunger. We eventually stopped at the Galleon, whose window boasted of having “Possibly the best fish and chips you’ve ever tasted.” We appreciated the slight concession to modesty and decided to test the claim for ourselves.

We’ve had far too many fish and chips now for me to even begin ranking them, but the Galleon’s would probably be pretty high up. The fish was great, but I was particularly intrigued by the chips--they were almost a perfect clone of the fries from In-N-Out Burger.

After lunch, we checked out the Elizabethan Plas Mawr house--one of the oldest buildings still standing in Conwy and the first house that a Welshman was allowed to build inside the town walls. (After all, the walls were originally built specifically to keep the Welsh out.)

Keeping in mind that the house is almost 500 years old, it’s in remarkable condition. It is filled with interesting plaster and woodwork throughout. We could appreciate what they were going for, but to be brutally honest the craftsmanship and engineering skills just weren’t quite there.

In one room, the plasterwork ended up getting cut off because they didn’t think to double-check the measurements of the room.

The nude woman used in the plaster motif was apparently based on the artist’s wife, and the fireplace of the great room was painted to look like marble.

Allegedly.

The house’s kitchen was unique in that it was actually stocked with real food and spices (apart from the bouncy foam eggs), and everything wasn’t glued down to the table. It gave the place a remarkably more lifelike and homey feel than the kitchens in other preserved homes and castles we’ve visited--not least because it actually smelled like a kitchen.

Before we headed upstairs, the delightfully pattering audioguide lead us out for a quick view of the garden. As an aside, Welsh might be my favorite of all the British accents. Jessica was pleasantly surprised by how similar it is to a Scouse (Liverpool) accent--though it makes sense in retrospect given how close the city is to Wales and how much of the city’s population is descended from Welsh immigrants.

Upstairs, we saw the attic and the house’s arched roof supports with pegged joints. This would have been considered high-tech architecture at the time, and the owner had originally intended for the roof to be on display over the great room below. But he ended up having to add an attic floor for structural reasons.

From the window, we were able to get another great view of the castle and the rest of the town.

And we just couldn’t get away from the California connections.

After leaving Plas Mawr, we were tired, hot, and almost ready to go. But I had one last item on my Conwy checklist--walking a section of the wall.

We got off the wall just in time to catch the bus back to Betws. On the way, our driver pulled up outside a school and got out. We ended up waited around thirty minutes while the bus filled up with schoolchildren. Apparently this was a combination city and school bus. Still, it was an interesting experience to hear how school bus banter doesn’t really change no matter where in the world you go--just the accents.

Back home, we picked up dinner from the Spar mini-mart and watched Iceland heroically not quite make it to the next round of the World Cup.

Next Post: Betws-y-Coed & Blaenau Ffestiniog

Last Post: Snowdonia

[alnwickcastleofficial]

Spotlight on... the 11th Earl and Countess of Northumberland

In this new series of posts, we will look at a few details from the lives of members of the Percy family who were part of Alnwick Castle's history. 

First up are Josceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland, and his countess Elizabeth (also known as Betty).

Josceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland (1644-1670)

Josceline, born in 1644, was the subject of a large commitment by his father, the 10th Earl, to his training and education, in order to make Josceline “a citizen to his country”. The 10th Earl also negotiated a marriage for his son, to a lady named Audry Wriothesley who he “judged... to be of a Nature, Temper and Humour likely to have made him an excellent wife, which would have brought me much comfort in the latter part of my life”.

The 10th Earl’s use of “would” above is due to the fact that Audry died before the marriage could take place. Her sister Elizabeth, or Betty, would instead be selected as Josceline’s wife.

Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland

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WHO WERE AUDRY AND BETTY WRIOTHESLEY?

The Wriothesley sisters were daughters of the 4th Earl of Southampton. Southampton’s father, the 3rd Earl, was the famous Wriothesley who patronised William Shakespeare, and to whom two of Shakespeare’s longer poems are dedicated (the only known occasions when Shakespeare directly wrote as himself).

Betty would also stand to inherit an annual sum of £5000 from her grandfather the Earl of Chichester.

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Josceline appeared to be ill quite frequently. One letter he wrote to his tutor, Dr Mapletoft, states "I believe that few persons have suffered more in diseases without dying than I have done. I did not stir one inch from the place I was in for 22 days, being kept first 14 or 15 by the smallpox, and then by a fever  which was, in my opinion, much the worse of the two." 

Four months later, another letter mentions “a very high fever, which afterwards proved to be the scarlet fever”. Though Josceline died in his late twenties, he seems to have been lucky to have survived as long as that!

He seems to have had some level of self-awareness, too. An additional letter to Mapletoft has Josceline declaring “I hear so little of truth from anybody, that I am the last man that learns of anything amiss concerning myself”.

Betty was known for her beauty - Samuel Pepys described her in his Diary as “a beautiful lady indeed!” - but her marriage to Josceline was delayed due to his repeated illnesses.The marriage took place on the 23rd December, 1662: Josceline was in his late teens, and Betty was a couple of years his junior.

Their first child was born in 1666, which must have been a relief to the 10th Earl, who was apparently becoming concerned at the absence of an heir to continue the Percy family line. However, the child was a daughter, Elizabeth, and the couple only received a ‘grudging congratulation’ from the Earl. In 1668, very shortly before the Earl’s death, a son was born, and the continuation of the earldom was assured. Unfortunately, the son died in infancy.

When the 10th Earl died, Josceline became 11th Earl of Northumberland, and Betty his Countess. He received many letters expressing condolences for his father’s death, including one from the future King James VII and II. 

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WHAT DID JAMES WRITE?

In his letter to Josceline, the future King wrote:

“It will not be necessary for me to use many words to persuade you how sensibly I am touched with the loss you have made of your father, since you know so well the kindness that I have for your whole family... I do assure you you shall find the continuance of my kindness for you upon all occasions; and as I lost in him a very good friend, so I hope I shall find you as much so as he was, since you will always find me your most affectionate friend...”

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The new Earl’s health did not improve, and when a second daughter died in 1670, he and the pregnant Betty decided to travel abroad, accompanied by their friend and physician, the learned philosopher John Locke.

Once they had reached Paris, Locke and the Countess remained - she was unable to conduct a long journey all at once - but the Earl continued to Rome. He was described as having “heated himself with travelling... for many days”, and by the time he reached Turin he had caught a fever which resulted in his death in his late twenties.

A few weeks after Josceline’s death, Betty gave birth to a stillborn child. Their only surviving daughter, three year old Elizabeth, inherited all the titles and lands that were transmissible to her as a female heir.

Elizabeth Percy, daughter of Josceline and Betty, later Duchess of Somerset

Betty, at the age of 25, was now a widow who had lost a husband, a son and a daughter within five months. She returned to England, but found herself under the imperious attention of her commanding mother-in-law, as well as romantic attentions from suitors - she was, after all, renowned for her great beauty, as well as her youth, high rank and wealth. She moved again, and began to live in Paris, but found suitors there too.

One of these suitors was William Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset, who died in 1671, aged 21, apparently “at grief for the unkindness” of Betty, “whom he had long courted in vain”. The most famous one, however, was the English Ambassador in Paris, Ralph, Lord Montagu.

The courtship of Montagu and Betty became a frequent subject of correspondence among the aristocratic ladies of France at the time, including Madame de Sevigne, now considered one of the most iconic letter-writers in French literature, and the author Madame de la Fayette, who jealously found the Countess badly-dressed and without any grace, and who wondered what Montagu saw in her! Men, however, found plenty to admire about Betty.

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DE LA FAYETTE? I KNOW THAT NAME...

The most famous Lafayette is probably the Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in the American Revolution and is currently a major character in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton. He is descended from the Madame de la Fayette who was so disparaging about the widow Betty Percy - but how?

Madame de la Fayette’s son, the marquis Rene-Armand, bequeathed the name and property of the House of Lafayette to his distant cousin Charles Motier de Champetieres in 1692 - Rene-Armand’s brother was an abbot, and he had no sons. However, his daughter Marie-Madeleine did inherit the Lafayette lands.

Charles’ son Edouard took the name of Lafayette, and it was Edouard’s son Jacques to whom Marie-Madeleine transmitted the Lafayette lands on her death in 1717. Jacques was her cousin, and was only aged 6 at the time. When Jacques died in January 1734, his brother Michel became the Marquis de Lafayette - and as Michel was born on 13th August 1731, he was only two years old at the time! 

Finally, Michel’s son Gilbert du Motier became marquis on his father’s death, travelled to America, and became the Lafayette so involved with the revolutions across the world at the end of the 18th century.

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Montagu, who later became Duke of Montagu, had a reputation of being irresistible, but Betty was not won over easily. It took Montagu some considerable time to court her, even refusing to do so much as look at other known beauties in case he offended her. Eventually, his attempts to woo her succeeded, and they married in autumn 1673.

However, as soon as the marriage was announced, Betty’s mother-in-law, the formidable Dowager Countess of Northumberland, claimed custody of her daughter Elizabeth citing a clause in Josceline’s will.

Betty, now Lady Montagu, protested, implored, and attempted to resist, but was not successful, and the Percy heiress was transferred from her mother to a much stricter guardian. The young Elizabeth had been in the care of her father’s old tutor, Dr Mapletoft, and Betty wrote to him, declaring:

“I desire that you would stay to come with her; for I shall not be at ease if you are not with her. And pray take care to defend her from her grandmother, who has not so much civility left as to come and speak to me herself; but by a letter has let me know that she does expect to have her delivered up; if not, she must use force. Poor child! Pray God send her health, and protect her from all the designs that are upon her at this time.”

Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Wriothesley, Countess of Northumberland and later Duchess of Montagu

Though their time together was short, and Josceline’s life equally so, the 11th Earl and Countess of Northumberland are an essential part of Percy family and Alnwick Castle history. They can be seen as the end of one era, that of the earldom of Northumberland, and the beginning of another, where the Percy family line, and that of Alnwick Castle, would become more complicated and eventually culminate in the dukedom of Northumberland in 1766.

[mentallyinwalmart]

Great question! I am a huge Shakespeare nerd so buckle up here we go!!

The Princess Of France (Mare Barrow) is one of shakespeares most interesting female characters because she is able to express her attraction and sexuality while still remaining true to her cause and her kingdom. She is a devoted friend and expresses strong depth in character and emotion. In the end when push comes to shove she chooses her cause over love because it is what is most important.

Henry V (Cal) is the young king after his fathers death and initially begins to take on a war for the sake of England and what he believes to be the greater good. However as he grows as a leader and fights on the front he realizes the value of human life and though he wins the war, he emerges a changed man, one who no longer sees soldiers as pieces on a strategy map, but as people with lives. (Also he marries a different princess of France and that’s a fun nod to my little Marecal heart)

Macbeth (Maven) is the ‘mad king’ and one of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters. After having prophecies and manipulations whispered in his head by witches and even his own wife, Macbeth goes crazy with power and kills those most dear to him in a desperate attempt to hold onto power that was never meant to be his. He goes completely mad by the end of the play and loses himself, tormented by the ghosts of those he has killed, and obsessed with a fate he cannot change.

Iago (Elara) is the villain of Othello. Iago whispered his way into both Othello and his closest friends minds. Convincing Othello his wife was cheating on him and all of Othellos supporters that Othello was not fit to rule, by the end of the play he convinced Othello to kill his wife, then once is is discovered Othello is a killer, Iago takes the power for himself.

Viola (Evangeline) Is one of Shakespeare’s other incredibly strong willed female characters. Viola makes her way in the world by pretending to be someone she’s not after a boat crash separates her and her brother. Her cunning and planning manage to win her a place besides Duke Orsino and Lady Olivia. She loves her brother and in the end they are reunited and she is able to live a happy life with him and the people she loves by her side.

Cinna The Poet (Shade) comes along the road to Rome reading poetry and doing no one any harm. Unfortunately, he suffers a cruel and brutal death that was meant to be inflicted upon another of his same name who was meant to be traveling the road at the time he was. A victim of accidental misfortune, Cinna is a sad and overlooked character in the Shakespeare canon.

Henry “Hotspur” Percy (Farley) is a man the king of England wishes were his son. An excellent general and a man well committed to his orders, Hotspur is the ideal son and the kings want for a future king. He is devoted, loyal, intelligent, and cunning and throughout the play rises in the ranks by being a devoted and tenatios member of the legion, eventually earning a spot at the Kings right hand.

Rosaline (Kilorn) is a woman who was with Romeo before his whole nonsense with Juliet. She survives the play, opting not to get involved where she knows she doesn’t belong, but still remaining loyal to Romeo when push comes to shove and he needs her. She is one of Shakespeare’s most underrated women.

And finally, Calpurnia (Coriane) Julius Caesar’s devoted wife who warns and begs Caesar not to go to the Capitol and to beware the Ides Of March. She is the only one who truly believes the prophecy and does her best to warn him of its coming to pass. She seems to be the only one who can see the threat within his court plain as day where all others see no harm and no danger.

I hope this helped :) I love love love Shakespeare and finding parallels in characters from his work to great works of modern times is a lot of fun for me.

Feel free to add comments, questions, or other headcanons to this list!!

Red Queen Characters as Famous Shakespearean Characters

Mare Barrow- The Princess Of France (Love’s Labour’s Lost)

Cal Calore- Henry V (Henry V)

Maven Calore- Macbeth (Macbeth)

Elara Merandus- Iago (Othello)

Evangeline Samos- Viola (Twelfth Night)

Shade Barrow- Cinna The Poet (Julius Caesar)

Diana Farley- Henry “Hotspur” Percy (Henry IV pt 1)

Kilorn Warren- Rosaline (Romeo and Juliet)

Coriane Jacos- Calpurnia (Julius Caesar)