#she would do a puppet show he would do shakespear

[rg11]

whats your fav aspect(s) of jadekat?

anon im sorry but i had like 40+ notes prepaired for my thoughts on jadekat but i lost all of them proof-reading it and this is all i got

they are the ultimate yuri to me

[diamondkat]

Regarding Alastor being redeemed, I have been seeing some posts regarding how it can happen that trigger an instant ick reaction from me. I have taken time to think about why I keep having such a strongly negative reaction to it. The first thing I took into consideration is that I really do not want my current favourite bad boy to become good. I am first and foremost a villain fan and his becoming good has a high chance of ruining the character for me. This means that there is a chance that I would dislike any theory that ends with Alastor redeemed. A lot of time you see people making arguments for why a ship or character should not be liked when the real reason is they personally don't like it and the reasons are merely support. I try to make sure I am aware of my personal bias.

Regardless of my personal bias, I have decided that there is one particular theory regarding how Alastor can be redeemed that I hate from the bottom of my heart. It is the theory where Alastor after being humiliated, degraded and losing everything including his pride has no choice but to accept Charlie's care and change for the better. Sometimes it involves betraying the hotel first, but generally involves him being unable to deal with the challenges that he faces. I am sure how this works in the minds of those who like this theory makes perfect sense. He can no longer rely on himself, he sees that he isn't capable of anything and now has no choice but to become what Charle wants him to be. I hate it so much. I have kept turning it over in my mind and I think I have figured out all the reasons why separate from my bias.

First, suffering doesn't make people better. It just doesn't. The theory seems to require enough suffering to rewrite Alastor's personality and make him Charlie's puppet. It also reminds me of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The story of how the proud woman was broken down to make her obedient. She might be "better" but it also felt to me like she died and became a puppet. He would be "redeemed" but that wouldn't be Alastor. It would just be something that looks like him. I just feel like fans of Alastor who like this theory don't realise that he would lose everything that pulled them to him in the first place if this happened. Some could not deal with him being less energetic in the main show than the pilot due to him being bored. How would they deal with what would essentially be a hollow creature wearing his face trying to become good because there is nothing left in him?

Second, with a proud character you can't brute force them into letting people in. Part of the idea of the theory is that after he is humiliated and suffers in front of them, he will drop his smile and be forced to let others in. That doesn't make sense to me. We have already seen in S1E8, how Alastor deals with things not going his way. He holds onto what little control he has by refusing to drop his smile and holding onto his pride while going through a breakdown. The best way to get someone like Alastor as far as I am concerned is to deal with him the same way you would deal with a wild animal. Slowly lower their guard. I think Charlie is already doing that whether Alastor knows it or not. Besides, pride is an important part of the character. Pride is part of what drew me to the character in the first place. The kind of pride that makes a person think it is okay to say, "If I wanted to hurt anyone here I would have done so already" in front of the Princess of Hell, is part of what drew me to Alastor. If he lost it, the character would likely immediately lose all appeal to me. So, there is some personal bias there.

It would make sense to me if the theory was more about Alastor learning that he can rely on others and doesn't have to depend solely on himself which leads to him opening up and letting others in. However, the theory leans very heavily into suffering as a way to make him a better person and a complete erasure of everything that makes up the character through suffering to make him into someone who wants and is worthy of redemption. That's fine for fanfiction but I hope it never becomes canon.

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

LUX!!!!

(ncuti voice)lets go lets go lets go lets go let's go

first some hot takes from trailers:

hot take 1: im a bit side eyeing this ep in advance bc much like the eurovision special coming up it feels 5 years behind from the zeitgeist. in these days when fanservice and high-concept tv is so common this kinda gimmick, by itself, is just Not That Bold

hot take 2: im not a fan of how bad wolf does coloring tbh. so much teal and copper. egh. i had this problem with HDM too actually. some very beautiful production design but imo marred many times by a muddied, artificial color palette... (last ep was terrible with this imo. the props were so gorgeous but those colors… oof)

ok onto the episode proper

this kind "ironic" 50s aesthetic does nothing for me. sorry fallout fans.

got fooled a lot by the last eps so im trying to freeze frame more this time kdlfjs

TV SHOW GANG LOOK WE'RE OPENING WITH A LITERAL PROJECTION AGAIN. why are we winning literally all the time

"and the world must ask, is this the pinnacle of man's creative genius?" master energy

francis ringer?

shouldn't this kind of style 20s be in black and white? color cartoons are more 40s-50s

IT'S ALL FIFTEEEN

"you came back, i had faith, and you came back"

"according to the laws of the light, sunlight doesnt suit us" oof

i know it's not

"LIMITED RUN ONLY" triggered TOT

"and technically it's puppets that want to be boys, not cartoons" screaming

they did a good job with the "coming out of the screen" effect

"and whatever you do dont make me laugh" stop trying to make blink happen its not gonna happen

love a "under the hood repair" scene <3

MUSIC!!!!!

"planet timelordia" "i wish it was called that :/" im in love

he asks if she's got a girlfriend first sdklfjd doctor who has a Type

"maybe not today"

the orange / yellow / cream of their outfits contrasts rlly well with the grey and blue

london regency orchestra!!!

"he loves grabbind the microphane" sdklfjsd "i would really, really like to see them again" us too!!

TAKE ME BACK TO HEATTHROW AIRPORT!!!!! im so living ya'll -" vindicator" i love.also she's so unfazed lskdfjd (which i love too)

(i can sense this is gonna be an episode with a lot of Food bc it's been 5 minutes and i've already paused so many times kldfj)

15 so happy to be seducing her dslfkjsdlkfj

OUTFITS!!!!!! ROLL OVER BETHOVEN MY BELOVED!!! LIGHTS!!!! /my toxic trait is i love doccy ho 2 much

"at 4am. we got dressed up for no one to see"

"this time travel thing is so strange because… we know what happens to him. poor soul" belinda idk your last name but im in love with u

also this Feels like it's gonna be a theme… good ol' pompoeii stories coming up

this is such a tenth move lmao ";;;) heyyy i can take u home but looook…. first i need to take off my tie…… and also let's visit shakespeare ;;;) but i promise it's all Necessary"

"like they are locking up a wild beast" i wonder if this is the kind of ep that would be stronger without a cold open that tells us already the awnser to the mystery sdlkfj

"we can go now :)))))))))) pls"

batista namedrop

oh yeah… racism :/

"i have toppled worlds, sometimes i wait for people to topple their world. until then, i live in it i and i shine ;)" this is the kinda energy i wanna bring to my family dinners

(ok BUT this is such a Meaningful line that says sm about the doctor and fifteen's arc and the lore and even torchwood CoE but i kinda want to focus on the ep sdklfsadjs le'ts just put it in a lil' box to unpack later)

"he liked those tales of outer space" "did he?"

"i will sit and wait for that boy forever"

"it says "police box"" "does that give you hope?"

hope can change the world / and then the hand holding In the context of the segregation … hits different

"C'MON VELMA" "OK FRED" iconic

"i know this is a segregated space…but we just… we wanted to say…. (beat)… hello"

"and this is……. the doctor?????(right, just the doctor???? …um always?? :///" "yeah" "ridiculous…." wtf i love her so much

"is someone tap dancing at us?"

"you're not celluloid, you're made of light, light come to life"

"i wish i knew. i'm all alone. ain't nobody else in this whole wide world like me. does nobody care about mr. ring a ding?" "you've got your own soundtrack" "15 people went missing" "" I LOVE A MIRROR!!!! I LOVE A FOIL!!! (eats my entire hat)

ALSO THEY CAN HEAR THE SOUNDTRACK!!!!!!!

"because it sounds like this…" YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO

asdkjasd lk we saw that harbinger cinema image set pic literally LAST series and i still got totally SHOCKED i tell you SHOCKED when this happened…. i love doccy ho

this whole pantheon insanity is so underrated tbh. fandom is gonna take A While to see the Brilliance just like with the timeless children.

this era has so much wordplay… so Intentionally… (cause IT'S A TV SHOW) when we get to the god of narrative things are gonna get So Insane…

"dangabbit, i've got no choice!" i love a mirror

"because if that thing is real, then so is she" oh i love this theme!! dreams are real 2 us.. fav trope.

"i should have never

"it's all a game to them. but the games are deadly" mirror mirror mirror mirror

"there are forces beyond this universe. and we think we're so clever. but we're like children. and when these forces deign to look down on us, our entire reality is in danger" this dialogues So well with Time vs 13 in flux

15 people …………

"he's trapped them in film" idiot's lantern coded!!!

'CAUSE YOU KNOW HOW FLAMMABLE OLD FILM IS. doctor who fans everywhere TRIGGERED

(the flashbacks to the previous episodes is a bit hoockey sdkflj)

belinda's expressions are Doing A Lot in this part

"those 15 people, you can let them go" "i've immortalized them on film!" ohh so meta

(this ep is Exciting in energy but i worry it's been half the runtime and Not A Lot has happened skldfj. like last ep altho things moved fast, and i can tell rtd is taking A Lot of exposition shortcuts, it still feels like most of the story has been setup rather than proper story, you know?)

"i've got a two dimensional brain" ok this is a good gag but: probably unpopular opinion: i hate how this whole episode is undermining old school classic cartoons tho :/// bro maybe the 60s hannah barbera schlop was bland like this, but there's actually a lot of character and gravitas to the warner brothers 40s-50s stuff (and even some of the disney stuff, esp the classics like bambi). and i rlly disagree with the implication of this medium-narrative that "current" cartoons are automatically better artistically because they've follownig some rules and formulas of """"sophisticated""" tv… it's just very myopic of the genre and how in taters it actually is today. esp bc execs have prioritized $$$ over craftsmanship and all you get in theatres is 3d sclhop (that is no, not actually more "depth" just bc it follows the """Pixar Principles""", it's as cooperative and sanitized in ways classic cartoons never were)

anyway DKFLJSDKLJF sorry for the rant. putting THAT aside. …. how telling that even this "more" depth moment the doctor isnt telling the whole truth (that he's trying 2 seduce belinda so she stays with him bc he can't be with himself).

huggg

"we've been framed" eyyy

lol they really couldn't afford more of the animated sequences could they

"i dont know how things are done in the caribbean" sdfkj

"he offered to help you!" oof. oof. dot and bubble motif.

"scrolling up and down does not work"

(i waved at them like a dork sdklfjds embarrassing)

this has SUCH send in the clones energy lol they even have 3 fans!!!

hashtag glee hates women

the hugggggggg TOT the dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS THE LITERAL DREAM

(bro that's a sick poster of the slugs from dot and bubble)

"blink" rolls eyes. judging these 3 guys' taste so much lol

(imagine saying that when 73 yards exists!!)

"yeah. but what does he not do?" "we don't know, tell us" "we can't!" "GOD YOU'RE SO ANNOYING" im loving this lol WE ARE ACTUALLY - lots of people say that" god bless

"we're the sort of characters who don't have surnames"

TIME FOR THE THIRD ACT

this is going down so hard wtf?? also the "illusions are real to us" my BELOVED trope <3 "you mean… you'll die?" "it's not death. we just end." "but… that is death" "yeah. but we're not important. it doesnt matter what happen to us" wtf im crying "it's been so worth it just to meet you" "and thanks to you i met my two best friends" ahh classic fandom beat

ok but: this scene gets me so much because i've always connected a lot with the "dreams / stories are Real to Us" theme, as i've said before in this post… first because they validate us daydreamers and ppl who need to escape the harshness of reality… and second bc that kind of theme rlly brings forth how deeply some of us can connect to fictional characters. and how real that can feel at times. it honors those (parasocial lol) relationships. BUT this episode i think brought it to a new level because it connected it to the "we're all stories in the end" theme. once we die, we're all eventually forgotten. and it's like a kind of second death. but it brings some comfort to us to think that we'll be remembered in our legacies and in the memories of people. (like how ppl connect with historical characters). it's kind of a way to "beat death" that's just, so human. y'know?

"then we might live on just a little bit" don't worry we'll write fanfic for ya'll!!!

(cheers to rtd bc he managed to do something new with a thing that's Been Done Before in xen,a supernatural, buffy, etc slkdfj)

(also these 3 guys had the sickest merch damnn)

hug!!!!!!

"or burns us to death :D"

the directing going off in this bit

"doctors always make the worst of patients, but trust me, i know what im doing"

"my hospital could do with you"

"you have light within you that builds a body" eyes emoji. children of time arc keeps going girlllls

i love how into the nuclear explosions the gods are lol

3d "liveaction" remake of my 2d cartoons be-loathed.

HE'S BURNING THE FILM. classic fans TRIGGERED

(this mechanic feels off tho sdklfj it feels like the doctor should have More energy than the sun… and going by rings of akhaten, more Potential Energy as well…. but ok whatever sdkfjsd )

"i am everything and i am nothing" oh this is such a good beat to literally '34934 times we've seen characters Ascend Cosmologically on this show sldkfj enlightenment means death in dw

"infinite. invisible. intangible.""amen"

this was exciting but what i feel is lacking in this season+special is for the characters of the day to be more interesting...… like yay for tommy lee's mom and the projector guy but i dont really Care that much sdklfjds. they feel too much like beats we've seen a thousand times, and work more on that level, rather than as specific new stories being told.

i disagree with lizzie im gonna give it a 10/10 just for sheer energy alone. and altho a bit short on time and with underdeveloped characters,... itdid get me to think about my own mortality. what more can u ask for our own fav scifi family show ?

that said after a lot of meta and self-referencing im glad we're going back to a straight forward base under siege dsfsdklfj pls pls next week have a good interesting crew that i can actually mourn once they bite the dust...

also i want more development and focus on belinda pls.

[that-starry-freak]

uhm

So

More children for @sunny-sourzii !!!! (Also tagging @melodi-jackson cause I feel like you like seeing the kids too)

uhhh- first off!!! The twins! Yes, another set, I like making twins, sue me

(Also its raining SO hard rn and I'm so happy)

anyway, Morning glory and Moonflower!! Or Glory and Datura, as they're usually called. They're the 2nd youngest set of siblings in the third generation! Only older then Venus, Mars, and uh- listen i read the names once im.not very good at retaining knowledge

Glory is defiently the more extroverted of the two. She looks up to her siblings, and loves to play with them. Eccpecially giving them little makeovers (which usually ar exist her putting stickers on their face and scribbling red marker like blush, but yknow, shes got the spirit) he eccpecially loves when Lune does his makeup. He likes feeling pretty. Sbe also really enjoys bright colors, and her favorite color is rainbow! Though he's a bit impartial to pink! She's also very energetic, probaly one of the most energetic out of her siblings, but she always knows how to calm herself down for her twin brother. Her favorite stuffed animal is also because it reminded her of Datura!!

(Also nvm im not happy anymore the storm is giving me a headache)

Oh- wait- let's go it may be going away)

Datura however is the much more shy and introverted of the two. He is very reserved, calm, and quiet. He loves to read, and started reading full on chapter books at a pretty young age. He has social anxeity, and really opens up around Glory and a few others of his siblings. He also really admires Chica, but is too scared to talk to her. He also realized he was a boy pretty young, as he really didn't like when people would call him a girl and treat him like one, and he always felt quite a bit different from his sister. He takes after sun, ftm <3. Though he takes after moon in most other regards.

Aaannndd- yeah!! I love these two tbh. I love their designs, eccpecialy Glory's, and I think they're really sweet. Also I like their names.

And now to the other child i made! Thats right! I made a third one! I did all of this yesterday btw I was on the roll-

This is Luna Moth!! Or Luma, for short. (Also im changing their pronouns maybe to she/they) they're only a few years older then Datura and Glory

They're the family theatre kid, and likes putting on plays and puppet shows and just generally preforming for the kids in the daycare, as well as for the triplets. They like older musicals and theatre rather than new ones, but im not gonna name any cause I havnt watched any!!!! (Not Broadway ones at least) but idk they probaly like Shakespeare phantom of the opera and stuff

The drawing to the left is more of what they wear casually, outside of the daycare. Also I havnt decided if the antennas are part of them or the hats, though I'm probaly gonna do it wear its part of them.

And uhh- yeah! Luma!

I also have these little headshot draawings of all my children so far- (6 of them!) 2 vers

Shaded

And unshadwd

(From left to right. Top row: Solar, Lune, Nebula. Bottom row: Glory, Datura, Luma)

And uhhh- yeah!!!!

[artist-issues]

*shrieks into the void*

“Let me free you from having to agree that Dune is a good movie series!”

There’s no emotional depth. The three things you’re supposed to care about, with the characters, in this movie are a) Paul’s family/household, their name and their wellbeing. b) The Fremen, their cause and their wellbeing. c) Chani, Paul’s relationship with her and her wellbeing. But the movies do not display any genuine moments of these characters being relatable or human or empathetic in a way that we can all empathize with. Paul’s interactions with his father before his death are too formal and take themselves too seriously. There’s little to no humor or relaxed moments between them that the casual viewer could relate to before big, dramatic moments ramp up the tension. When everything is solemn and Shakespeare, nothing is impactful or hits you in a real way. It all quickly becomes emotional white-noise, whether the dad is screaming about a assassination attempt on his son or his death is revealed to that son—who cares? Paul and Chani? They have no build-up to their relationship. There’s no reason they should like each other beyond animal attraction. And no audience member can relate to the experience of having supernatural visions about a girl, then meeting her and gaining her trust through pitched combat and ritual training. So nobody cares when he betrays her, no matter how much dramatic music you play. And Paul’s mother’s motives are either unclear or wholly unrelatable, so you don’t care what she’s after or how it will affect everyone else.

The writing lacks pacing. There are barely any jokes or moments of regular, normal conversation. Every single conversation is weighed down by solemn “fantasy culture” references, every single line is burdened by dramatic mic-drop one-liners. Paul and his mother never talk about what they miss about their old planet together, in a normal fashion. That would be the most natural thing in the world, as they travel through the desert.

The villains are shock-jock puppets. You might as well have a clip show of people getting run over by cars or falling off of bridges playing, instead of every scene with Fayd Rautha or any Harkonen, for all that the villains add to the story. They’re just there to be loud, or erotic, or gory—but don’t worry, the movie will play dramatic, chanting music behind everything they do so that you feel a sense of “epic dread” when they’re actually doing nothing intimidating or clever, or scary. They’re just yelling and smashing people. If they twirled their mustaches and “mua-ha-ha-ha’d” they’d at least be a little campy and fun to watch—but they’d be exactly the same amount of ‘effective or interesting in the story.’

It’s all sugar, no nutrients. The sugar just happens to be pretty music, good sound and visual effects, and nice-looking actors & actresses. The message is “power is derived from the successful manipulation of those with faith.” That’s it. That’s awful. That’s an awful message. What am I supposed to do with that information? What am I supposed to carry out of that theater? I’m supposed to start abandoning submission and faith in any higher power or authority, and use those ideas for selfish ambition and control, if I were to listen to Dune.

And don’t tell me it’s profound to take your main character and make him the villain. Boo hoo hoo. That’s not profound, I don’t care if it is Timothee Chalamet. Nobody cared about who he was before he betrayed his girlfriend and seized manipulative power for himself. When Anakin Skywalker falls to the dark side and kills his wife and turns on all the people who looked to him for help? You care. Know why? Because you saw who he was and how he struggled to live up to that, before the fall ever happened. He was a human character with relatable flaws like pride and human moments, like teasing his girlfriend or making his best buddies nervous, with hobbies, like tinkering. With a competitive personality. With a deep angst over loss. Paul Atreides? Lazy. Lazy in comparison. We’re just told his dad died and told he’s sad about that, but there’s no real human attention given to that. Just big dramatic, angsty declarations and acting-explosions. We’re told he loves Chani, and expected to believe it, but given no evidence except a suggestive post-sex scene with zero romantic tension or buildup, or even bonding. All Paul Atreides is, is a character who has a laundry list of epic hard-to-do chores, and he gets them done, while dramatic music plays, as if there was some doubt he was going to be able to do his chores and you’re supposed to see his completion of the list as a moment of victory. Guess what? I don’t care about his chore list, no matter how “cultural” they are. So I don’t care about his rise or fall, or anything he’s doing, because he’s not a relatable human character. He’s just a caricature. And that would be fine. If there were any relatable human side characters to look at him through the eyes of. But there aren’t. Because this whole story is “shock and awe, look at how important we are, hear that rumbling bass in the soundtrack, see this character brooding into the horizon for the seven-thousandth shot?” What am I supposed to take away from this? All sugar. No nutrients.

[tornrose24]

This is probably going to be the last update to this AU for a month or so since I will need a break from it to work on other stuff (with maybe an exception for a Halloween related drawing).

Also, I think since I never named them yet, Suzie's friend is named 'Jules.'

Lily, Suzie, Nate, Jules, and all the puppeteers are mine.

Oh, and since I wasn't able to, here's more info on the pupeteers:

-George Donovan–a comedian and voice actor. Known for doing a few comedic guest roles on TV shows in the 50’s and 60’s. Was known to have two sons. Was supposed to do a few voice roles for Hanna-Barbera in addition to working for Playfellow Workshop. Was known to be allergic to chocolate.

-Elizabeth Callister– an LA stage actress known for doing voice roles in a few cartoons. Daughter of a well-known producer, which allowed her to enter the ranks of the entertainment industry. Said to be ‘spoiled sweet’ and was hoping to entertain children. Was said to show small signs of what might have been ADHD.

–Stanley Hersh– a stage actor from New York. Son of Jewish-Polish immigrants who came to America in the early 1930s. Was said to continue his family’s store if he wouldn’t be able to make it into show business. It is believed Welcome Home would have been his biggest break prior to his disappearance.

–Zelda duPont– a singer and stage actress. Was involved with a few civil rights movements under a different name along the East coast. It is presumed that she was hired as a puppeteer because ‘no one is supposed to see who is playing them.’

-Louise Sherman–a well-known trans actress from the 60’s, yet was better known in the LGBTQ community as opposed to a wider audience. Supposedly a friend of Welcome Home’s creator. Spent a few years abroad in England and had been involved with a few Shakespeare plays.

-Travis McCoy–an actor from Texas. Had starred in a few Westerns and Romantic-Comedy projects. Was said to be very popular with his female fans due to his charm and good looks, but was never seen dating anyone up until his disappearance.

-Bertrand Parsons–a New England and New York stage actor also known for doing voice roles. Was also well-known in the LGBTQ community, yet this was kept silent from the main public for many decades. It is believed by some that his name is in fact a stage name.

–Walter Jones–Little is known about him, but he was a puppeteer for a few shows. Was said to be good friends with Welcome Home’s creator (and some suspected that the two might have been more than friends). It is believed Welcome Home would have been his big break given that he was to voice the main star of the show. He was given a draft card just before the show aired, and it is believed that he–like many other young men–escaped to Canada to avoid the draft.

[anncanta]

‘Elizabeth’ as the ‘Hamlet’ of the 21st century

The more I watch the Hungarian production of Elisabeth, the more it reminds me of Hamlet. Interestingly, in the light of this amazing musical and dramatic text, Shakespeare's play also becomes more understandable to me.

The Hungarian production (and the Viennese version with Máté Kamarás) is constructed as an extremely decorative, extremely ‘mechanized’, and regulated story. Literally everything in it is thought out, debugged, and adjusted to each other. All the characters move according to the plan, and the plot seems almost unnatural. The only living creature at this puppet ball is Elizabeth.

The authors do not hide this. One of the key scenes at the beginning of the musical will retain the same choreography for many years – guests and hosts at a wedding ball, freezing and moving against their will, obeying the gestures of Death. And I think that was the idea.

The authors obviously wanted to show the decline of the dynasty and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but to show it directly, through literal description, would have been stupid. It would have been political propaganda of the worst kind. But the authors of this musical are very smart. That's why they didn't show the Habsburg palace. They showed Elsinore.

It has everything: a strange plot in which a ghost acts. This ghost is very active and, contrary to its nature, it wants to dictate terms. He calls to account not only one man, but the entire established order of things that destroyed him, as evidenced by the very puppet theater that it awakens. And then we see the hero, or rather the heroine, who in life sought death, but among the dead remains alive.

Just as Elsinore – and more broadly, as Hamlet says, Denmark – is a prison, so the whole way of life in which Elizabeth exists is nothing more than a music box in which she spins, repeating the same movements, chewing over the same themes. Have you noticed how tired she looks when she repeats to herself for the hundredth time that she wants to be free and belongs only to herself? She is already tired of these words, exhausted by declarations that, as she understands, simply cannot be realized. Or rather, they can be, but the price seems unsuitable to her.

Here we hear the theme of madness, which for Hamlet was a game, although the people around him were sure that the prince had gone mad. For Elizabeth, madness is more terrible than death, and she does not even want to play at it. At this moment we see that she is tormented by her liveliness. Unlike the Empress Mother, the Emperor, the entire court, her own son, Elizabeth is full of life and loves life. She is in love with Death, because he embodies, as he himself says, the ultimate freedom. He is life, its integral part.

Everything in the palace is dead. Frozen and covered in dust. Every movement is regulated, every gesture is thought out, others decide how you look, because it has always been that way. Elizabeth, due to her love of life and faith in the triumph of life and love, ended up in a family that has no future. In this sense, she is a ‘Hamlet in reverse.’ The Danish prince immediately understood that Denmark is dead, Elsinore is dead, and it is not just about the bloodthirsty Claudius. The whole world around him is drowning, and it is impossible to stop it. You can only ‘turn one's eyes into their very soul.’ Then there is a chance to see something new – but not for him, but for Horatio, who will tell his story.

Throughout the text, Elizabeth desperately resists the realization that she lives in a dead world among the dead. When Death comes and calls her to leave, he does the only thing he can. You can't save this sinking ship (a wonderful choice of scenery), but you can save a living soul from it. It's no wonder that at one point he literally screams, ‘Go away with me!’ But she doesn't listen. She doesn't want to hear. Such is the logic of passing eras. They always cling to the past until the very end.

The ghost that appears at the beginning of Hamlet destroys the prince's usual measured life. It is as if he inserts a knife into the crack that has appeared in the shell of Elsinore. In the shell of hatred, evil lust and lies. The ghost that appears at the beginning of Elizabeth puts an end to the heroine's earthly life. He tells the invisible questioners that he did it out of love. He fulfilled the order. Death put a shiv into his hands to take Elizabeth from her prison. The fact that this was a liberation is confirmed by her final dialogue with Death. When Elizabeth says, ‘Turn the night into the morning,’ she does not only mean the morning of a new life, the morning of eternity. She means the readiness to leave the musty ‘night’ world of her illusory life and move on. Now she is ready. And only now, when she is ready, she understands.

The ending of Hamlet, contrary to the usual Shakespearean ‘everyone died,’ seems optimistic to me. As is the ending of Elizabeth.

Because both of these stories are about saving the soul.

[autistic-sidestep]

uno_reverse_card.gif im cheating and using a few ideas from the meme bc i have No braincells but i DO crave that suranga lore SO--

favorite color to wear AND favorite color in general, if they're different things; favorite genre of any media AND what his favorite type of media is (music, movies, shows, etc), favorite person, AND what he thinks abt the rat king :3

k lets finally fuckign answer this

favourite colour: phthalo green! namely why it's a very core part of the argos suit. they like wearing blacks/greys/dark greens and blues, those tend to lean into the more professional/conservative look they're angling for as a mob step, but i'm sure if they weren't having to worry abt staying lowkey in civilian cover they'd love to dress up in more bright colours, jewel tones n such. as for now, most of that's reserved for when they're juno (pre-debut) and argos.

their cuckoo training's given them an aversion to opera and ballet, given those featured heavily in the functions they were meant to infiltrate as a cuckoo, sometimes as a dancer themselves. but! musicals and plays, for sure. The COSTUMES. THE EMOTIONS. tia elena probably invites sura to come with her one time and they're hooked (i want to believe wicked's in the fh verse, they'd be all over that. misunderstood outcast tarred as a villain? YEAH. post-hb it'd have even more resonance; no good deed is SO fitting cos of past-self rivalry. defying gravity, too.) then there's 70s-80s rock, esp queen (ofc the lead singer is the purrcury's namesake), sharing the same taste in music as pelayo and joes lol.

they're a classics/shakespeare nerd too, (hence why sura's puppet was named juno), and they'd especially enjoy viola's genderfuckery in twelfth night (and honestly, the mental image of argos going "it's SHAKESPEARE you HEATHEN" after quoting something from one of the tragedies at a clueless hero is too funny to pass up. they're just bringing some class to the villain scene.)

they like movies, though they do find it a little less engaging w/o the minds to read. a good few hollywood golden age, but animated ones are probably their favourite thanks to themmy. they binged a bunch of cartoon movies together, and lilo and stitch is their favourite cos of the BIG relate to lilo being a weird autistic girl and stitch being an escaped experiment that was made to be evil, but learned to love,,,,,

favorite person: pre-hb, it was a tie between ortega, tia elena (she nicknamed sura pollito, and she's the Only person sura will allow to call them that) and, as expected, themmy, in no small part due to the fact they all kept feeding sura. and he kept coming back like a stray cat lol. they made sura feel safe and loved and valued, and not just a little kid. themmy (in my hc) being openly autistic especially helped sura be less insecure about how young he came off, especially when the farmhands infantilised the regenes so much (and by extension, learning to mask and suppress his autistic traits). part of hiding his face (and lowering his voice) was so people would take him seriously, cos he was well aware how babyish he looked. it was a huge relief not to do that anymore, or at least do it less.

themmy: so what did you think?

t:

t: are you crying?

sura, sniffling and very obviously holding back tears: no

throughout rebirth, it was just mortum, largely cos they felt like the friendships they had as sidestep, being able to relax in someone else's company, this time, in juno's body. they love nerding out with her on tech stuff, critiquing peoples' suits, and just generally having someone that Gets It about just sitting in silence hanging out (mortum reads as neurodivergent to me).

it's a tie between her and chen now, to the surprise of both sura and chen, given how much friction they used to have lol. turns out that they have a lot in common (better at bonding with animals instead of people), more so than before hb, of course. (i am also pushing my autistic chen agenda, and that was part of the friction between the two was that step was trained to understand allistic inclined people. chen operates on different rules. but also given chens scepticism about the suspiciously well-trained young vigilante thing, i'll give him a pass for that too.)

rat king opinions: SURA ADORES THE GIRLS. sorta filling the void fred did, but not quite. i like to think of them as like… a telepathic equivalent of a service dog. if sura wasn't a mob step, they'd be a lot more dependent on them for interaction, but as is, they're a reliable supportive presence that sura knows will always have its back. it's nice to have another telepath to communicate with! routinely gives them mental scritches and treats for being the best telepathic rat brains in the whole world. they deserve it!!(and an added bonus, that also involves some self-care for herself. can't disappoint/let them down. it's a win/win.)

[ussjellyfish]

It would be great if Discovery ( and Strange New Worlds and Picard) stopped bringing in what feels like as many legacy characters as possible and giving them screen time over the new characters. The new characters are fascinating, to borrow a word from Spock himself. It’s their time to shine, not the characters of decades past.

But if the studios are risking a new show, why focus on something new when old IP can be rebooted and tied in?

Which is especially frustrating when white male characters get so much time over characters who haven’t had their stories told yet (like the diverse casts of the new shows).

Michael Burnham is especially important as our first black female central character on Star Trek. She’s important no matter who her brother is, and they chose Spock. Which does give Discovery some really beautiful, moving scenes between her and Spock and her parents.

I remembered an old interview from 2008, and thanks to NPR it’s still out there. They’re talking about Zachary Quinto playing a new Spock, which was very controversial in some parts of fandom at the time.

Henry Jenkins is a professor of fandoms and participatory culture.

While Jenkins says Nimoy's performance as Spock was a marvel of sensitivity and nuance, he is looking forward to a new actor playing Spock in an upcoming movie. Jenkins is brave enough to make a comparison to Hamlet: Like Shakespeare's conflicted hero, Jenkins says, Spock is a character for the ages.

"We can imagine seeing hundreds of different actors play Hamlet, and indeed the richness of Hamlet is seeing differences and the different interpretations of that character," Jenkins says. "With the new movie, we will for the first time see Spock as a character larger than an actor."

Mr. Spock: The 'Mystery of Masculinity' Embodied

https://www.npr.org/2008/06/01/90964169/mr-spock-the-mystery-of-masculinity-embodied

Shakespeare gets remixed into lions and all female casts and puppets, and the characters are relevant and the emotions matter.

You might not connect to this version of Spock’s story, and it’s still relevant, and it matters. Interracial adoption and blended families are worthy topics.

Nimoy was famously incredibly kind to Zachary Quinto and I imagine Nimoy would have been supportive and excited for Sonequa Martin Green playing the lead on a new show, and Ethan Peck playing this new version of Spock.

Fun thing:

Nimoy’s wife Susan and Zachary are still good friends and doing an episode together now https://people.com/leonard-nimoy-widow-susan-bay-nimoy-stars-alongside-zachary-quinto-brilliant-minds-exclusive-8746642)

#1174

I genuinely wonder what people who were very involved in crafting Spock’s character, namely Gene Roddenberry, D. C. Fontana, and Leonard Nimoy would think of Star Trek: Discovery with the additions and alterations it makes to Spock’s backstory, especially considering how none of them liked the idea of Spock having a sibling since they had always envisioned him as an only child, which I agree fits his characterization best. There’s something to be said about not feeling forced to adhere to the wishes of people who are long dead, but I think it goes to show how TOS canon should probably be left untouched for modern Trek shows and movies.

[chronicbeans]

I LOBE U SM LITERALLY YOU INCREASE MY MOOD HORMONES ( seratonin n oxytonin if ur wondering ) WHAT ABT WALLY N THE GANG WITH A COLLEGE OR HIGHSCHOOL READER (platonic fr fr) AND THEY'RE CURIOUS ABT THEIR HW ??

" what's the Pascal's triangle? SOCAHTAH? what's that? "

" literally satan's children idk what to tell you "

and the reader becomes their lil teacher idk abt human things 🥰🥰🥰

thx lizard 🦎🦎

Omg this is so cool! Thank you so much I am so glad I could make you happy by doing something as small as writing fanfiction!

Just a quick heads up, I feel like my high school experience was probably a bit different than most people's, because I took a health/medical career center. Basically, I only had three core classes at the end of the day with the morning ones all being taken up by my health/medical class. So, because I am basing this off of my experience (due to it being all I know), it might be a bit strange to most who didn't take a career center!

Wally and the Gang with a High School Student Reader (Platonic fr fr)

📖 So, you somehow ended up getting the Welcome Home gang involved with your school work. Now they keep you up all night asking you what a "Bermuda Triangle", "War", and even what a "Demand Curve" is.

📖 You better hope that they don't find any of your anatomy or biology homework or textbooks. The thought of them asking absolutely ANYTHING involving those topics is humiliating on its own! You don't want to end up explaining the human body to a small little puppet. Or big dog puppet. Or ANY puppet!

📖 Once, Wally had asked you what "these" were while pointing to a picture in your medical book that showed the organ systems. When you explained, halfheartedly, about how they kept you alive and were inside of your body, his pupils just dilated. Right as you turned around to go back to your homework, you were horrified when his first question was "I wanna see them! How can I see them?"

📖 Frank will be interested in your science books, especially if they include stuff about ecosystems. He knows butterflies are in there, somewhere, because some of the pictures include them. Mostly very low on some big chain. When you explain about how that is a food chain, you are shocked to see him cry for the first time about how his butterflies are being eaten. Apparently the books in Welcome Home never told him that. Then again, the show never included any animals besides insects and the animal neighbors as far as you remember.

📖 Sally wants to know more about this "Shakespeare" guy your English class keeps talking about. He made plays, right? He must be a pretty swell guy! Can she meet him? Oh! And can you teach her more about the planets and solar system?

📖 Basically, every neighbor will have a specific subject they show interest in. Sally, Barnaby, and Eddie will love English. Howdy would like math, simply because he has no idea how this "money stuff" works or why it is so important. Poppy and Julie will like home economics, Poppy for the food science and Julie for the clothing. Home would also like home economics because they are literally a Home. Frank likes science, specifically for the animals and butterflies. Wally would love anatomy and any medical classes because he wants to learn more about YOU.

[stardewremixed]

Random headcanon

*Harvey enjoys reading Shakespeare. I think he and Elliott would be good friends.

*Elliott stares off into the river on the bridge because he thinks bridges are romantic and he needs inspiration for his Gothic romance novel.

*Alex drinks Gatorade constantly.

*Demetrius refuses to turn on the A/C in the summer because he's worried about his work papers fluttering away and ending up on the floor. His family has to sweat it out or use localized fans. Seb doesn't care. The basement is pretty cool.

*Gus donates food to the local shelter and soup kitchen.

*Haley goes shopping in Zuzu City frequently once access to the train is repaired. She is not a bus girl. Haley would do more online shopping if her internet didn't crash so often. She regularly calls Sebastian to come fix it. He obliges only because it's a gig and makes him gold but he is secretly starting to like her a bit. She doesn't find him that bad either.

*Sam used to cloud gaze with Granny Evelyn. He talks to Harvey about getting a better prescription so she can see the clouds again. He means well, but of course, doctor-patient confidentiality prevents Harvey from saying anything. He might just suggest it though in Evelyn's next check-up. ❤☁️

*Lewis wanted to be on a cooking competition show when he was younger. That's why he's so adamant about the soup being perfect for the Governor during the luau.

*Evelyn used to collect seashells with her little girl (Alex's mom). It's too painful, both emotionally and physically to do it now. But during the luau she let's herself dream a little and remembers her daughter.

*Robin is the unofficial town tourism board. Mayor Lewis always ropes her into meeting newcomers when they arrive. She is friendly and personable and a good fit for this role. I imagine she traveled frequently when she was younger and that's how she met Demetrius.

*Abigail plays World of Warcraft and Elder Scrolls Online. She has an epic high level character in both, even higher than Sebastian.

*Jas enjoys playing hide and seek with Shane and Marnie, but hates it when Mayor Lewis does. He's terrible at hiding, and he always sneezes and gives away his place.

*Post-recovery Shane likes to take naps in the Farmer's field on sunny days.

*Sam's allergies make him a poor farm companion, but he does wonders in sprucing up the cabin. If married, he would even create a little music room for himself and their kids.

*Marnie enjoys working out once a week at Caroline's. It helps with her body confidence. She is hoping to convince Pam to join sometime.

*Pam was married to a sailor at one point. He left her soon after Penny was born, going to procure diapers and he never returned.

*The witch used her memory erasing technique on the Wizard, her ex-husband to make him forger who his child is in SDV.

*Caroline once considered getting a health coach certification but worried the classes would take her away from raising Abigail properly.

*Pierre is a workaholic, but he allows himself to unwind at Stardrop every Friday evening. He wishes Caroline would join him, but she's not a night owl.

*Gunther is allergic to peppers. He hates spicy food. Tacos literally make him gag.

*Penny relates better to children than adults. She is a painfully shy introvert and she had a speech impediment as a child. She used a puppet to help communicate.

*Jas also had delayed communications, and Vincent is showing early signs of ADHD.

*Emily and her best friend, Sandy grew up doing everything together before moving to the Desert. They swam in the Gem Sea, they played pirates and nobles in the Cindersap Forest, and they collected gems in the quarry. They always invited Haley to join but Haley refused since she didn't like the more active gameplay. When Sandy moved away, Haley was secretly glad hoping Emily would finally spend more time with her.

*Leah loves making fresh salads. When she lived in the city, she would visit the Farmer's Market near daily.

*Maru wonders what life in space would be like. Her scientific and rational brain tells her she could never be an astronaut because of her poor eyesight and low stamina, but that doesn't stop her from dreaming.

[true-unicorn-queen]

The fatal flaw in Hope's characterization and How it relates to Klaus

Since Klaus' funeral I have not been able to get this out of my head so here goes....

Hope is again and again compared to Klaus. Since the very first episode, she has been compared to Klaus. But she is not like Klaus. And I would argue she is more like Hayley. Yes, she has a temper. So do both her parents. But she does not enjoy violence. Klaus will only use it as a last resort, if he can't get his way with words or manipulation, only then will he get violent. But he enjoys the violence. He enjoys the act of domination, of knowing your enemy knows he has been defeated. He is cocky, extremely confident and most importantly extremely clever.

He manipulates situations from behind the scenes like a puppet master. He has an element of drama to this fighting too. The oldest flashback we see of him fighting is with Elijah where he cuts his belt and makes a joke. That is all for the drama. The with the Marcel's Army vs Klaus fight in S1E8 The River in Reverse, Klaus lets Marcel's vampires beat him, lets them think they won before he goes all out and shows his true power. It's all for the drama. Again in S3E22 The Bloody Crown, he is getting the crowd to rage, he is manipulating them into the exact place he wants them. Between S4 and S5 Klaus was going all over the world killing his enemies to make the world safer for Hope.

My point is Klaus is clever. He thinks strategically, with deductive reasoning, multiple steps ahead of everyone else. Including his family.

None of this translates to Hope.

Not to say that Hope is stupid. She is smart but she she more book smart and Klaus was a strategist art-of-war type of smart. Hope knows information. Klaus understands the information and knows how to use it.

Hope also does not have Klaus' three steps ahead approach to .... anything. For Hope the only problem that exists is the one that is right in front of her this very moment and nothing else.

A good metaphor would be Klaus is a scalpel and Hope is a chainsaw.

But then, she doesn't need to be the scalpel. She is powerful enough to be the chainsaw. True, but she can't be in multiple places at once. She'd had to choose who to save multiple times in this show. One of them is usually Landon. And Hope wants him to be safe so she refuses to train him. This is the exact opposite of what Klaus would have done. If Hope was like Klaus she would not have wanted him to be in danger but she would not have refused to train him.

Klaus hopes for the best and prepares for the worst. Hope hopes for the best.

Side note: Hope looks down on nerd stuff that Landon likes. And let me tell you this Klaus Mikaelson was a nerd. He read poems, paints(he mentions painters over the course of the show, I don't remember them right now), he likes Shakespeare, he was a theatre kid. Today we have nerd that are into Star Wars and DnD. But if you look at Klaus' past you see that he is a nerd. Nerd just looked different back then.

The mark that I think the writers missed with Hope and something that plays into the like father, like daughter thing is that Hope isn't cunning like her father. Klaus, for a millennia was a vampire, he couldn't be killed but he was still not nearly as powerful as Hope is today or he would become after becoming the Hybrid. So he had to be cunning. He has shown the ability and patience to wait a prey out. Wait for the right moment to strike. He doesn't always antagonize everyone. He does have the ability to think things through. He behaves like a proper King and a proper army General.

And none of this translates into Hope.

Instead Hope is more impulsive and short-sighted. She is not going to poke the bear to see if it wakes up. She is just going to kill the bear.

So while she might have the power to do bad things she doesn't have the cunning to be Klaus Mikaelson: The Great Evil.

[teawaffles]

There’s No Business Like Show Business: Chapter 5, Part 1

T/N: This is one super-long chapter ( ; ω ; ) so it has been split into 2 parts.

One week later. This was the night Maya’s company had been invited to perform.

The West End of London, stretching from Soho to Covent Garden, was renowned for its large theatre district, crowded with historic names such as the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Haymarket Theatre, and St James’s Theatre, in addition to newer entrants. [1]

Right in the centre of the district was Piccadilly Circus. At this time in history, the “Eros” fountain had yet to be built [2]. Here was the intersection of numerous thoroughfares, with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages coming and going, day and night — the busiest spot in London.

It was here that a certain elderly noblewoman drove past in a carriage. But the next moment, she saw a strange sight in the middle of the square, and ordered her coachman to stop the carriage.

“……My word, what could that be?”

The words fell from her lips.

In the centre of the square was a simple stage about ten metres wide, composed of wooden boxes placed together and covered with boards. Passers-by had stopped to look out of curiosity, and a small crowd began to form.

After a short while, a lone woman appeared on stage.

She wore a sky-blue dress and a long, blonde wig. The crowd stared blankly as she gave a reverent bow.

“——Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. We are a small theatre company hailing from the East End. I am Maya, its chairperson.”

She raised her head, and gazed upon the whole of Piccadilly Circus.

“You may be feeling confused as to why a stage has suddenly occupied the Circus, but first, let me express our deepest gratitude that we, a theatre company of humble origins, have been able to meet you in this miraculous way.”

Her dignified voice resounded across the square, causing a stir among the onlookers. As more people noticed what was happening and gathered in droves, the crowd encircling the stage gradually expanded.

“Without further ado, let us bring you a little dream in a fantastic world.”

Maya ended her introduction with a graceful bow. Then, a man appeared on stage. Facing the crowd, he began to speak in a sonorous voice.

“It was a radiant afternoon filled with golden sunshine. A boat cruised leisurely down the river. Small, young hands gripped the oars. They seemed to lack strength: rising nimbly, then falling left and right as if to guide the oars’ movements.”

“……Hmm?”

The crowd listened intently as he narrated, with accompanying hand gestures.

“Oh, how terrible: what a cruel fate this is, to meet three girls! I’m all warm and sleepy. But still you wish to talk to me! You move my feathers, and do not breathe. But I’m all alone. I’m no match for the three of you.”

“This— Could it be……?” someone in the audience murmured.

With his monologue complete, the man took his leave. Then, another woman appeared at a corner of the stage. Holding a book in one hand, she began to read fluently from it.

“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank——”

In tandem with the narrator’s words, the blonde-haired Maya gave a small yawn. It was as if she had swapped places with a young girl herself. Without realising it, the audience held their breath.

Then from the side of the stage, a person appeared wearing a vest and rabbit’s ears, with a pocket-watch in one hand.

By this time, the crowd encircling the stage had become fully spellbound.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

“——All the world’s a stage. And the men and women merely players.” [3]

An actor delivered his lines from the stage of a gorgeous West End theatre, as its owner, a nobleman, looked on from the box seats.

The actor himself knew the height of his fame, and hence his actions were somewhat egotistical. Nevertheless, these were the acting skills of a true professional: his clear, bright voice resounded in every corner of the intricately decorated theatre, delving into the ears of his audience, and producing an indescribable feeling in their chests.

His salary was eye-wateringly high, but evidently, it had been an excellent decision to hire this actor. Still, despite his self-satisfaction, the nobleman had a pained expression.

The reason for it was clear. This was a renowned theatre company famous for its acting talent. Even though it was their opening night — a momentous occasion, the stalls were unusually empty.

He’d made sure to advertise the play well in advance, so this was unexpected. As he admired the actors, who were not bothered in the least by the empty seats in the audience, the nobleman stood up and headed to the entrance.

“Hey, you. Haven’t there been any more visitors?”

He directed his question to the young man behind the ticket window.

“About that— Just a while ago, it seems a show’s begun at Piccadilly Circus.”

“A show?”

“Yeah, though I heard about it from someone else. A stage suddenly appeared in the middle of the square, and it looks like there’s a play being held. It’s about…… that; the one where a girl chases a rabbit and falls down a hole, uh……”

Those keywords alone led the nobleman to the answer.

“——Do you mean, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’?”

The young man clapped his hands in appreciation.

“Oh, that’s right. Yeah, that.” He sighed wistfully. “Ahh, it brings me back: I read it when I was a child. And as I recall…… was it ‘Maya’? It seems that’s the chairwoman’s name.”

“Wha……!”

Upon hearing that name, the nobleman recoiled in shock.

“That theatre company from the slums?”

A play held on a stage that appeared out of nowhere. The young man saw it as a mere street performance, but to the nobleman, this was something different. As soon as the image of the perpetrators surfaced in his mind, his face turned red with anger.

An extraordinary turn of events, happening right on the opening night of an important production — as if it had been carefully planned to do so. In other words, Maya and her company had intended to sabotage his production out of spite, by putting up a play out of the blue, and not even in a proper theatre. That was what the nobleman concluded.

To add insult to injury, they had chosen to perform “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. To stand up to a classic with a piece of children’s literature. To pit Lewis Carroll against Shakespeare.

Although it was a ridiculous idea worthy of scorn, the fact remained that they had stolen his precious audience.

He posed a question to the young ticket seller.

“Well if that’s the case, wouldn’t there be a huge commotion? The Yard should be on to them any moment now.”

“That’s the thing…… It seems they’re already gone.”

Hearing that, the nobleman threw his head back in laughter.

“I told you so. It’s all because they’re out of their depth. They can recite their lines in jail for all I care.”

However, the young man made a troubled expression.

“Uh…… Sorry. I didn’t make myself clear. Actually it seems that after finishing one scene, they specified a different location, packed up their sets quickly and left.”

“……What?”

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Alice; a great girl like you, to go on crying in this way! Stop this moment, I tell you!”

Behind the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, in Trafalgar Square, Maya and her company acted out the scene in which Alice shrank and grew larger, panicking all the while. The front of the stage had been covered with a white cloth, and a light shone on it from the back, allowing them to show the changes in Alice’s size in the manner of shadow puppets. As Alice grew until her head struck the roof, the audience buzzed in excitement.

Watching from the wings of the stage, Bond could see that everything was proceeding smoothly.

His plan to demonstrate the true abilities of this company, was a moving theatre that roamed all around the city of London—— a “guerrilla theatre”.

They would perform in busy areas to attract people’s attention, then quickly cut off their act and leave before the authorities arrived to stop them. After which, they would continue the performance at another location. One could say this method was the exact opposite of performing in an officially-recognised theatre.

There was a reason why they had changed the contents of their play. As their original performance comprised three short stories, there was a concern that the audience would grow bored after watching just one scene. However, staging a full-length play across various locations would keep up their interest for the next scene.

In addition, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” took place in a nonsensical, chaotic world, with no apparent connection between its acts. As a well-known story in itself, anyone joining in halfway would still be able to enjoy their performance — a perfect work to be presented in this manner.

The main issue was the acting, but that was helped by their practice in performing on a big stage.

As part of this plan, the play they would put up was not of the type that drew the audience’s attention to the stage right from the start, but rather one that was performed outdoors to people passing by. Hence they would have to project their voices and exaggerate their actions, but this was simply an extension of the two weeks’ practice they had done before.

Moreover, Maya and her company had extensive experience in performing children’s literature, with a focus on ease of understanding, so much so that they had almost learned the entire tale by heart. Memorising their lines had been no trouble at all.

Furthermore, the preparations at each of the locations they moved to — the very heart of the operation — were borne by the East End residents, who appreciated their performances.

The plan inevitably required manpower, but there would be no point in Bond providing it. However, with the trust of their fellow residents, Maya and her company had managed to recruit the stage crew by themselves. This achievement was their own.

As the company performed in one location, the stage crew would set up the temporary stages in the other locations across the city. They had accepted the company’s request with pleasure, and Bond couldn’t thank them enough for the depth of their kindness.

As he looked upon the crowd, all standing with eyes locked upon the stage, Bond chuckled.

——Even without a theatre, there would always be a place for acting.

It had been a wild idea to turn the city of London into their stage. But the East End residents lent them their support. And Maya and her company were putting up an excellent performance.

In a manner of speaking, this play was an all-out challenge from the people from the East End, to the gilded theatres of the West End.

Ten minutes till showtime. The players announced the location of their next act, then quickly descended from the stage.

“I’ll be leaving the cleanup to you then,” Bond addressed the remaining crew at the square. Then he directed the actors to board the carriages he had prepared. Taking the reins of one himself, he urged the horses forward in a gallop.

“Um, we owe it to you that our audience has enjoyed our play thus far, but…… I’m not sure if we can continue to do so,” Maya asked with a worried look.

Hearing that, the other actors in the carriage, who’d been going over their lines, turned solemn.

Although things had been going well so far, if their acts attracted too large a commotion, it stood to reason that Scotland Yard would put its full attention into stopping the play. Moreover, bad actors may also seek to take advantage of the hubbub. As far as possible, they wished to avoid their audience falling victim to crime.

Bond fully understood their apprehension. Because of that, he kept calm as he reassured them.

“Not to worry. I have some dependable colleagues.”

Saying that, he gazed in the direction the carriage was going, and smiled.

“It’s a popular saying, isn’t it? The show must go on.”

The curtains had been raised. Now all that was left, was to play their roles to the end.

Footnotes:

[1] This district is known as Theatreland (Wikipedia). The first two theatres listed are still standing, with St James’s Theatre having been demolished in 1957.

[2] If you were to go to Piccadilly Circus now, you would see a very prominent bronze fountain with a statue of a winged angel on top. Actually, the statue isn’t of the Greek god Eros at all. (Wikipedia)

[3] A line from Shakespeare’s As You Like It (Wikipedia).

Translator’s notes:

Quotes from Alice in Wonderland All dialogues from the East Enders’ production have been heavily referenced from the Project Gutenberg version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.

Thinking about what year the series was set in In this chapter, we learn that the “Eros” fountain hasn’t been built yet — it was unveiled only in June 1893. But we know some events of the Phantom of Whitechapel arc, such as when the people of Whitechapel formed a militia, did take place in history — these were broadly in the autumn of 1888. So this actually works out, and gives us a sense of when the events of the manga unfolded.

Edit: The manga seems to be canonically taking place between 1879-1882 latest — you can read my analysis here!

Piccadilly Circus in 1868 This is entirely for fun — here’s a screenshot from the game Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (set in London 1868), with Evie standing at Piccadilly Circus:

I couldn’t find any pictures of the Circus from before the “Eros” fountain was built, but in Yuumori’s time, it would’ve still had the circular shape shown here. When Shaftesbury Avenue was built in 1886, it transformed Piccadilly Circus from a circle into the sort-of trapezoid crossroads layout it has retained today (British History Online).

[joe-maristopher]

«WandaVision»: 3. Wanda, dear, do we have a problem?

Boom! We have a mention of Pietro, Ultron, Shakespeare (ah, Vision's an ntellectual), neighbors with a slight horror in their eyes, unjustified speed of events, as well as the subtext "Wanda in her world is a king and the god". And yes, that awesome soap ads! The slogan is a reference to Wanda's newfound abilities, I think. I keep my eyes on Agnes and prepare an invitation for her to go to the evil characters' bench. You can't be sure of anything, but who knows, she is able use the situation for her own purposes and be a helper of Mephisto.

Let's talk about the kids and the speed of everything.

I've never been a fan of Billy and Tommy in the first place. I don't understand all the excitement associated with them, and I remember that everything ended after their appearence... badly. Besides. I've always wondered why Wanda rode into the magical wilds and didn't think/want to solve the problem any other way. Adoption, for example. Donor sperm. Something else. Why was it necessary to create such problems, taking pieces of Mefisto´s soul, and thereby laying a huge dynamite under her family?

Let's say, our Wanda goes with a different vector, without the insane desire of a crazy momma-wannabe, but the children are still demonic? Playing with Mephisto's shadow isn't for nothing, is it?

I can't help but notice that Wanda's pregnancy in the comics also appeared suddenly. I might have forgotten something, because I was laughing so hard while reading the pages, but it was like this, the quotes are not accurate.

Wanda: I WANT A REAL FAMILY WITH KIDS. WANTWANTWANT!

The magic poof!

And Wanda is on the eve of her confinement. I don't remember Vision's reaction...

Our Vision was as surprised as I was, because in normal life, it does not happen, even if you are a synthesoid (five points to Marvel for mentioning this term! Finally! We waited for the long time!). I felt like I was watching the Sims with their woohoo and three-day pregnancy. It was all very fast, and I couldn't even blink. I didn't like that part, honestly. Something is missing. I also don't like that Marvel didn't focus much on Wanda and Vision, and instead our characters existed for fast-paced development, plot tools for introducing the twins, and Geraldine-Monica's "deportation" beyond the bubble. In other words, long periods of time are reduced to the limit.

A small question. The child is already doing magic (and Wanda calmly allows)?

Creepy moment. Let's talk about Vision again.

I thought that my screen glitched or the cat walked on the keyboard, so I didn't notice... Wanda, we have a real problem... And a new question. In the opinion for the first two series, I posted a list of the questions and now it gonna be expanded. We're still walking in the fog.

So... Vision is an illusion? Highly likely! Who would give us a resurrected Vision, right? Marvel won't let us be happy, and neither will Wanda.-_-

But if Vision was an illusion, controlled, a Wanda's puppet, then why did he even begin to think about what was happening, to understand that something was happening? Why? And how many times has this actually happened, off-screen? Fic-writers, let's go! And I'm probably going with you.

I also remember Vision's face when their dinner went wrong. So what are you, Vision? And by the way, how much control do you have? The feelings are your own, aren't they? Yes, Marvel?! Don't mess with me here. Don't make the shippers angry, they're already traumatized by the comic book versions of Wanda and Vision.

A lyrical digression.

There is one more thing that I want to touch, connected with all above. A certain Twitter user previously guessed or knew the names by which Wanda and Vision will be in the series. Before the release of the series, I ask you to note. I'm talking about Illusion and Glamour. Back then no one took it seriously, but after the release of episodes, the account began to be studied almost under a microscope. There is a long history with the renaming of acc, creating new acc with the same info, it's not the point. The same acc wrote that what we see isn't Vision, but Wonder Man, who thinks he is Vision..

I have a confession. I can't stand Wonder Man and everything that goes with him, including his shenanigans with Wanda. I just hate this stuff. Who doesn't know: Wonder Man and Vision have a connection in the comics, Wonder Man's brainwaves formed the basis of Vision's, correct me if I am wrong. So, technically, they're kind of brothers. Difficult, you may say? It's comics, kids! In short, if it really turns out to be so — I will consider it a personal insult. I'm sorry, but I love Vision and I watch the show with him, not with someone else.

Also, in general, Marvel owed us one moment, and it's good if they remembered about it and give a serial explanation: for all the years of Endgame, you did not try to do anything with the Vision's body? Where is it? In what condition? Tony forgot and didn't remember Vision?

Screw it!

Okay, okay, I've calmed down. I return to the subject and stop burning with righteous anger.

Illusion or not, we know from the trailers that Vision will posibly receive an information about his death. I see how it can go: It turns out that Vision learns the truth, Wanda is not there to stop him, he decides to find out everything from Wanda, but the moment is not very good, because the agents of S. W. O. R. D doing their job, and Wanda is already in the berserk mode... And it ends badly.

Creepy moment. A sad moment. Give Wanda some cocoa and a warm blanket. Please.

That was full of pain. Wanda could try and run from her memories, or force herself to forget them, but they are coming back with suspicious questions from a stranger, with jewelry on someone's neck. Wanda's upset, the neighbors ara glitching (to Vision´s concern), and under the iceberg of family life with two newborns and a lullaby for them, there are the abyss, hiding... Creepy and painful.

I am kinda dissaponted with the 3rd episode, but still enjoyed some moments and still want to save Wanda from this darkness.

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

NEVER WAS THERE A TALE OF MORE WOE, THAN THAT OF OUR JEANNE AND FANGDADDIO 😭😭😭

But alas, I will relay what I read back in the day to the best of my abilities! Spoilers for the end of Jeanne’s route under the cut, rated E (for everyone) for maximum uwus (and M for angst bc F U C K):

Okay so basically Jeanne’s route goes a lot like most of the routes, and when MC gets attacked (by the rival vampire turned by Vlad) our eyepatched wonder is not happy about it. He storms over to Comte’s room and demands to have his questions answered. Comte notes how deathly serious he is and breezes past the enmity, telling him to go ahead and ask whatever he needs to. Jeanne threatens to kill Comte if it turns out that he’s lying about anything from this point forward. To which Comte (being a little shit), replies that he literally can’t die so like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Jeanne tells him he doesn’t care what it takes; he’ll rend him apart to the tiniest shred over and over and over again--even if it takes them both to the other side to accomplish it. Comte concedes and says “very well; if I lie, you’re welcome to try.” Jeanne finally asks if Comte has made a revival pact with anyone new. Comte is genuinely confused and confesses that he hasn’t--that he has no idea who Jeanne is talking about. “What ‘comrade in arms’???” Jeanne seems to sense that Comte is responding in earnest (but is also confused bc like, then who the fuck else turned the guy??? WHO IS THE THREAT I MUST STAB)

Jeanne admits that MC was attacked and you can feel the change in gravity in milliseconds. Comte starts asking where she is and if she’s okay, and Jeanne explains that she’s still in the mansion and she’s fine. Jeanne then asks if Shakespeare has the ability to turn people like he does, and Comte is bewildered to put it mildly. He’s like ??????? Where is this coming from, of course he doesn’t???? I turned him myself, he’s a lesser vampire--he doesn’t have that ability???? In a moment of sheer livid impatience, Jeanne grabs Comte by the lapels and screams “Then who can!?!?!?!” Comte stares at him and admits that there are only two people that he is aware of who can accomplish such a thing, himself and someone else. They hear a loud crash and they run to the dining room, only to find a window smashed, Mozart wounded, and MC gone. Comte’s furious sprite appears, and he asks Jeanne to look after MC, he has something to take care of. Isaac asks him where on earth he’s going, and he reveals that he’s going to Will’s house before storming out.

Poor Shakespeare faces the brunt of Comte’s rage--though I get the feeling, knowing now that Shakespeare is Vlad’s puppet--that the threat was meant more for Vlad than for Shakey boy. Comte goes to Shakey’s place and Shakespeare offers to put on tea or wine, says it’s strange for him to appear so late. Comte tells him not to bother, since he isn’t here to exchange pleasantries. Shakespeare seems p shocked given Comte isn’t usually one to be so direct or terse, and when Comte walks in he backs Shakespeare into the wall step. By step. By step. He asks him if he was involved in the harm done to MC, and Shakespeare’s like “Yeah lol what’s it to you.” And when their shoes are nearly touching, Comte grabs him by the throat and lifts him off the ground. He tells Shakespeare that if this goes on, he won’t show any mercy: "To those that would harm a single member of my house, I will hunt them to the ends of the earth. To the very depths of hell." The narration notes that he lets go of whatever dampens his pureblood aura and nearly suffocates Shakespeare with his raw intensity and power, before putting him down again and saying “That’s all I have to say. I have no more questions for you.” Comte walks right back out, slamming the door while Shakespeare is on the floor coughing. 

So, needless to say, things are hella rocky between Comte and Jeanne throughout the better part of the route. But given the odd dichotomy of Comte’s reactions (his complete acceptance of Jeanne’s fury versus his own anger being directed at Vlad), it definitely felt like there was more there. Everything finally comes full circle at the end when Comte gathers everyone inside the dining room to explain precisely what happened (Vlad, etc. I’m assuming) and asks everyone to take proper precautions moving forward: "I'll take steps to make sure this never happens again. But if we are faced with a similar situation, know that I am prepared to protect you all with every fiber of my being." He deems secrecy a moot point given this incident, and just wants everyone to be safe and ask for help should they need it in the future. 

MC notes that he doesn’t have his usual placid demeanor; he’s incredibly serious and grave. She’s like “Oh boy some serious shit went down huh...but if anything, I feel like it’s only made us have more faith in his ability to protect us c:” AND HERE IS WHERE THE BIG HURT HAPPENS KIDS GET YOUR TISSUES AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Jeanne: "...Alright. I will trust in your words. But can I ask just one thing?” Comte: “Yes, Jeanne?” Jeanne: "You know I always hated you, I truly believed you revived me against my will for a long time." Comte just sorta deflates, but he doesn’t say anything (MY POOR BABIE) Jeanne: "But, is that really the case? Did I want to live on, away from that pyre...?" [There was a long silence.] Comte: “...That day, when I appeared, you screamed desperately 'Why must I die here. Whether it be God or the devil, someone make use of me!'” Important note: Jeanne tells MC that he is able to recall thinking that, but he has no acute recollection of saying it; this is the moment at which he lost consciousness. MC: [;-; No matter how hard he tried to stifle it, it (his deep wish to live) came out all the same...] I wasn’t able to transcribe it, but Comte essentially tells him that he tried to ask Jeanne, but he was already barely hanging on--there was no way he could get a proper answer. (This is highly plausible given we know that Jeanne was incarcerated by the Inquisition, tortured, and starved before he was tied to that pyre--it was a miracle he lasted that long. He didn’t even have the strength to move/struggle from where he was tied). Comte goes on to say that Jeanne was pissed to shit when he woke up and there was little he could do to alleviate that (I mean given he was waiting for the sweet release of death it makes sense but also N O ;-;). For a while Jeanne just stares at him before asking: Jeanne: “...Why? Why didn’t you tell me after all this time?” Comte: "Because I thought it was okay if you berated me a little." Jeanne (vine voice: AMERICA EXPLAIN): ?????????? Comte: "Despite being alive...you looked dead to the world ever since the day we met. No matter how hard I tried or whatever I did, I couldn't seem to change that. But...the only emotion I seemed to be able to draw out of you was hate. If hatred was the only thing that could move you, I figured I'd take on that role. Better to see you express something than to see you lifeless beyond any glimmer of hope or change." Jeanne: "Why....why would you go that far?? Why did you bother? I don't...understand" BECAUSE HE HAS SO MUCH LOVE TO GIVE AND HE LOVES YOU I’M SOBBING ALL OVER AGAIN OKAY DEEP BREATHS THE SHOW MUST GO ON MINNIE Comte: "Because I'm the one that revived you...because to me, you're all my precious family." Jeanne: "...............................................................I...I'm sorry" AND JEANNE HANGS HIS HEAD WAAAAAAAAAAAH Comte’s brows rise: “...Jeanne?” Jeanne: "I know an apology doesn't forgive everything I did/said. But I don't know how else to make amends"

It goes on to show them all making amends, and while Jeanne can sometimes be like “ughghhghgh d a d stop nagging I’m fINE” he secretly really loves the guy. In Jeanne’s third bday story he’s literally like [Comte’s a weirdo but I see now that that's just how he cares abt me. He's not just worldly, he's a good guy. c: I just don’t care abt whatever he’s going on abt rn]

So like full disclosure before Jeanne’s route I still loved Comte but I really didn’t know much about him beyond the “eccentric nobleman persona.” Granted we definitely get glimpses into who he really is, but this was a sizeable breakthrough. (And probably a strong allusion to the release of Comte’s MS soon after.) That being said, there were so many things said here that just absolutely shattered my heart. 

Because here’s the thing. I have no qualms with Comte’s wish to be a dad--or even to revive the men, for that matter. If it makes him happy and he intends to take care of them reasonably well, then who am I to criticize him? (Fun fact: Leonardo essentially says the same exact thing; he’s more against it than I am because of the whole turning humans, but he doesn’t necessarily vilify Comte because he knows his intentions are good. And if everyone’s happy with it, what can he say?) But the fact that Comte handles their issues with so much patience and maturity...I’m in love???? There is sincerely nothing sexier than this for me. He’s fully aware that Jeanne was treated like absolute shit by the people he tried to protect, that he never really got to live for himself a single day in his life--never knew a moment’s peace, joy, or appreciation. He tries everything he can think of to get Jeanne to maybe not hate being alive as much, but fails at every turn. He still refuses to give up on the guy despite the less than ideal state of things, and decides that if Jeanne needs an enemy to survive--he will be that enemy. He doesn’t care that the guy he’s trying to help would skewer him the second he had his back turned (Jeanne pls this was a new suit couldn’t this wait). He takes full responsibility for deciding to turn him; knows that since he erred on the side of caution, it’s up to him to offer a life that’s worth keeping/staying alive for. He doesn’t belittle Jeanne’s plight for a moment, never deems him stupid or shortsighted. He’s able to understand that in the wake of so much pain and loss, of course Jeanne might not notice the finer points of Comte’s attempts to cheer him up. Even if it pains him to be on negative terms (HE LOVES HIS BOY HE DOESN’T WANT TO FIGHT) he will fully accept it if it brings Jeanne peace, if it helps Jeanne get to a place where he can begin to accept the affection he wants to offer.

And THAT’S what kills me, kids. Four hundred years, and Comte fucking LEARNED something. He is perceptive to uncanny degrees, and never fails to read a room in milliseconds; not only does he pick up on how people feel, he responds with appropriate, gentle measures. What I love so much about Comte is that he knows full well that genius does not come without its price. You could be the smartest person on earth, the most talented, whatever you choose to call it, but it will invite no shortage of hatred from other people, no shortage of misunderstanding and disdain and violence. If people don’t go mad with power, they are destroyed by the very places that birthed them. As such, the last thing he wants to do is put them under more pressure, or force them to do things against their will; he just wants to give them a chance to live beyond such fickle and hostile circumstances. And he takes this seriously, this isn’t remotely a whim for him despite all evidence to the contrary. He gets that healing takes time, and as much as he wants everyone to be happy he’s more than willing to give them space/resources to figure it out. Like. He is the father everybody DREAMS they had (if they didn’t already have a good one) and the fact that I can’t tell him what a wonderful job he’s doing is killing me on all levels INCLUDING physical.

And I just?????? Jeanne’s palpable remorse when he finds out????? And Comte’s surprise???????? Like Comte wasn’t necessarily expecting that level of apology, he knew he was taking a gamble and he was ready to do whatever he had to, he wasn’t intending to hold it against his boy. But Jeanne just has such a tender and well-meaning heart (no matter how much he struggles to express it) that regret was inevitable. There’s just so much love in that moment, in Comte’s capacity to forgive and take on so much of poor Jeanne’s unhappiness, and Jeanne’s fully ability to admit he was misguided, lower his head, and apologize. THEY JUST GET ME BLUBBERING LIKE A THREE YEAR OLD OKAY THEY ARE BOTH SO IMPORTANT TO ME AND I HURT

Tl;dr: JEANNE’S ROUTE SHOT ME FORTY-SEVEN TIMES IN THE CHEST AND LEFT ME PINING FOR COMTE MORE THAN EVER BEFORE OTL

Also a bonus, because it only just occurred to me (spoilers from the end of Comte’s route):

THEY HAVE A LEGIT REVERSAL AT THE END OF COMTE’S ROUTE???? Comte once again gathers everyone to reveal Vlad’s identity and intentions, and he apologizes for keeping it from everyone, lowering his head. He’s more than ready to face everyone’s ire for keeping secrets, but everyone’s just like “dad pls lift your head it’s okay, we’re just glad we can help you now--you don’t have to carry it all on your own.” AND IT IS IN FACT, JEANNE, THAT ALSO SAYS “No need to bow like that Comte, aren't you the one always saying we're family?" AND WHEN I TELL YOU I WAS IN A PUDDLE OF TEARS?????? I WILL NEVER BE OKAY. POOR COMTE WAS SO MOVED AND MY HEART CAN’T TAKE HAVING THIS KNOWLEDGE WHERE’S MY HANKIE. JEANNE. BEING THE ONE. TO SAY. “Aren’t we family?” WHEN HEARING HOW HARD COMTE WAS WORKING TO PROTECT THEM, BC HE 100% IDENTIFIES WITH THE STRUGGLE OF LOOKING AFTER PEOPLE THAT DON’T KNOW/CARE THAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS THE SACRIFICE FOR THEIR PEACE OF MIND. I--

WHAT IS IT THAT JEANNE AND COMTE SHARE TO THE CORE, SO MUCH THAT JEANNE WOULD NEED NO OTHER EXPLANATION TO CHANGE HIS MIND AFTER YEARS OF BITTER DISDAIN???????? THEIR CAPACITY FOR DEVOTION, THEIR EASY WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE ANYTHING TO PROTECT A LIFE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THIS EPIPHANY IS GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME

I’m crying rn I just: Comte: !!!!!!! Somebody who gets it!!! :DDD Jeanne: die. Comte:  Comte: ;-; understandable have a nice day

[roughrudesea]

top 5 Shakespeare monologues?

I DESERVE THIS 😤

1. Richard II 3.2

No matter where; of comfort no man speak: Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs; Make dust our paper and with rainy eyes Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth, Let’s choose executors and talk of wills: And yet not so, for what can we bequeath Save our deposed bodies to the ground? Our lands, our lives and all are Bolingbroke’s, And nothing can we call our own but death And that small model of the barren earth Which serves as paste and cover to our bones. For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground And tell sad stories of the death of kings; How some have been deposed; some slain in war, Some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed; Some poison’d by their wives: some sleeping kill’d; All murder’d: for within the hollow crown That rounds the mortal temples of a king Keeps Death his court and there the antic sits, Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp, Allowing him a breath, a little scene, To monarchize, be fear’d and kill with looks, Infusing him with self and vain conceit, As if this flesh which walls about our life, Were brass impregnable, and humour’d thus Comes at the last and with a little pin Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king! Cover your heads and mock not flesh and blood With solemn reverence: throw away respect, Tradition, form and ceremonious duty, For you have but mistook me all this while: I live with bread like you, feel want, Taste grief, need friends: subjected thus, How can you say to me, I am a king?

WHAT CAN I SAY. I heard a friend do this monologue in an acting class almost a decade ago and even with zero context, I thought about it for years. Finally reading the play only made me love it more. 

2. The Tempest 5.1

Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves, And ye that on the sands with printless foot Do chase the ebbing Neptune and do fly him When he comes back; you demi-puppets that By moonshine do the green sour ringlets make, Whereof the ewe not bites, and you whose pastime Is to make midnight mushrooms, that rejoice To hear the solemn curfew; by whose aid, Weak masters though ye be, I have bedimm'd The noontide sun, call'd forth the mutinous winds, And 'twixt the green sea and the azured vault Set roaring war: to the dread rattling thunder Have I given fire and rifted Jove's stout oak With his own bolt; the strong-based promontory Have I made shake and by the spurs pluck'd up The pine and cedar: graves at my command Have waked their sleepers, oped, and let 'em forth By my so potent art. But this rough magic I here abjure, and, when I have required Some heavenly music, which even now I do, To work mine end upon their senses that This airy charm is for, I'll break my staff, Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did ever plummet sound I'll drown my book.

A solemn air and the best comforter To an unsettled fancy cure thy brains, Now useless, boil'd within thy skull! There stand, For you are spell-stopp'd. Holy Gonzalo, honourable man, Mine eyes, even sociable to the show of thine, Fall fellowly drops. The charm dissolves apace, And as the morning steals upon the night, Melting the darkness, so their rising senses Begin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle Their clearer reason. O good Gonzalo, My true preserver, and a loyal sir To him you follow'st! I will pay thy graces Home both in word and deed. Most cruelly Didst thou, Alonso, use me and my daughter: Thy brother was a furtherer in the act. Thou art pinch'd fort now, Sebastian. Flesh and blood, You, brother mine, that entertain'd ambition, Expell'd remorse and nature; who, with Sebastian, Whose inward pinches therefore are most strong, Would here have kill'd your king; I do forgive thee, Unnatural though thou art. Their understanding Begins to swell, and the approaching tide Will shortly fill the reasonable shore That now lies foul and muddy. Not one of them That yet looks on me, or would know me Ariel, Fetch me the hat and rapier in my cell: I will discase me, and myself present As I was sometime Milan: quickly, spirit; Thou shalt ere long be free.

I’m honestly shocking myself slightly by not listing “We are such stuff,” but even thinking about this part of the play gives me chills. I love the journey Prospero goes on in this: watching him give up his magic and decide to forgive his former enemies is so engaging--and the language is completely unmatched.

3. The Tempest 4.1

You do look, my son, in a moved sort, As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful, sir. Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and 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 dissolve And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd; Bear with my weakness; my, brain is troubled: Be not disturb'd with my infirmity: If you be pleased, retire into my cell And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk, To still my beating mind.

Okay I lied -- had to include “We are such stuff.” How could I not? I’m a Tempest and a Prospero stan. How could I NOT list this one when it is like *THE* iconic monologue?

4. Hamlet, 3.3

O, my offense is rank it smells to heaven; It hath the primal eldest curse upon't, A brother's murder. Pray can I not, Though inclination be as sharp as will: My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent; And, like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin, And both neglect. What if this cursed hand Were thicker than itself with brother's blood, Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy But to confront the visage of offense? And what's in prayer but this two-fold force, To be forestalled ere we come to fall, Or pardon'd being down? Then I'll look up; My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'? That cannot be; since I am still possess'd Of those effects for which I did the murder, My crown, mine own ambition and my queen. May one be pardon'd and retain the offense? In the corrupted currents of this world Offense's gilded hand may shove by justice, And oft 'tis seen the wicked prize itself Buys out the law: but 'tis not so above; There is no shuffling, there the action lies In his true nature; and we ourselves compell'd, Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults, To give in evidence. What then? what rests? Try what repentance can: what can it not? Yet what can it when one can not repent? O wretched state! O bosom black as death! O limed soul, that, struggling to be free, Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay! Bow, stubborn knees; and, heart with strings of steel, Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe! All may be well.

3.3 is my favorite scene in Hamlet. I LOVE the tableau of Claudius praying, and Hamlet right behind him, ready to strike. Hamlet the character obviously has some incredible speeches, but this Claudius monologue is the one that always stands out to me: it is such a juicy glimpse into his inner psyche that is more carefully guarded for the rest of the play, and I love this moment (however brief) of unraveling.

5. Macbeth 5.5

She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

Forgive me for being so basic but I would really be lying to myself if I didn’t list this. Although this one, more than others, really depends on the actor. I have seen some renditions of this monologue I really do not jive with, but when it’s done well, it is top tier.