Time to reveal this year's February blog party subject! This year, we're going to celebrate all things Shakespeare for a whole week long.
Like last year's Superhero party, or 2017's Jane Austen party, this party needs YOU in order to be fun! Oh sure, I'll post some games. I'll host a giveaway. And I'll provide a tag for people to fill out on their own blogs. But it's all the blogathon-style posts contributed by all the participants that make these shindigs so extra-fun.
What kind of posts can you contribute? Anything involving Shakespeare and his writing! Movie reviews! Top-ten lists of favorites! An introspective discussion of why one particular play or character fascinates you! A cool bit of history or trivia! Whatever strikes your fancy.
Because there are SO MANY movie adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, I do ask that there be no duplicates of individual films. And because Shakespeare himself wrote so many plays, I also ask that there be no duplicates of reviews of his written plays either. Now, you can focus more narrowly on a character, or a theme -- for instance, if someone has already spoken for the play Hamlet, and someone else is already reviewing your favorite adaptation of Hamlet, you could still write a post about why the character Hamlet fascinates you.
If you need inspiration, here's a list on Wikipedia of all the filmed adaptations of his plays. Plenty to choose from!
Once you know how you want to contribute to We Love Shakespeare Week, comment on this post with your chosen topic and a link to your blog, and I'll add you to the official roster below.
And of course, please use these buttons to spread the news of this week on your blogs and other social media platforms. Invite your friends! The more, the merrier.
Contributed posts:
+ Hamlette's Soliloquy -- review of Hamlet (1948), review of Quotes from Shakespeare coloring book
+ I'm Charles Baker Harris (And I Can Read) -- A Winter's Tale (play)
+ Sarcastic Scribblings -- mini-reviews of the 5 Shakespeare plays I've read
+ Movies Meet Their Match -- Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) and Strange Magic (2015)
+ Coffee, Classics, and Craziness -- studying Macbeth with my grandfather
+ The Content Reader -- review of The Taming of the Shrew (play)
+ Sidewalk Crossings -- Macbeth (2015)
+ Bookends and Bwopper Eels -- review of Othello (play), focusing on Iago
+ Revealed in Time -- review of Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb, The Hollow Crown (2012), and Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
+ The Midnite Drive-in -- Twilight Zone episode "The Bard"
+ Stanley Wheeler -- undecided
+ Miss Elizabeth -- Gilligan's Island episode "The Producer"
+ You're next!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH.
ReplyDeleteYES.
I SHALL BE PARTICIPATING.
Okay can I write about A Winter's Tale and why I love it so much? Stuff like the themes of winter/spring and death/resurrection and the hope of miracles and so one.
Jessica, great! Adding you to the list for a review of the play.
DeleteHmmm...
ReplyDeleteI'll have to think about my entry. :) But I'm really excited for this!
Can't wait to see what you come up with, Eva!
DeleteA Shakespeare blog party? YES PLEASE!
ReplyDeleteCan I write a mini review of the 5 or so plays I've read?
Mary Katherine, that sounds great! Adding you to the list.
DeleteLove this idea! I’m in.
ReplyDeleteNot sure why my info did show up. I’m Melissa at http://avidreader25.blogspot.com/
DeleteGlad you're in, Melissa! Let me know if you think of a post you'd like to contribute :-) You're certainly welcome to just do the tag, or just play the games, too!
DeleteI've got a lot of Shakespeare, but I think I'd like to do something on how Romeo and Juliet is more than about two very silly lovers (when I read it, I was more interested in the drama . . . and Mercutio). Maybe others, definitely about my fav Much Ado About Nothing.
ReplyDeleteLivia, that will be cool! Do you want me to put you down for reviewing a specific adaptation of Much Ado, or just the play in general? I've got you down for Romeo & Juliet for right now.
DeletePut me down for Much Ado About Nothing movie with Kenneth Brannagh please.
DeleteLivia, you've got it!
DeleteI'm sorry, this was a rash choice for me, I really don't have the mental space to do this right now, I'm sorry. Can you remove me for those two reviews, I'm sorry again.
DeleteLivia, aww, that's too bad. But I understand! I've had times like that too.
DeleteYes!!!!!!!! I've been waiting for the announcement of what this years theme was going to be!!!! I am so excited!!! There are so many possiblities.... It is so hard to choose! Okay, I'm going with Gnomeo and Juliet(2011).
ReplyDelete(Wait, 10 Things I Hate About You is based on The Taming of the Shrew!!?? That makes so much more sense!)
MC, happy to have you on board! I'm adding you to the roster right now.
Delete(Yes, it is. I know, right?)
I think I also want to review A Midsummer Night's Dream (the play) vs. the 1999 movie, because no one else has claimed those two.
DeleteMC, you've got it! I'll add those to your listing. Very cool!
DeleteI am so sorry, I hate being to wishy washy, but could you change A Midsummer Night's Dream (the movie and the play) to Strange Magic (2015)? I'm so sorry again for the late change!
DeleteMC, no problem! Changing now.
DeleteMy post for 2019 Year of Shakespeare is up and you find it here: https://thecontentreader.blogspot.com/2019/01/2019-year-of-shakespeare.html
ReplyDeleteI will join you with The Taming of the Shrew, which I have chosen as a comedy. Reading Shakespeare is not easy for me, but I might be able to write something about this comedy.
Lisbeth, that sounds good! I look forward to your thoughts on Taming of the Shrew next month!
DeleteOh, this is such a great idea!!!
ReplyDelete(I actually just finished an intro to Shakespeare course at school last semester, so it's perfect timing! :D)
I would love to participate if possible! Would it be permissible for me to write a post about Othello (the text itself, not a movie version), mainly talking about how great of a Villain Iago is?
Anna, I love it! I'll put you down for Iago from Othello. Glad to have you with us!
DeleteAh, it’s a shame I missed this! I adore so many things Shakespeare and would’ve loved to touch on them. Oh, well... I look forward to reading the contributions other bloggers made :D
ReplyDeleteBekah, you haven't missed it! You can totally still join! There's no deadline for joining. What would you like to contribute?
DeleteHi! I would love to take part in this! I'm not sure in what manner though. I would love to do an analysis of sorts, but I'm not sure time will permit. Would it be okay for me to revive a very old post from a few years ago for this event?
ReplyDeleteHi, Risa! I think if your "very old post" from a few years ago is on a play that's not already being covered, and if you post it afresh and don't just link to the old post, that would be fine!
DeleteYou know me well enough by now to know I don't always go down the straight and narrow route. What do you think of the Twilight Zone episode "the Bard"? (In that episode a bumbling scriptwriter conjures up the ghost of Shakespeare to help him become a success.)
ReplyDeleteQuiggy, I think that would be a super fun addition! (Nobody has taken that ep of Gilligan's Island where they set Hamlet to music, either...) Adding you to the roster.
DeleteI would have done the Gilligan's Island episode too if I could locate it. I don't have access to any Gilligan episodes. As extensive as my local library is that's a TV show they don't have. And my TV show collection only has Twilight Zone, ST:TOS and Momk
ReplyDeleteQuiggy, yeah, all I can ever dig up is clips on YouTube. That's okay!
DeleteWait--if no one's nabbed that Gilligan's Island episode, I'll gladly do it!
Delete[Exits stage right, absentmindedly humming "Hamlet dear, your answer is clear..."]
Miss Elizabeth, it's all yours! (Is it to be, or not to be...) Will you be posting that at the P&P95 Forever Club? Just want to link to the right place!
DeleteHi there, sorry but dont have time to write a review for this as got a few reviews to write and my own blogathon. But noticed Warm Bodies is a reboot or updated version of Romeo and Juliet. I published a review on the trailer (preview) for this a while back, may I add that... would hate to miss this. Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews
ReplyDeleteHi, Gill! Don't worry about it -- nobody can join everything :-) You can always stop by and play a game or two, or do the blog tag, or enter the giveaway even if you don't have time to contribute a post!
DeleteWill definitely look into doing the tag post. Was such good fun last year.
DeleteThat sounds great! I'm torn between something about Shakespeare in Star Trek (like you mentioned in a comment on my blog) (but I would guess someone somewhere has already done that more thoroughly than I would do), and a review or discussion of Strange Brew - the Bob and Doug McKenzie movie based on Hamlet. On the other hand, I think Richard II deserves to be tackled (figuratively speaking) as the character into whose mouth the bard put some awesome lines, or Richard III; or well, you get the picture...I'm overwhelmed by the possibilities. www.stanleywheeler.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteStanley, any of those would be awesome! When you narrow it down to one or two (or seven) things you want to contribute, let me know.
DeleteQuick reminder to everyone here -- today is the LAST DAY of We Love Shakespeare Week! So if you haven't posted your contribuition yet, and you want it to still count for extra entries for the giveaway, today is your last day to do so. The giveaway ends at midnight!
ReplyDeleteHamlette, are you doing another "We Love..." Blog party this year?
ReplyDeleteMC, no, I don't plan to. Rewrites on my next book are consuming my every spare moment. But! I do have a Valentine-themed giveaway coming up on my book blog! I might host a small book-related event there too. So keep an eye out for that over there!
DeleteI'm super excited about your new book because I love Snow White retellings! I'll look forward to both of those!
DeleteThanks, MC! I'm glad you're looking forward to it -- gives me a little impetus to keep on revising ;-)
DeleteBTW, MC, that giveaway I mentioned is going on RIGHT NOW over at The Edge of The Precipice, and it ends TONIGHT...
Delete