Tales from Shakespeare
Page 31
Duke of Milan – the father of Silvia.
Antonio – the father of Proteus.
Thurio – a foolish rival of Valentine for Silvia’s love.
Lucetta – a maid-servant to Julia.
Eglamour – a gentleman who helps Silvia escape.
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
Antonio – a kind and generous merchant from Venice.
Bassanio – Antonio’s impecunious friend; he is in love with Portia.
Portia – a rich heiress who disguises herself as the doctor, Balthasar.
Shylock – a rich Jewish moneylender.
Gratiano – friend of Antonio and Bassanio, suitor and eventual husband of Nerissa.
Lorenzo – friend of Antonio and Bassanio, married to Shylock’s daughter.
Nerissa – Portia’s waiting-maid.
CYMBELINE
Cymbeline – the King of Britain.
Queen – Cymbeline’s jealous second wife.
Imogen – Cymbeline’s daughter by his first wife.
Posthumus – Imogen’s husband and childhood friend.
Cloten – son of the queen by her first husband.
Iachimo – a Roman who deceives Imogen and Posthumus.
Pisanio – a friend of Posthumus and Imogen.
Belarius – a banished Lord, abductor of Cymbeline’s sons, Guiderius and Arviragus.
Guiderius – son of Cymbeline, abducted as a child by Belarius and living under the name Polydore.
Arviragus – son of Cymbeline, abducted as an infant by Belarius and living under the name Cadwal.
Lucius – a Roman general.
KING LEAR
Lear – the king of Britain.
Goneril – the eldest daughter of Lear; she is married to the duke of Albany.
Regan – the second daughter of Lear; she is married to the duke of Cornwall.
Cordelia – the youngest daughter of Lear.
Earl of Kent – banished by Lear for his support of Cordelia, but disguises himself as a servant called Caius.
Duke of Albany – the husband of Goneril.
Duke of Cornwall – the husband of Regan.
Earl of Gloucester – a peer of the realm.
Edgar – Gloucester’s legitimate son.
Edmund – Gloucester’s illegitimate son.
King of France – suitor and later husband of Cordelia.
Duke of Burgundy – a suitor of Cordelia.
Fool – Lear’s jester.
MACBETH
Macbeth – a general in king Duncan’s army; thane of Glamis, then thane of Cawdor and, later, king of Scotland.
Lady Macbeth – Macbeth’s wife, and later queen of Scotland.
Banquo – Macbeth’s friend and a general in Duncan’s army.
Fleance – Banquo’s son.
Macduff – the thane of Fife.
Duncan – the king of Scotland, killed by Macbeth.
Malcolm – Duncan’s eldest son.
Donalbain – Duncan’s youngest son.
Witches – three weird sisters who predict Macbeth’s future.
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
Bertram – the count of Rousillon.
Countess of Rousillon – mother of Bertram and protector of Helena.
Helena – a gentlewoman, daughter of the physician Gerard de Narbon; she loves Bertram.
King of France – a friend of Bertram’s father.
Lafeu – an old lord of the French court.
A widow – a friend to pilgrims and mother to Diana.
Diana – the widow’s daughter, courted by Bertram.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Katharine (Kate) – a daughter of Baptista, known as the Shrew for her fiery temper.
Petruchio – suitor and later husband of Katharine.
Baptista – a gentleman of Padua, father of Katharine and Bianca.
Bianca – the younger sister of Katharine.
Lucentio – admirer and later husband of Bianca.
Vincentio – the father of Lucentio.
Hortensio – a friend of Petruchio.
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Aegeon – a merchant of Syracuse.
Antipholus of Ephesus – a son of Aegeon and Emilia, and twin brother of Antipholus of Syracuse.
Antipholus of Syracuse – a son of Aegeon and Emilia, and twin brother of Antipholus of Ephesus.
Dromio of Ephesus – slave of Antipholus of Ephesus, and twin brother of Dromio of Syracuse.
Dromio of Syracuse – slave of Antipholus of Syracuse, and twin brother of Dromio of Ephesus.
Adriana – the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus.
Luciana – Adriana’s sister.
Emilia – Aegeon’s wife – now Lady Abbess at Ephesus.
Duke of Ephesus – the ruler of the city-state of Ephesus.
Cook-maid – servant of Adriana – wife of Dromio of Ephesus.
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
Duke of Vienna – the lenient ruler of Vienna who disguises himself as Friar Lodowick.
Angelo – a strict, wicked and hypocritical man who rules Vienna in the duke’s absence.
Claudio – a gentleman of Vienna and Isabel’s brother.
Isabel – a novice nun and Claudio’s sister.
Escalus – a lord and chief counsellor.
Mariana – Angelo’s wronged but faithful wife.
Lucio – Claudio’s friend.
Juliet – cousin to Claudio and Isabel, and beloved of Claudio.
TWELFTH NIGHT; OR, WHAT YOU WILL
Orsino – the duke of Illyria who is in love with a rich lady named Olivia.
Viola – twin sister to Sebastian, separated from her brother after a shipwreck, she disguises herself as a man named Cesario.
Sebastian – twin brother to Viola, saved from a shipwreck by Antonio.
Olivia – a rich countess, wooed by Orsino.
Antonio – a sea captain and friend to Sebastian.
Captain – a sea captain who helps Viola.
TIMON OF ATHENS
Timon – a wealthy and generous elderly lord of Athens.
Alcibiades – the captain of a military brigade and good friend to Timon.
Flavius – Timon’s chief steward, an honest man who stays loyal to Timon.
Lucius – an ungrateful young lord who receives money and rich presents from Timon.
Ventidius – a false friend whose debts Timon pays off.
Lucullus – a lord of Athens and false friend of Timon who swindles gifts out of him.
Sempronius – another of Timon’s false friends.
ROMEO AND JULIET
Romeo – the son of the Montagues who falls in love with Juliet, a Capulet.
Juliet – the daughter of the Capulets who falls in love with Romeo, a Montague.
Friar Lawrence – a Franciscan friar, and Romeo’s confidant, who helps the lovers.
Tybalt – Juliet’s impetuous cousin who picks a fight with Romeo and his friends.
Mercutio – a friend of Romeo.
Benvolio – a cousin – and friend – of Romeo.
Count Paris – a young, rich nobleman who wishes to marry Juliet.
Lord Capulet – Juliet’s father, head of the house of Capulet – sworn enemies of the Montagues.
Lady Capulet – Juliet’s mother.
Lord Montague – Romeo’s father, head of the house of Montague – sworn enemies of the Capulets.
Lady Montague – Romeo’s mother.
The prince – the ruling Prince of Verona.
Rosaline – a beauty once much admired by Romeo.
HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK
Hamlet – The prince of Denmark, who suspects his uncle Claudius, now king, of having murdered his brother, Hamlet’s father, the old king.
Claudius – the king of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle.
Gertrude – the queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married to Claudius.
Polonius – the king’s pompous and cunning chief counsellor, the father
of Laertes and Ophelia.
Horatio – Hamlet’s close friend.
Ophelia – the beautiful daughter of Polonius, whom Hamlet once loved.
Laertes – Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, who betrays Hamlet.
The ghost – The spectre of Hamlet’s father.
Marcellus – a guard.
OTHELLO
Othello – a Moor and a brave soldier in the Venetian army. Desdemona’s husband.
Desdemona – Othello’s beautiful and loyal wife, the daughter of Brabantio.
Iago – an officer in Othello’s regiment and husband to Emilia; he is jealous of Cassio.
Emilia – Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s maid-servant.
Michael Cassio – Othello’s lieutenant and friend, from Florence.
Brabantio – a Venetian senator and Desdemona’s father.
Montano – an army officer.
PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE
Pericles – the prince of Tyre, forced to leave by Antiochus.
Helicanus – lord of Tyre and prime minister in Pericles’ absence.
Simonides – the good and just king of Pentapolis.
Thaisa – the beautiful daughter of Simonides, wife of Pericles and priestess of Diana.
Cleon – the governor of Tarsus.
Dionysia – the wife of Cleon; she brings up Marina then turns against her.
Marina – daughter of Pericles and Thaisa.
Lychorida – maid-servant to Thaisa and nurse to Marina.
Cerimon – a lord of Ephesus and a doctor.
Lysimachus – the governor of Mitylene who loves Marina.
Leonine – a servant to Dionysia.
Antiochus – the wicked king of Greece.
AROUND THE GLOBE AND STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
The most famous of all Elizabethan theatres was the Globe. Built in 1599, Shakespeare was a share-owner, and many of his own plays were first performed there. It was a hugely popular, open-air playhouse, which held hundreds of people. To watch a play, the general public would pay one penny to stand in front of the stage in the pit, and more well-to-do folk would pay an extra penny for seats in the gallery. Lords and ladies sat on chairs on each side of the stage. Unlike today, you were not expected to be still and silent throughout the performance – the audience would eat, drink and talk all the way through!
In 1613 the Globe Theatre burnt down when a spark from a cannon set fire to the roof. It was rebuilt a year later and continued to be as popular as ever until in 1642, the religious Puritans won the right to ban all theatre productions. The Globe was eventually demolished in 1644.
Hundreds of years later, in 1992 the American actor-director Sam Wanamaker started a project to reconstruct the Globe theatre near to its original site on the south bank of the River Thames, using techniques and materials as close to the original as possible. It was completed and opened in 1997 – the first building in London that was allowed to have a thatched roof since the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Throughout the year you can go on a guided tour of the Globe theatre and watch a play in exactly the same way that the Elizabethan audiences would have (although it will cost you more than one penny!).
Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, lies in the heart of England in Warwickshire, on the banks of the River Avon. Millions of people flock to Stratford every year to visit the place where the famous dramatist and poet was born, lived and died. Stratford is the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company and no visit to Stratford is complete without going to see one of Shakespeare’s plays performed in the theatres of Stratford.
SHAKESPEAREAN TRIVIA
No one knows the exact date of Shakespeare’s birthday, but 23 April has been generally used. No one knows the date he died either, but this has also been given as 23 April!
Shakespeare’s works contain hundreds of references to birds of all kinds, including the swan, bunting, cock, dove, robin, sparrow, nightingale, swallow, turkey, wren, starling, falcon, and thrush, to name just a few.
Shakespeare is the most widely read author in English-speaking countries. His works are second only to the Bible in popularity.
Many Londoners were strict Protestants, called Puritans. They hated the theatre and theatre-goers. In 1596 the London authorities banned the public performances of plays and all theatres within the City of London were forced to move to the south side of the River Thames.
At the start of each play, the admission collectors would collect money from the audience in a box. They would then put the boxes in a room backstage – hence the name ‘box office’ used in theatres today.
Several words that we use today stem from Shakespeare, such as ‘puke’, ‘bedroom’, ‘leapfrog’, ‘fairyland’ and ‘zany’. And if you say ‘laugh it off ’ or ‘too much of a good thing’ you are quoting Shakespeare!
Macbeth is Shakespeare’s most produced play ever.
Did you know all the roles of women or girls were played by boys/men?
The word ‘bard’ actually means ‘poet’, but for centuries people have used it primarily as a nickname for William Shakespeare. So, whenever you hear someone say ‘the Bard’, or the ‘Bard of Avon’ (Stratford-upon-Avon being his hometown) they are talking about Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s tombstone is inscribed with this epitaph, which is believed to have been written by Shakespeare himself. It’s a warning to anyone who dares to dig up his bones that they will be cursed:
Good friend for Jesus sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here!
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT…
Tales from Shakespeare was the first book to clarify Shakespeare’s greatest plays, and they convey much of the wit, wisdom and power of the originals. Which is your favourite story in this collection and why?
Shakespeare’s plays tell the stories of kings and queens and ghosts and witches, and of love and romance, deception and death. What do you think it is about Shakespeare’s plays that has made them so enduring and why do you think Shakespeare’s plays are still read and performed today?
Who do you think are the most memorable of Shakespeare’s characters?
Suppose you were to turn your favourite play into a movie. Which of today’s actors and actresses would you cast to star in the movie? What song would be an appropriate soundtrack?
SOME THINGS TO DO…
William Shakespeare lived in Elizabethan England. London was noisy and crowded with inns and taverns, workshops, stables and stalls. Imagine you are a young man or woman living during that era. What clothes would you have worn? What would your house have looked like and what would it have been made of? And how would you have earned a living? Do some research on the internet and in the library and discover for yourself what it would have been like to live in Shakespeare’s time.
Choose one of the retellings in this collection and write an updated, modern version – set in your neighbourhood.
See how many famous quotes from Shakespeare’s plays you can find – for example: ‘Good night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be tomorrow.’ Romeo and Juliet [Act II, scene ii]
The life of Shakespeare and his family was devastated by recurrences of the Black Death (also known as Bubonic Plague). Several of his brothers and sisters and his only son, Hamnet, died when he was just eleven years old as a result of the Plague. There were repeated outbreaks of this terrible disease. What was it and how did it spread? What did people do to try and ease the symptoms? Was there a cure? Find out all you can about the Plague.
One of the best ways to experience and understand Shakespeare is to see one of his plays performed live on stage. Keep an eye out for a stage production at a theatre in your area and go along!
There have been many excellent adaptations of Shakespeare’s stories for the stage and screen. Some are set in Shakespeare’s time, usi
ng the original dialogue; some are present-day in modern English. For example, Cole Porter’s musical Kiss Me Kate, film director Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet and Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing. And there’s the classic movie for teenagers, starring the late Heath Ledger, Ten Things I Hate About You, which is based on The Taming of the Shrew. Why not rent a DVD and see for yourself?