Happy maybe-Birthday, Shakespeare!
Yes, today is the day we traditionally celebrate the birth of the greatest English writer, William Shakespeare – the Bard of Avon, “not of an age, but for all time.” Happy 451st, Will!
Do you have a favourite play, or a favourite quotation? I love “Boldness be my friend! / Arm me, Audacity, from head to foot!” from Cymbeline (I, vi), but I think my most beloved lines come from Sonnet 29, “When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes”:
I don’t know what it says about the state of my life that I often find myself muttering those words to myself without even realizing it.
¯_(ツ)_/¯
ANYWAY.
As you all probably know by now, our favourite Book Cat is named after one of ole Shakey’s characters, one horrifically creative and rightfully vengeful Roman general, Titus Andronicus (seen below planning to serve his enemy a pie made of her own sons).
To honour the great Bard and celebrate this monumental day in literary history, me and my boy T are spending the evening curled up in matching chicken suits (DON’T ASK) to eat some none-people-containing pie and watch the amazing film adaptation of Titus, with intermittent bouts of competitive recitations. He’ll probably win, the furry little nerd.
Even when you dress me up in a chicken suit.
TITUS! YOU ADORABLE CURMUDGEON! I KNEW YOU CARED!
To Shakespeare – thanks for all the words! Enjoy your cakes and ale, you poor players –
[Exit, pursued by a bear]
The Reading Robyn 