Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Much Ado About Nothing

Our group was a little smaller this month, but we were not lacking in discussion! Leave it to Shakespeare to whip our little group into a frenzy.

We opened our meeting with something a little different: a quiz! (I wish I could take credit for crafting it, but I just stumbled upon in during an internet search for good discussion starters.) But whoever *did* draft the quiz certainly had fun with making up the multiple choice answers. For example, one of the potential answers for “Why did Claudio refuse to marry Hero?” was “She smelled like a rotten orange.” Pretty funny stuff. Mandy squeaked out a victory and won the super cool prize of glow in the dark flip-flops. I found them at Michaels, and they’re pretty fun!

I don’t think it’s possible to read a Shakespeare play and *not* have something to talk about. And this particular play has lots of quippy lines and sensational characters. After laughing at chatting, we also watched the Kenneth Branaugh version of the movie. It stays very close to the text of play, although we were disappointed that only the first and last lines of this interaction were included in the movie:

Dogberry Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves.
Don Pedro First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offence; sixth and lastly, why they are committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge.
Claudio Rightly reasoned, and in his own division: and, by my troth, there's one meaning well suited.
Don Pedro Who have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? this learned constable is too cunning to be understood: what's your offence?
For me personally, watching the movie dramatically impacted my view of one of the main characters. But I’ll save my thoughts on that for a Leakey Faucet post.

For this post, I will simply say adieu.

Thanks for a great meeting everyone. Next month we will meet on June 9th to discuss The Shack by William Young.