After considering yesterday’s Friday’s Forgotten Book “Children Gone Wrong” selection of Shakespeare’s King Lear, I decided to read Northrop Fry’s informative Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy. Northrop Fry delivered thees three lectures as part of the Alexander Lecture series for 1965-19666 season at the University of Toronto. In this slim, 121-page book, Fry explores Shakespeare’s tragedies–not as a literary critic–but as an admirer of great drama. These lectures are aimed at a general audience (no deconstruction here!). In the first lecture, Fry discusses the tragedies of order: Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and Hamlet. The second lecture on tragedies of passion enlighten Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, Troilus and Cressida, and Cooriolanus. Finally, in the discussion of the tragedies of isolation, Fry delivers his insights into King Lear, Othello, and Timon of Athens. If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, you’ll enjoy this short and pithy exploration of these great plays. What is your favorite Shakespeare tragedy? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
PREFACE AND DEDICATION v
My father as he slept:
The tragedy of order 3
The tailors of the earth:
The tragedy of passion 43
Little world of man:
The tragedy of isolation77
I’m not a fan of Shakespeare, though I did see the Richard III PBS had, and enjoyed it. I also saw the 1930 something version of Midsomer’s Night Dream, with Mickey Rooney and James Cagney among others.
Living in San Diego, I am a bit embarrassed to reveal I’ve only gone to 2 of the Bard’s plays at the Old Globe (though I’ve gone there for many other plays)
I saw William Marshall in Othello, and he was fabulous. I also saw Romeo and Juliet, I think the same season, with Tovah Feldshuh as Juliet. I went because a friend of mine’s father played Juliet’s father. I enjoyed that also.
It was outdoors and cold, even though it was summer.
Maggie, Buffalo has SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK each summer, but I never go. I prefer an air-conditioned theater and a comfortable seat. And no mosquitoes!
I haven’t read anything by Frye since grad school. Those were the days!
Bill, Northrop Fry was on my short list of favorite literary critics. Leslie Fiedler and Frank Kermode were on that list, too. And I see that Robert Scholes just died.
Turn off the italics please!
I go back and forth, but I think Macbeth is the best: concise and moving at a rapid pace. There’s also a supernatural element and all of the psychological insight, especially into Lady Macbeth.
Deb, thanks for the heads up on the italics! I’ll take care of it. Lady Macbeth is a monumental character. She’s brilliantly ambitious.
Hamlet but I also like RIchard III, Othello and Lear. We are a big Shakespeare family.
Patti, we’re hoping to see some Shakespeare at the Stratford Festival. I’d really like to see TWELFTH NIGHT!
Is that on the way to Canada? Nancy and I are planning to fly into Buffalo as Southwest doesn’t go to Can. We couldn’t add on nights at the conv. hotel, so will do some sightseeing on the way instead.
Maggie, The Stratford Festival is within driving distance of Buffalo and Toronto. The Shaw Festival is just over the Canadian border. Check out their web sites for the plays they’re offering in 2017.
Hamlet.
We’ve seen quite a bit of Shakespeare over the years – on Broadway, free in Central Park, at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), in London, even in Stratford at the Shakespeare Theatre. In fact, I was taken with my class to the first of Joe Papp’s Shakespeare in the Park productions at the Delacorte Theater in 1962 – THE MERCHANT OF VENICE with George C. Scott as Shylock and with James Earl Jones.
Jeff, you are so lucky to be introduced to Shakespeare in such great fashion. George C. Scott and James Earl Jones! My first experience with Shakespeare was when we read JULIUS CAESAR in English class in Seventh Grade.
I’m always surprised when you say you read something in 7th grade that was assigned reading for me in 10th or 11th.
Rick, back when I was going to school, there was “tracking.” All the smart kids were in one group, all the average kids were in another group, and all the slow kids were in a third group. The “smart” group got fast-tracked through a lot of advanced literature and math.
Three semesters of Shakespeare in college, one each on tragedies, histories, comedies, was enough. I do like The Tempest.
Rick, I only took two Shakespeare classes: comedies and tragedies. I wanted to take a course on the History plays, but I always had course conflicts.
can you go back and audit them?
Maggie, in New York State, any citizen can audit a course in the State University of New York system free of charge as long as they are 65 or older. I’m tempted to go back and take some classes to fill some holes in my education.
I remember doing the Henrys. We saw Alan Howard do Henry V twice, in Central Park and on Broadway.
Jeff, I’ve seen a couple of versions of HENRY IV (PARTS 1 & 2) and HENRY V. They’re terrific!
And in 1976 we saw a young Meryl Streep as Isabella and John Cazale as Angelo in MEASURE FOR MEASURE in Central Park.
Jeff, you have experienced a lot of quality theater! I’ve seen about a tenth of what you and Jackie have experienced!
I doubt I’ve ever sat through an entire play, and I have no desire to! I am fond of excerpts, though!
Bob, they’re all on DVD. You could fast-forward to the good parts.