Joyful Socks Mom: Shall Thou Go to Ye Olde' Cinema? : 5 Days of Shakespeare Fun at Home

7/21/14

Shall Thou Go to Ye Olde' Cinema? : 5 Days of Shakespeare Fun at Home

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Let me begin by issuing a fair warning: This is not an all-inclusive list of every Shakespeare film ever made. You can find those elsewhere on the blogosphere. This is a strictly made, heavily scrutinized list of Shakespeare film adaptations appropriate for the family.

Let me explain. No, it's too long. Let me sum up.

I am not strict and shockingly not too picky about what Shakespeare plays I do, or do not allow my students to study. This is not typically the case with most other subjects, as you well know. I do wait to study some plays until I feel the subject of the play is appropriate to my student's stage of development.

Here is where my fickleness does arise, most egregiously! Movies.

ORIGINAL PHOTO CREDIT via Compfight.com CC

Many of you know there is certainly no love lost between Hollywood and myself. This, however; is not where the problem lies.

My issue with many film adaptations of Shakespearean plays is that, like many movies springing from our culture, there is not much left to the imagination. What I mean is this, Shakespeare plays deal with the issues of human nature, the good and the evil alike. Many of his works deal with serious sin issues that are common among mankind. Here is the big difference between Shakespeare's versions and many Hollywood versions, TACT!

The majority of depictions of sin that we see in Shakespeare's plays take place off-stage, where the audience cannot physically see. Shakespeare's characters typically will dialogue and discuss the sin issues on stage, but most major sinful acts are left off-stage, away from the main stage's action.

Why?

Shakespeare was more than able to discuss and delve into the evil that lies in the hearts of men, without having to PHYSICALLY display these dastardly deeds on the stage!

Hollywood, quite obviously, lacks this particular skill in story telling.

With that being said, I invite you to grab some GMO-free popcorn, "Go to Ye Ole' Cinema" and enjoy the following film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays that are pre-approved for your family's viewing.