Troilus and Cressida

[fxphilby]

Not knowing where to put this, but thinking it of interest to the poets here, I'll start a new thread.

The current production of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida at the Globe is being done in a reconstructed Elizabethan English -- i.e. an approximation of 16th century English pronunciation. This accent being used "sounds like modern British west country and Yorkshire accents mixed with Scottish, Irish, American and Australian." (Canadian not mentioned but presumably implied). This comes from a review in last weekend's (August 20/21) Financial Times. An example, of a dialogue between Hector and Ulysses (first, an approximation of the pronunciation being used by the actors at the Globe, followed by the stardard printed version):

Hector:

I know ye fairvuh Lord Yelisays well;
Ah sir, there's man-e a Greak an Trojan dead,
Since far-st I saw yeself an Diomed,
In Ilium on yer Greakish embassay.

Ulysses:

Sir I foretold yuh then what would ensue;
Me prophecy's but half iz jarney yit,
Fuh yonder walls that partly front yuh town,
Yond tours, whose wanton tops du buss the clouds,
Must kiss their own fate.


[Hector:

I know your favour Lord Ulysses well;
Ah sir, there's many a Greek and Trojan dead,
Since first I saw yourself and Diomed,
In Illium on your Greekish embassy.

Ulysses:

Sir I foretold you then what would ensue
My prophesy is but half his journey yet,
For yonder walls that pertly front your town,
Yond towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,
Must kiss their own feet.]

 

[champagne1982]

Not knowing where to put this, but thinking it of interest to the poets here, I'll start a new thread.

The current production of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida at the Globe is being done in a reconstructed Elizabethan English -- i.e. an approximation of 16th century English pronunciation. This accent being used "sounds like modern British west country and Yorkshire accents mixed with Scottish, Irish, American and Australian." (Canadian not mentioned but presumably implied). This comes from a review in last weekend's (August 20/21) Financial Times. An example, of a dialogue between Hector and Ulysses (first, an approximation of the pronunciation being used by the actors at the Globe, followed by the stardard printed version):

Hector:

I know ye fairvuh Lord Yelisays well;
Ah sir, there's man-e a Greak an Trojan dead,
Since far-st I saw yeself an Diomed,
In Ilium on yer Greakish embassay.

Ulysses:

Sir I foretold yuh then what would ensue;
Me prophecy's but half iz jarney yit,
Fuh yonder walls that partly front yuh town,
Yond tours, whose wanton tops du buss the clouds,
Must kiss their own fate.


[Hector:

I know your favour Lord Ulysses well;
Ah sir, there's many a Greek and Trojan dead,
Since first I saw yourself and Diomed,
In Illium on your Greekish embassy.

Ulysses:

Sir I foretold you then what would ensue
My prophesy is but half his journey yet,
For yonder walls that pertly front your town,
Yond towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,
Must kiss their own feet.]

Well, first off, this bears proof that Canadians have no accent.

Second, and more to the point of all of this is the idea that when anyone attempts to approximate any other accent or language, (particularly a 'dead' one) then the performance steals from what the words are saying and gives attention to how the words are said. It would be the same as a French-Canadian singing The Yellow Rose of Texas with a drawl, changing the song into a parody rather than an expression of folk art.

The producers of this play didn't really want it to be a popular success, did they? Hard to perform a tragedy when the audience is laughing at the accent...

 

[annaswirls]

thanks for the smile!

Not knowing where to put this, but thinking it of interest to the poets here, I'll start a new thread.

The current production of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida at the Globe is being done in a reconstructed Elizabethan English -- i.e. an approximation of 16th century English pronunciation. This accent being used "sounds like modern British west country and Yorkshire accents mixed with Scottish, Irish, American and Australian." (Canadian not mentioned but presumably implied). This comes from a review in last weekend's (August 20/21) Financial Times. An example, of a dialogue between Hector and Ulysses (first, an approximation of the pronunciation being used by the actors at the Globe, followed by the stardard printed version):

Hector:

I know ye fairvuh Lord Yelisays well;
Ah sir, there's man-e a Greak an Trojan dead,
Since far-st I saw yeself an Diomed,
In Ilium on yer Greakish embassay.

Ulysses:

Sir I foretold yuh then what would ensue;
Me prophecy's but half iz jarney yit,
Fuh yonder walls that partly front yuh town,
Yond tours, whose wanton tops du buss the clouds,
Must kiss their own fate.


[Hector:

I know your favour Lord Ulysses well;
Ah sir, there's many a Greek and Trojan dead,
Since first I saw yourself and Diomed,
In Illium on your Greekish embassy.

Ulysses:

Sir I foretold you then what would ensue
My prophesy is but half his journey yet,
For yonder walls that pertly front your town,
Yond towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,
Must kiss their own feet.]

 

[bogusbrig]

The Globe Theatre has been accused of reducing Shakespeare to pantomine by some serious critics but wasn't Tudor theatre supposed to be larger than life and have audience participation?

I've been to the Globe several times, once was with an all woman cast in Much A Do About Nothing. The first time with my daughter who was four at the time and her attention was held for a full three and a hlf hours and it was raining.

I would advise anyone who is visiting London to take in a performance at the Globe. I think it is probably the nearest you'll get to how Shakespeare was written to be performed and more importantly it is fun, fun, fun!

Leave the text books and primers at home.

 

[champagne1982]

LOL! I guess I'll have to put - "An afternoon at the Globe" on my list of things to do. I suppose we should take all theatre in as an entire performance. Live is best. But I still can't see Marc Antony pacing the steps of the senate, "Frey-ends, Romaines and conraymun, land me yer years..."