completeshakespearecycle

King John | William Shakespeare

King John Act 5 - #shakespearereadalong

With this act we have a #completeshakespearecycle Click the # for merelybookish‘s post.

This is the act that skips the Magna Carta (signed this week, on June 15, in 1215). And this was the 1st play filmed (see 👇)

Also there was drama. England repels an invasion. The Bastard takes over in a kingly way but doesn‘t overstep. And KJ dies of poison, handing off to Henry.

And we‘re done. What do you think?

merelybookish, GingerAntics

Graywacke A trailer was filmed in London, England, in September 1899, at the British Mutoscope and Biograph Company's open-air studio on the Embankment. Four scenes were filmed, and one, the death of John, still exists. It lasts about a minute. See link: http://www.warpedfactor.com/2020/06/cinematic-firsts-first-trailer-first.html?m=... 3y

Graywacke And a couple favorite lines:

Bastard: And you degenerate, you ingrate revolts,
You bloody Neroes, ripping up the womb
Of your mother England, blush for shame:

…

Lewis: We grant thou canst outscold us 3y

Graywacke @vlwelser @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @Daisey @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @LitStephanie @Melismatic @mollyrotondo @jewright @CoffeeNBooks @erzascarletbookgasm @Liz_M @saresmoore @Mtroiano @catebutler 3y

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TheBookHippie Well I am so using “There is so hot a summer in my bosom,That all my bowels crumble up to dust…” some time this summer in passing speech 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦🏻‍♀️ 3y

batsy I loved that "You bloody Neroes" line, too! ?I also liked KJ's "I am a scribbled form, drawn with a pen..." towards his end. But I also LOL-ed at "The King, I fear is poisoned by a monk" because it was very Monty Python. 3y

Lcsmcat @batsy So very Monte Python!!! And I marked the same quotes as @Graywacke and @TheBookHippie . There are some good lines to steal from this play. 3y

Lcsmcat I think the one I‘m going to try to slip in to everyday speech is “We grant thou canst outscold us.” 3y

MoonWitch94 As someone who has popped in & out through the cycle, I highly enjoyed reading with all of you!! Has a decision been made about Sonnets? 3y

TheBookHippie @MoonWitch94 oh I hope so!!! @GingerAntics said something awhile back about it! 3y

TheBookHippie @Lcsmcat oh that‘s good too!! 3y

TheBookHippie I honestly enjoyed this one and researching it was a blast especially with Robin Hood! 3y

merelybookish Lots of great lines! Makes up for the ridiculous plot! I noted the same "scribbled form" line as @batsy. And the guilty monk with his guts gushing out of his belly really added something. ? 3y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish 🤣🤣🤣🤣 language over plot for sure! 3y

vlwelser Language was the best part of this one. And imagining it as told by Monty Python was fun. My favorite lines are from Act IV.... "To guard a title that was rich before, To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, To smooth the ice, or add another hue to the rainbow, etc..." 3y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie It‘s a freaking crazy hot summer in my bosom and everywhere else. It‘s just 🥵. Just saying. (And, i was outside for a neighborhood swim team meet for 6 hours yesterday.) 3y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke my son is in Cross Country… season started this week 🥵 3y

Graywacke @batsy ok, I missed the scribbled form line and love that. I‘m sharing with my art-teacher wife. 🙂 As for Monty Python - I‘m thinking of the wimpy prince saved from the castle in the swamp (Holy Grail) - a play on Arthur? 3y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat someone needs to earn the scold line - then I‘ll use it. 🙂 3y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie your links to King John cartoon version in Robin hood added immensely to my reading. 🙂 3y

Graywacke @MoonWitch94 @TheBookHippie Litsy ate my post, but @GingerAntics does have a Sonnets plan. I don‘t it, yet, though. Also - FYI - I‘m interested in a good annotated hold-my-hand version - of anyone has suggestions. 3y

Graywacke *know (as is, I don‘t know it, yet) 3y

Graywacke @merelybookish it was such a surprise to get such good language in act V. And, yeah, that Monk. There‘s an image. 3y

Graywacke @vlwelser that‘s the source of “to gild a lily”. 🙂 And completely agree. The language was terrific here. 3y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke I'm interested in that as well! 3y

Graywacke @TheBookHippie phew. Hope training is early. (My son might try it next fall) 3y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke Practice is always early- THANK GOODNESS. Meets are all over the place.....and once every summer they do a midnight run race.....yah... 3y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I work in local government. Someone always earns the scold line! 3y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Re the Sonnets, I don‘t have an edition to recommend, but Patrick Stewart read them, in order, in Facebook during lockdown. I bet those recordings are still available. 3y

vlwelser I interviewed a person at work and she used the phrase overgilding the lily. I wrote it down. I still like it. I think it's why this line stuck out to me. And she turned out to be a Shakespeare nut (and not a post millennial quoting iCarly or something equally out of my scope of knowledge). 3y

LitStephanie I loved this play. With what a smart ass Bastard was (still think it is funny that is how he is listed through the entire script), I did not expect him to be such a good soldier, loyal supporter of the king, and so helpful a leader to the end without grasping for more power. I liked how in the end, both John and the Dauphin are seen as very imperfect leaders instead of pure villain or hero. It seems more realistic that way. 3y

LitStephanie @merelybookish I wasn't sure if they were saying the monk also poisoned himself and had explosive diarrhea or if they stabbed him in the guts once they figured out it was him. 🤷 3y

LitStephanie @Lcsmcat @Graywacke the scolding line is great. Loved all the sarcasm in this play. 3y

merelybookish @LitStephanie somehow I assumed he was the king's taster and took on a bit of a suicide mission, needing to poison himself to get to the king. 🤔 Not sure how I arrived at that. 3y

LitStephanie @merelybookish ooh, that would make sense. 3y

GingerAntics This really fell apart at the end. 3y

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merelybookish

King John | William Shakespeare

Just finished Act V of King John, and so ends a Sunday ritual that's been going since 2017 when #shakespearereadalong was launched. Since then, we have made our way through all of his plays! (Re)discovered why some continue to endure! Also how even the Bard has some duds. LOL. It's been an enriching & enjoyable experience. And one is never really done with Shakespeare! No doubt I will continue to revisit some of my faves! Thanks to everyone👇

merelybookish Who made this so special, whether you joined for 1 play or 20! I've learned so much from all of you and appreciated your insights and criticisms! We did it! ❤️ 3y

batsy Woohoo! Go us! 🎉🙌🏾 It's been a blast and many thanks to you, @Graywacke and @GingerAntics for coordinating multiple discussions. (Nope, we're never really done with Shakespeare 😆) 3y

merelybookish @batsy I am so happy to have been on this journey with you!! Thank you for all you've given to the group! It does feel a bit like we could start over and read (most of) them again 3y

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erzascarletbookgasm I‘m glad to have read along with this group ( I‘ve conveniently skipped all the history plays). Otherwise I wouldn‘t have read them on my own or understood much! I appreciate all the discussions and insights, I‘ve learnt so much from all of you! Thanks for leading 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 @merelybookish @Graywacke @GingerAntics 3y

GingerAntics It‘s a crazy thought, isn‘t it!!! 3y

GingerAntics @erzascarletbookgasm I have the sonnet schedule ready to go, I just need to make it postable. 3y

Graywacke Thanks @merelybookish and the other original founders and advocates. Thanks for hanging through to completion. Thanks for encouraging strangers like me to get involved and being so welcoming and warm and fun. And thanks @GingerAntics for taking over part of the leadership. To Sonnets! 3y

Graywacke And kudos to @Batsy and @TheBookHippie who read every single play! Wow. 3y

Graywacke #completeshakespearecycle - I‘m using this hashtag to link back here. 🙂 3y

TheBookHippie @merelybookish I so have learned from you!!!! It‘s been a riot! 3y

TheBookHippie @batsy thanks for helping me fall in love with signet!!! I love everything you brought to discussions!!! So much fun! 3y

TheBookHippie @Graywacke I appreciate all your leading and discussion helps ! What a lovely ride ! 🏆 3y

TheBookHippie @GingerAntics thanks for leading so many amazing discussions!!!! I love your input! Makes me go back and reread! 3y

TheBookHippie I have the mug I won from the first year and I treasure it so!! 3y

batsy @merelybookish @TheBookHippie @Graywacke Right back at you, friends! ❤️❤️❤️ 3y

MoonWitch94 As someone who has popped in & out, I really enjoyed this! It was fun & I loved the conversations. I heard there was talk of doing Sonnets?!?! If not, thanks to you all for hosting! 3y

merelybookish @erzascarletbookgasm Loved having you along and skipping the histories was not an unwise decision. 🙃 More than a few were dreadful. 🙊🤫 3y

merelybookish @GingerAntics That we might want to read them again? 3y

merelybookish @Graywacke Thank you! I feel you've really kept the momentum going, especially this last year or so. Grateful for your leadership and your insightful readings! 3y

merelybookish @TheBookHippie Kudos to you one of the OGs and a total rock ⭐!! I always appreciated your ability to connect aspects of the plays to events in contemporary culture! 3y

merelybookish @MoonWitch94 Always were glad to have you join us! 3y

LitStephanie It was a wonderful discussion group! Glad I found it when I did. 3y

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