Wednesday, we had a lovely British actor, Ben Crystal (see the video), come in and give a presentation on the sonnets. What a British actor at that, every word he spoke was like a performance! But, less about his beautiful self, more about the content.

He gave us a passionate portrayal of Shakespeare's sonnets, which were written to be spoken, as the majority of Elizabethans during the time were illiterate. Crystal strongly dislikes the Penguin modern editions of the sonnets, where they grammatically correct, eschewing the artistic freedom that Shakes takes. Crystal reminded us to keep in mind the brilliance of Shakes where every punctuation, every caesura, every capitalization is there for a reason. Every imperfect iambic pentameter line is meant to show the character's distraught brokenness.

He had us each perform the sonnets, many people took the creative notch up a bit as they turned the sonnets into a funky rap, or brought it down to a mellow tone, with doubled voices emphasizing capitalized letters and the melancholy of Sonnet 29. Ben Crystal's presentation was well done, ultimately making me appreciate good ol' Shakes that much more!

Sonnet 29:

When in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least.
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.