#hardforthebard

[hardforthebard]

I return, mortals.

Good afternoon!

First of all, sorry for the radio silence from this account over the last few months. Life has been so crazy and I haven’t had the time for much tumblring at all. But I’m back! And I hope to be returning to running Hard for the Bard with a vengeance!

I’m posting this for three reasons:

1. To say hello! I’ve missed you all! 2. To check in and let everyone know that I intend on returning to posting regular content. 3. To find out what kind of content you would like to see going forward.

I’ve been considering continuing my “this is overdone and you should do this monologue instead” series, which saw some success. I’m also going to be posing even more text and script analysis, as well as production photos and other notes from some shows I’ve been in, directed, or produced.

But what else would you all like to see?

[hardforthebard]

Just gonna leave this here.

[hardforthebard]

TWELFTH NIGHT has never been one of my favorite comedies.

I love several of the characters, but as a whole I find it underwhelming. Discuss.

[hardforthebard]

Sorry for the radio silence, guys.

I've been acting in a show, attempting to put together a theatre company, attending acting classes, and working a full-time survival job, so I've had to take a little break from running this blog. I'm back now, though! Cuz I've manage to get myself a little bit organized. I'm aware that I owe a few people a few giveaway prizes! I'll get to that in the coming days, I promise. In the meantime, thanks for remaining a loyal follower! I love you all! -C.

[hardforthebard]

2,000 Followers. Wow.

You guys are seriously the best. I passed 2,000 followers the other day, and that just freakin' amazes me. I really appreciate everyone who follows this blog, reblogs from it, likes stuff on it, etc. You are the best fandom on Tumblr, hands-down. And I love you all. That being said... It's very appropriate that my 2,000 follower achievement should happen right around Christmas time. I love Christmas, and even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I'd like to give one of you a present. I'll announce a super secret Hard for the Bard giveaway in the coming hours. Thanks again for following, and please let me know what content you want more of! -HFTB

[shredsandpatches]

I just wrote a long post

explaining, in re: the hair argument, why Richard II can be seen as feminine, and now it is GONE, like, did I press the wrong button or what? I mean, it will be easy to redo because that was what my dissertation was about, but I TYPED THAT SHIT ON MY PHONE. All that thumb cramping for nothing.

[hardforthebard]

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, could not have written Shakespeare’s plays.

In his time, he was championed as a playwright in his own right. Why would he write some plays under his own name, but be unwilling to be recognized for others?

Oxfordians refuse to use historical, scientific, logical, or literary scholarship/evidence in order to back up their opinions--because there isn’t any.

Oxfordians also misrepresent and distort the historical record, in order to frame Shakespeare as a fraud or a front, and present the wealthy Earl of Oxford as the real author of Shakespeare’s plays.

The Oxfordian theory is based on classism and snobbery--one of the major bases of the argument is that Shakespeare was not educated enough (in other words, too poor) to have written the plays attributed to him. Not only is this classist and stuck-up at best, but it makes no difference! Genius is genius is genius. Pablo Picasso came from a middle class family. Nikola Tesla was born to lower-middle class parents; the son of a priest and a craftswoman. A wealthy upbringing does not necessarily a genius make.

If Shakespeare were a fraud, he sure managed to fool a lot of people! It would have been nearly impossible to keep such a thing secret, as Shakespeare would have had to fool an entire company of actors, a large portion of the English theatregoing public, all of his donors and patrons, the Queen of England herself, and the entire court and noble gentry.

This part’s pretty compelling... Do you know when 12 of Shakespeare’s 37 plays were written, according to not only the entire company of actors and numerous publishers and scholars? After 1604. Do you know when Oxford died? In fucking 1604.

Any questions?

[hardforthebard]

Welcome new followers!

I'm assuming most of you came through mutuals, or through fuckyeahgreatplays, who gave me a shoutout the other day. So a shoutout right back at her. Follow her. She's a badass. And anyone interested in stage management, or anyone on SMblr who doesn't currently follow her, should step up. Anyway! Thanks for following! This is a dedicated Shakespeare blog. Meaning, I don't post anything non-Shakespeare related. Here's what I do: I post quotes. I post professional scenes and monologues. I post videos of myself performing sonnets (though lately I've been slacking). I post my thoughts and the thoughts of scholars regarding the text and performance of William Shakespeare. And occasionally I do other stuff. So, welcome! And to those who have been following me for a while now: sorry for the radio silence. Weekly sonnets will resume this week! As always, I am... -Hard for the Bard