#polixenes

[losingbenni]

FLORIZEL & PERDITA The Winter's Tale, 2021 | Royal Shakespeare Company

[queerhamlet]

sometimes a family can be you, your shepherd adopted dad, his sheep and his bisexual son, the vagabond he has a gay thing with who happens to be the greek god Hermes, your princely bf, his dad, his loyal boytoy who's lavender married to a dykeish witch, her bff and lady aka your mother who's Jesus Christ if she was a statue, your reformed cunt biological father, 12 dancing satyrs and a man eating bear symbolizing justice

[faded-florals]

THE WINTER'S TALE (2015) Hadley Fraser as Polixenes

[snack-size-shakespeare]

Leontes , Hermione, and Polixenes have clearly JUST formed a poly triad

In the beginning of the play, I mean. Unlike Othello’s “is she cheating?” jealousy, Leontes’s jealousy is just as much (or more) about: “what if she loves him more than me? What if he loves her more than me? What if they love EACH OTHER more than me? What if I’m being shut out?” Which just seems so much like struggles in a new poly relationship, only taken to the 100th degree b/c this is Leontes and Shakespeare.

And by the end, Leontes has learned that love is not a zero-sum game, and there’s enough to go around for all three of them.

Top Shakespeare OT3, long live!

[shakespeareanthoughts]

Ranking of The Winter’s Tale Characters

Paulina: the smartest person alive, deceptive and cunning in the best possible way, good thing she’s a nice person because if not she’d be on par with Iago

Hermione: had to deal with a lot of shit from her husband and did it masterfully if I do say so myself

Florizell: so sweet what an angel, boyfriend material (Perdita thought so anyways)

Polixenes: actually a nice guy, 100% would want a friend like that

The Bear: you know why, points for sheer awesomeness

Perdita: lovely lady, kind of bland in my humble opinion

The Shepherd and his Son: don’t tell me they weren’t gold diggers, points for taking in a little orphan baby

Antigonus: I don’t think he survived long enough for me to form an opinion of him, will live on in infamy as the guy with the best shakespearean death

Camillo: swell guy, no problems with this one in my book

Autolycus: what a nuisance

Leontes: actually the worst and somehow manages to exemplify at least 70% of men, why is shakespeare so good at writing bad fathers and husbands (and friends) because props to him if he was going for husband of the year in hell

[faded-florals]

what show was hadley in where he was wearing the scarf? (the first gif in the happy birthday post) because i kinda wanna watch it!

That would be Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale! Hadley played Polixenes, the King of Bohemia, and he was absolutely stunning. (Both in his acting and with that glorious beard!) 😍

Let me dig up a link for you, look out for a DM. 🥰

[faded-florals]

✅ My Top 10 Favorite Hadley Fraser Roles, Ranked! 💖

In honor of Hadley’s 41st birthday, here is a list of my current top 10 favorite Hadley Fraser roles from theater, film, and television (with all new gifs for the occasion! ✨)

My rankings are subject to change from day to day and mood to mood, but in the end they’re all fantastic performances that you should take the time to enjoy, especially if you have not yet already!

#10. Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary - Grantaire

#9. Convincing Clooney - Chris

#8. The Lost Tribe - Chris

#7. The Vote - Alastair Swift

#6. Coriolanus - Tullus Aufidius

#5. Endeavour - Marty Bedlo

#4. The Winter's Tale - Polixenes, King of Bohemia

 #3. Holby City - Seb Coulter

#2. Saint Joan - Dunois, Bastard of Orléans

#1. The Phantom of the Opera - Raoul de Chagny

[faded-florals]