Rocco Maiolo's Ramblings and Musings

There has been considerable debate around the idea that William Shakepspeare in some minor way helped to translate for the 1611 version of the King James Bible.  Regardless of the veracity of this claim, there is far more, and safer, evidence to suggest that he certainly would've known the Bible narrative very well, as would all of his educated contemporaries. Several years ago, I decided to read the Bible in a year.  It occurred to me somewhere around the story of Samuel, Saul and David that a lot of biblical narrative, some incredibly similar, had managed to make its way into the Bard's tales.  I started keeping a chart.  Below are my findings (unfortunately rather sketchy, in no particular order and having no particular method of organization):                          Bible Shakespeare Esther 1:10-12 – King Xer...

I and my grade 10's are watching Pacino's Merchant of Venice . Wow, what a tough film to do well (as a comedy?!). The court scene is so riveting/emotional and then you have to follow that up with this light comic banter about the rings. But the bard knew what he was up to, I guess. Jessica is conspicuously silent during Act 5. I'd love to know how Shakespeare would have directed his actor to play the Jessica character during Act 5... A Stratford production I saw once had Antonio and Jessica left alone on opposite sides of the stage with their letters. They look up from their reading, glare at each other and exit. .. In the Pacino version... I forget... but I'm watching it now... Okay, here it comes: very brief few seconds with Jessica and Lancelot looking at each other uncomfortably/almost guiltily. And -- tellingly -- the last 2 scenes are (1) Shylock being literally shut out of his synagogue and (2) Jessica fingering her turquoise which, rumour had it, she had traded ...