Tag: Shakespeare

  • Seven Ages Of Man And Woman

    Those who know English would not have missed  enjoying Shakespeare,.

    If ever a Poet/Dramatist were to be found who could mirror emotions in simple powerful words it is the Bard of Avon.

    I have some post on him.

    Da Vinci Mona Lisa.
    Mona Lisa

    The most famous of his lines in As You Like It‘ on the Stages of Man is a piece in itself.

    I am reproducing this with out comments or explanations for in my view Shakespeare is best enjoyed with out some body disturbing.( excepting some like Bradley)

    “All the world’s a stage,
    And all the men and women merely players:
    They have their exits and their entrances;
    And one man in his time plays many parts,
    His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
    Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
    And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
    And shining morning face, creeping like snail
    Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
    Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
    Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
    Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
    Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
    Seeking the bubble reputation
    Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
    In fair round belly with good capon lined,
    With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
    Full of wise saws and modern instances;
    And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
    Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
    With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
    His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
    For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
    Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
    And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
    That ends this strange eventful history,
    Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
    Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”

    If Shakespeare could do it,Tamil could do it better, in classifying the Chronological Age of man and Woman.

    Tamil , a Language of antiquity, alive and kicking well, has made Life into an Art by its literature and its classification of Life in its Grammar.

    Tamils have divide Life into two parts, one that deals with external activities expressed outwards, like War,Arguments,Valor,Philanthropy, called Puram(The term means ‘outside’).

    Another is Aham(inside) which deals with emotions like Love, Despair.

    Under Aham the chronological Age of Man and Woman has been taken to classify Ages.

    பெண்களின் ஏழு பருவங்கள்:-(Seven Ages of Woman)

    * 1 வயது முதல் 8 வயது வரை – பேதை-1-8 Pedha, an age when one does not know to distinguish things.
    * 9 வயது முதல் 10 வயது வரை – பெதும்பை-9-10,Pedhubmai, can differentiate but not very clear.
    * 11 வயது முதல் 14 வயது வரை – மங்கை-10-14,Mangai, has attained womanhood, but yet to fall in Love.
    * 15 வயது முதல் 18 வயது வரை – மடந்தை14-18,Madanthai. has started to develop feelings of Love.
    * 19 வயது முதல் 24 வயது வரை – அரிவை-19-24Arivai,has attained an Age where one has gone through the process of Love,separation.
    * 25 வயது முதல் 29 வயது வரை – தெரிவை-25-29,Therivai, has loved, successful, or lost but  knows Life.
    * 30 வயதுக்கு மேல் – பேரிளம் பெண்-30+,has seen it all, either a Spinster,( mostly), mature.

    ஆண்களின் ஏழு பருவங்கள்:(Seven Ages of Man).

    * 1 வயது முதல் 7 வயது வரையிலான பருவம் – பாலன்-Balan,1-7 as in Woman.
    * 8 வயது முதல் முதல் 10 வயது வரையிலான பருவம் – மீளி, Meeli,8-10 Forgetful yet can recall.
    * 11 வயது முதல் 14 வயது வரையிலான பருவம் – மறவோன்11-14,Maravon,Fighter, does not forget.
    *15 வயதிற்குண்டான பருவம் – திறவோன்-Thiravon,15 Years,Capable.
    *16 வயதிற்குண்டான பருவம் – விடலை, Vidalai 16, Irresponsible in all walks of Life.
    *17 வயது முதல் 30 வரையிலான பருவம் – காளை ,Kaalai, 16,Responsible in all affairs, including Life.
    * 30 வயதுக்கு மேலான பருவம் – முதுமகன்.Mudhumagan,30+ .Mature.

    Note that the stages of Man stops for Man after 14 Years and characteristics change year by year.

    But women stay steadfast, relatively, which is a fact.

    The names given to each stage expresses the meaning explained,

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  • ‘No Pen,No Pencil,No Thinking,No Understanding’ Teacher.

    Teachers day Card  JPG
    Teachers Day Card

    I find there seems to me a subtle difference between Teaches you at School and the Lecturers and Professors at the College.

    I retain till date awe respect and regards for mt  School teachers and for College teachers it is a friendliness slightly tinged with a sort of mild respect.

    If one were to go by qualifications  , it should be more for the College professors, for they were MAs and Phds, while my school teachers were BAs (Bachelor of Arts) and in some case L.T.(Licentiate in Teaching, which is replaced by B.Ed. in India).

    Be it as may, let me recall some of my school teachers first.

    I had Mr.Srinivasa Iyengar,who use to take English and Mathematics till IV  Form.(equivalent to x Standard now).

    He was a BA, not even a L.T.

    What ever English I can boast of is because of him(I studied in a small place,Srivilliputhur,Tamil Nadu,India).

    If you do not answer a question, you are rapped in the knuckle with the duster.

    If you the ‘=’ is not aligned  for all the rows  in Mathematics, you are again given a rap.

    He used to have a table for the system of awarding marks while correcting answer papers and he will display it in the Class.

    If some one were to point out that he has not been awarded marks as per the table he will award it and say ‘sorry’

    Not only that.

    He was a Religious Man, an Iyengar.He will come to school with the Religious Mark ‘Naamam

    As soon as he settles in his chair, he will look at every one’s face for the Religious mark, either Vibuthi,Naamam  or in the case of  the Girls Kungumam and if they do not have it , he will ask them to get out and ask them to  go Home and come with the mark immediately.

    I recall one instance, when I was studying in the fifth Form.

    I was in the Class without vibuthi.

    Srinivasa Iyengar  went out side the School into the road, which was visible fromour class room, dipped his third Right Finger into Bull’s  droppings , came to the Class and applied it to on my forehead!

    The special treatment to me was because my father was the Head Master!

    The way he used to tech English Grammar and din it into our heads is some thing to be experienced.

    As a matter of fact, most of my blogs on ‘English grammar’ is inspired by him and  some of the definitions and explanations are his.

    I aha Tamil Teacher , Muthurakku Konar, who once describing ‘Kannagi‘ of Silappathikaaram,a Tamil Classic, said’kannagi was a woman who was untouched by a Man other than her Husband,not like Cinema actresses who get touched by every one , form the make Up Man onwards”

    Now to College Teachers.

    I studied in Vivekananda College,Chennai.

    We had one young professor Mr.Ananthan who was fresh from College and his  flow of the language is seen to be believed.

    Till date,I am yet to see some one who has that flow, with out redundancy!

    We had Mr.Amirtham Iyer who handled ‘Drama’,consisting of Shakespeare  on Tuesday after noons.

    He would emphasize  with the characters  in’ Antony and Cleopatra.

    I remember that there will be tears in his eyes when he recited the Lines, when Cleopatra was about to commit suicide, applying the Asp to her Breast…

    ‘Do’st thou not see my baby at my breast that sucks the nurse asleep’

    We used to have ‘Mor kuzhamu’, a delicacy of the Tamilians,in th Hostel and we would normally felt sleepy.

    One day most of us were feeling sleepy.

    We, about eight normally occupy the last bench as it was convenient to chatter and sleep.

    I developed the art of sleeping with my eyes ‘open’.

    ( The hall was a gallery, with rows going up)

    Amirtham Iyer was teaching his Shakespeare in his own way.

    One of my friends, Sivakumar, a weight lifting champion,who is 67 now, was snoring.

    Amirtham Iyer noticed this and threw a chalk piece at him.

    He still did not wake up.

    The Teacher then started shouting at me and I woke my friend up.

    Groggy, with out realizing what he was doing , he  kicked our friend Sankaran, (who is a High Court Lawyer in Chennai) in the front row forcefully.

    The entire benches started collapsing and 4 to five rows landed near the teacher’s feet.

    Angry, Amirtham Iyer left the Class  midway in a huff stating ‘ I will not take classes for you’

    We were thrilled!

    Next Tuesday we were in the room expecting Amirtham Iyer not to turn up.

     

    Amirtham Iyer came to the Class looking crestfallen and said

     

    ‘I am sorry I behaved the way I did and left the Class.

     

    I am a Teacher and my job is to teach.

     

    And who are you after all/ You are my children,i should have corrected you and continued my class’ and started teaching.

     

    At the end of the hour all of us prostrated before him and there were more tears in his eyes.

     

    Another instance involving him…

     

    While he was teaching, we chattering as usual.( I had the habit of chatting with my mouth partially covered )

     

    He noticed we were chattering and instead of me called my friend Kamalakaran(He is a Chartered Accountant in Bangalore)

     

    He asked him ‘tell me what I said now”

     

    He kept quiet.

     

    He went to the other four.

     

    Same response.

     

    He came to me.

     

    As I had followed him partially and read in advance the portion he would teach,I managed.

     

    He now asked all the others.

     

    ‘Do you have the Book?’

    -No

     

    ‘Note Book’?

     

    Blank stares.

     

    “pen.pencil?

     

    Blank.

     

    He said

     

    ‘No Book,No Note book ,No thinking and No Understanding’

     

    Let me conclude an instance involving Mr.Ananthan.

     

    We used to have English II for an hour followed by an hour of  English Composition.

     

    Normally the Composition alone will be handled in this class.

     

    As these classes were on Fridays we use to finish the Essays by 230 and rush to Midlands/Odeon theatre,Chennai to see English Movies.

     

    I used to write fast and normally was reasonably good.

     

    Six of us were in a row,as usual in the last bench.

     

    As I write(I sit in the middle), the others would copy).

     

    Sivakumar, who is a Businessman now, wrote in such a way to match my speed to the extent of scoring out what I had scored out)

     

    When the note books were returned to us the next Day, my friends’ notebook carried this…

     

    ‘I asked for one Essay, not 1+5?

     

    When shall I see such teachers?

     

    ( I shall narrate some more instances as I recollect them)

  • Who Wrote Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Thirukkural, Shakespeare’s works?

    Prince Tudor,Shakespeare
    Shakespeare-and Prince Tudor.

    About six months back my wife’s sister’s husband told me that he did not believe that Lord Krishna did not deliver the Discourse of Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

    His argument was that, in the midst  of a war, no body would have noted what Krishna spoke, that too,six hundred Couplets.

    Quite ingenious.

    In the same vein, my son once told me that the tamil Classics ,especially Thevaram,Thiruvaasakam,Naalaayira Divya Prabhandam could not have been written by those to whom they are attributed to for no body would have taken notes when these Saints were composing these works.

    My reply , especially on Srimad Bhagavad Gita, has been explained in,my blog, filed under Indian Philosophy,Hinduism,Bhakti.

    To day I happened to watch a Film,’Anonymous’ on SonyPix.

    It was set against the background of Queen Elizabeth(Middle ages) and The theory that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. wrote The plays of Shakespeare.

    I was curious and checked the web.

    I found some interesting information.

    Theories of incest and plagiarism.

    Of Course, no final word has been said.

    The Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship proposes that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (1550–1604), wrote the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon. While a large majority of scholars reject all alternative candidates for authorship,[1] there is popular interest in various authorship theories.[2] Since the 1920s, Oxford has been the most popular candidate among “anti-Stratfordians,” a collective term for adherents of the various alternative-authorship theories.[3][4][5]

    The convergence of documentary evidence of the type used by academics for authorial attribution—title pages, testimony by other contemporary poets and historians, and official records—sufficiently establishes Shakespeare’s authorship for the overwhelming majority of Shakespeare scholars and literary historians,[6] and no evidence links Oxford to Shakespeare’s works.[7] Oxfordians, (as those who subscribe to the theory are usually called), however, reject the historical record, often proposing the conspiracy theory that it was falsified to protect the identity of the real author and invoking the dearth of evidence for any conspiracy as evidence of its success.[8] Some Oxfordians believe that Shakespeare acted as a “front man,” receiving the plays from Oxford and pretending to have written them, but others claim that he was simply a merchant from Stratford who had nothing to do with the theatre.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxfordian_theory_of_Shakespeare_authorship

    The Prince Tudor theory (also known as Tudor Rose theory) is a variant of the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship, which asserts thatEdward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was the true author of the works published under the name of William Shakespeare. The Prince Tudor variant holds that Oxford and Queen Elizabeth I were lovers and had a child who was raised as Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. The theory followed earlier arguments that Francis Bacon was a son of the queen. A later version of the theory, known as “Prince Tudor II” states that Oxford was himself a son of the queen, and thus the father of his own half-brother.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Tudor_theory

    Similarly there are opinions that the Thirukkural was not written by Thiruvalluvar.The arguments are.

    A single individual could not have written on such a wide range of subjects , that too  vividly.

    The name ‘Valluvar’ denotes a Caste.

    Bhagavad Gita is reported to have been written/compiled by Vyasa.

    Same confusion abounds in India.

    And the name they use was used by a number of persons ( example Avvaiyar)

    The main reason is that the authors never used their real names.

    For that matter, names in India were only indicative, of Community,Clan,Quality and the like.

    Krishna -Black.

    Rama-one who is liked.

    Vyasa-Compiler.

    Secondly, they never wrote with the intention of being spoken of nor for Royalty.

    My view is that enjoy the work and do not bother about who wrote it.

    In fact The Bible was complied three hundred Years after the Death of Jesus Christ,.(please read my blogs on Christianity)

  • Shakespeare Tweets! Retweets

    Really innovative and were Shakespeare to Tweet what it would have been?

    Shakespeare
    Shakespeare (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    If Shakespeare was around today he would have undoubtedly used Twitter, and he probably would have loved this.

    It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to follow him. I suppose every now and then your feed would pop up with a little nugget of literary might that sends the re-tweet world into overdrive.

    While these poems are a far cry from his escalated word-smithery, they are still very entertaining.

    They are winding sonnets reflecting moods from around the world, touching on topics of the day, drawing individual thoughts and musings and entwining them into prose.

    They are made by a website — or automated system of some kind — that simply peruses the world of micro blogging, searching for iambic pentameter to piece together into sonnets.

    The site, Pentametron, simply says: “With algorithms subtle and discrete / I seek iambic writings to retweet.” Above winding tales of frenzied anecdotal narrative.

    It builds the sonnets by “digging through hundreds of thousands of tweets per hour,” looking for the rare few which happen to be written in the traditional construct. They are then posted on the Pentametron Twitter feed, and published on the website.

    It is a clever system, and a creative one too. The website explains how it works — in simple terms, thank goodness:

    “Pentametron takes each of the 30-60 tweets it receives each second, and looks up each word in a dictionary which lists the stress patterns of every word. If the rhythms of all the words put together seem to add up to iambic pentameter, Pentametron retweets the tweet. In the future, when it has more data to work with, it’ll start trying to create rhymes.”

    Such new-age media creativity rarely goes unnoticed, not when it is as interesting as this, and as comical, too. The poems are an eclectic mix of often random, usually trivial thoughts that alone stand forgotten; but together, make up some sort of story. They will be better still if and when they rhyme.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-barrie/pentametron-twitter_b_1417443.html?ir=Weird%20News

    With algorithms subtle and discrete
    I seek iambic writings to retweet.

    RT @kittyphilia
    about 1 minute ago
    in spiders eyes a man becomes a fly.
    RT @NelleJolie_
    about 5 hours ago
    Show me a lil appreciation please .
    RT @BonnieBlazin_
    about 7 hours ago
    You had the ball and couldn’t make the shot,,,
    RT @ayebroitskelly_
    about 8 hours ago
    No more procrastinating, shower time 😀
    RT @alexa_matos
    about 8 hours ago
    Hoes want attention, women want respect .
    RT @Just_BeinqLOVIE
    about 8 hours ago
    Im Getting Sleepy GoodNight FUCK THE BULLS . 🙂
    RT @jjjesssii
    about 8 hours ago
    I cannot get in.shower fast enough
    RT @YouAlreadySnoMa
    about 8 hours ago
    Love isn’t complicated , people are..
    RT @jamesespinoza94
    about 8 hours ago
    That was a really sloppy ending tho..
    RT @Co0oJay
    about 8 hours ago
    No flex… Chicago did the do tonight
    RT @smr1353
    about 8 hours ago
    Your just a little devil aren’t you?
    RT @TDA_11
    about 8 hours ago
    Bout to devour this McDonalds tho
    RT @Air_Ezy
    about 8 hours ago
    I wanna dance and love and dance again!
    RT @1DUpdatesAU
    about 9 hours ago
    to Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth!!!

    http://pentametron.com/

  • Women Writers’Sentimental and Feminine Tosh?’

    What an arrogance?

    World without sentiments is not worth living.

    Has he been writing Dictionary and telephone Directories?

    By the same ‘Sentimental Tosh’ yardstick Hamlet,Othello,Antony and Cleopatra, Mother Earth are all trash?

    He might say ,he is better than Shakespeare, Pearl Buck.

    Want list of female writers?

    Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_writers  

    Ask any 15-year-old, whether he knows Naipaul?

    Can he understand Jane Austen?

    History will judge a good writer.

    Creativity knows no gender.

    Naipaul is either senile, stupid or both.

    He is being respected more than what he deserves.

    Nobel Prize has lost its sheen, if at all it has any.

    Nobel laureate V S Naipaul has criticised female writers, especially Jane Austen, claiming they are ‘unequal’ to him.

    Naipaul, known for his outspoken views, made the comments during an interview about his literary career.

    The Trinidad-born writer said: ‘Women writers are different, they are quite different. I read a piece of writing and within a paragraph or two I know whether it is by a woman or not. I think (it is) unequal to me.’

     http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393365/V-S-Naipaul-slams-women-writers–including-Jane-Austen–sentimentality-feminine-tosh.html#ixzz1O8HPdyXt