Alternative shakespeare Auditions for Women Simon Dunmoreabla inthe USA in 200 by CaP catalog rood avable atthe All ight served No part f this publication rape, ‘ene mesh acading photo Se eondings ping a slormation scape and ‘eee seme oat the wren person GAG C Black (blasters) Linde Cove photograph: Nigel Nortngton / Arena Images Typeset in Fastin Feed and bound in Great Brain by rf Contents Female Characters and Speeches Too Often Use in Audition Shakespeare The Actors Writer The Lives snd Times of Shakespeare's Feopl ‘Auditioning Shakespeare nm ‘Countess rom Al's Well That Ende Well ~ Act 3, Sene & Mariana from Als Well That Ends Well~ Act 3, Sone {Charmin fom Antony a Cleopatre~ Act 1 Scene 2 ‘Cheopatea rom Antony and Cleopatra ~ Act 5, Sone 2 Cleopatra trom Antony and Cleopetra~ Act 5, Scene 2 Volurania rom Corals ~ Act 3, Scene 2 Volum from Corolanas~Act 4 Seene 2 ‘Queen fom Cymbeline Ac 1, Scene ‘Queen fom Cymbeline— Ace, Scene 1 ‘Ophelia rom Hamlet ~ Act, Sere S Lady Perey fen Henry IV part 1~ Act 2, Scene 3 Hostess Quickly from Henry IV, part 2~ Act 2, Sane Hostess Quickly froin Henry 1V part 2~ Act 2, Scene ‘Queen Katherine from Henry VI Act Scene 1 ‘Queen Katherine fom Henry VI ~Aet Seve 2 Blanche from King ohn ~ Act 3, See 1 Condi rom King Lear— Act 4, Scene Princes from Love's Laboure Lost ~Act 2, Scene 1 Princes rom Love's Labours Lost ~ Act 4 Scene Nese ftmn The Merchant of Venice ~ Act 1, Scene 2 [esiea from The Merchant of Venice Act 2, Seen 3 Mistress Pag fom The Merry Wives of Windsor Mistress Quickly from The Merry Wives of Winsor Heo rom Mach Ado About Nothing — Act 3, Scene 1 Margaret icin Buc Ado About Nothing ~ Act 3, Scene 4 Enila from Othello ~ Act, Scene 2Thais irom Porices~ Act 2, Scene 5 Dionyea tom Pericles ~ Act 4 Scene 1 Baved fom Pericles — Act 4 Scene 2 ‘Queen isabel from Richard I~ Act 3, Scene + Duchess of York frm Richard I~ Act 2, Seene2 Tay Anne ftom Riad I= Act Seane 1 ‘rania from The Tempest ~Act Scene 2 [aie fron The Tempest Act 3,Sene 8 ‘Tamora from Tine Amdrowicas ~ Act Scene 1 ‘Tamora from Tits Andronicus Act 2 Seene 3 Taina from Tits Andromiens— Aet2 Scene 3 Nuno from Tits Andronicus ~ Act Sere 2 (Cressida rom Trt and Cresida~ Ac, Scene {Cressida from Tris and Cresida~ Act 4 Scene {Cansande rom Troilus and Cressida Act Scene 3 Mari rom Tet Night ~ Act 2, Scene 3 Mari from Tefth Night ~ Act 3, Scene 2 Sylva trom The Teo Gentlemen of Verona ~ Act, Seune 2 Second Queen for Thr Two Noble Kinsmen ippolyta from The Two Noble Kinsmen ~ Act, Scene 2 Hippolya rom The Tico Nable Kinsmen Act 1 Scene 3 Enilla rom The Teo Noble Kinser ~ Act 8, Scene 3 Peta ron The Winters Tale~ Act, Scene Bibiography Introduction Shakespeare is demanded for audition a Jot of the time Unfortunately for audtioners, auditionees tend to chase from a tary limited collection of characters and speeches; unfortunately Terhualtionces, they have lo perform those wellknown speeches (eptonally well ty socoosdsmongst the increible competition Faperienced aucitioners wil have already seen a brill’ Juliet Pedi ether from Jlins Casa ot The Merchant of Ven) Viola and Hermione, mention but a fee, against which we inevitably Etinpare yours If you ase one of the wellknown spenches at suuian, unless you manage to hit that magic poakof performance you are on an inevitable slope to failure Wy do people slick to these popular speeches? I'm convinced that i's langely becnse they cannot face tho idea of getn fhewds rourk! uefa plys and characters writen in obscure Iara Is ens f you already have some idea ofthe character Lind play om staying it at schoo} socing a stage prouction ora fm version. Tetimate tht nearly Ally per cont of The Complete Work ave rarely performed. ‘Ther sting there unreganted, a reat wealth of tnt rom which the aucionee can dra Why ar they ‘ucly performed’? Often, Because they areas ood as the farvous play, but they do contain material which san a pac twith the greatest moments in Shakespeare. Sometimes, they are rarely ptiormedbecnuse the language especial dificult ates TLtuurs Last for instance), or because the historical knowlege Farle to fallow the plot is oo much for a modern audience the Henry VI play, for intiane}, of becaase the stores on which the Playa are based are no longer part of our conmenon cltue (Tras via Cras for instance), Sakespenre’s aiences would not only fave undersood the jokes and topieal references, but also would fave linda working knowledge other recont monarchs, Greekand Roman history, lssca mythology religious practices, nd the ible trout all be auch more familar to them than they are fo us now. ‘Even the wellknown plays have leser known, but not neces sarily Tess intreting, charactors them. For instance, livia and ‘Viol rom Teh Nigh are very popstar audition fare, but inthis ome delightal play ls also the significant (but ignored for Sulton) Maria a genilewoman attending OlivaMore AlterativeShakspere Auditions ‘The other fundsinental problem forthe auditionee is length Most people don't realise that fourten oF fee lines of verse is ‘ten perfectly sulficient (providing i also conforms to the other frramlers mentioned in the ‘AuciGoning Shakespeare” chapter Jstbcnuse the Famous specter goon for wie o thee testis Tengtn it doesn’t mean that they mark an “industry standart. stipect that Shakespeare wrote far fewer long speeches for bis "women because the boys who played them largely did t have the This to sustain such lengths of speech. [ appreciate that It Is specially dlfica for women to find ‘original’ Shakespeare Speeches, butas hope ths book proves, they are there = especially iPyou lok at sual daiogue and edit make a single speech {the Maria sposches mentioned above, for instance) Some people heliove the ea of editing Shakespeare is tantamount sacalege. think that this ie ridiculous because there is no such thing 38 a definitive Shakespeare text (this is true for the vast majority of plays; most playwrights have alternative versions to that which berives in print) and also in doing an audition you are performing Si mini-play separated from the whole work snd thevefore vill Tove some ofthe constraints that fed tin its original context. On the other hand editing dialogue isnot necessarily simply cuting ‘out the other person’ ines Itreqires time, thought and trying out tose whether or not i works. ‘Another thorny problem is punctuation. 1 laggely worked from five diferent editions ofeach play and in my researches to date T have not yet found any sustained section of speech whichis pune: tated the same way in any two given editions. Ihave tried to rethink the punciation to suit the moder actor and havea plous hope that Shakespeare might largely have approved of what I've dane afterall he was working with actors, not academics. There area number of instances where some wards also vary between ‘ditions, and when there isan important alternative [Rave men Foned it inthe nots. Line numbering, also varies, so 1 have chosen to number each specch rom one. There ate only a few instances where thsi true ‘tthe speech in the pay TThave writen notes om everything that might be abscure but not following the diciates of my one academic editor. You will find | tisogre with them all in afew inslances Talso looked up every nfailar or obscure word in the Oxford English Dictionary, which ‘was incredibly seful in iluminating the language. Overall have Intrducton tried to help you understand the details ofeach speech inorder to form i rather than to write estas about i T'ave also included a short character description for each speech. These are meant to ep hick you ff in the task of reading tRewhole play They are inevitably sketchy an only give the basic ending up tothe moment of the speech. Teannot stress too much the fact that there 1s no substitute for reading and absorbing the whole ply Tihave used the word ctor’ throughout this book inspite of the fact that is dedicated to women afterall, you dont talk about a ‘doctoress' of a solcitoress,do you? “This my second eolection of fifty species which are rarely, If ever used in audition. At the time of whiting, We also got another falba-dozen up my aleve and I know Fl be able to find mone siven time ~you ea too. Finally, would Hike to thank all those who helped me by work shopping all these speeches before they were committe io prin: Melita Jes, Jessica Radcliff, Sophie Ridley, Late Roach and hiinie Worsnop: my mother, Alson Dunmore, foe supplying me ‘with u-bits fom her. decades of watching, Shakespeare in Performance, and my fe, Macy Alexander, fr her detailed and Incisive comments on everythingFemale Characters and Speeches Too Often Used in Audition Helena (Al's We Tat Ends Wt) Phoebe (A You Lie Rocaind (You Lite) ‘Aaiana (Te Coney of Eo) Leia (Te Comal of Eros) Trsogen (Cyl) Gertrude Hal) Jou la Puclle (Henry VE par 1 {Quen Margaret (omy Vis parts, 2 and 3 and Richa aay Pexey Henry IV, ort 2) {Gucen Katherine (How Vill) ~ the cour speeches (Act Scene 4) Portia Galas Cosa) Constance (King Jo) CGonent ing La) Lady Macbeth (ater) Teall (Mesure fr Metsu) Paria (he Mercantof Vice) Helena (A Mion Night's Drow) Herm (A Midsummer Nights Deon) Puck (A Midsummer Night's Dra). {Tania (A Midsummer Night Doom) Beatie (Much Ato Ao? Noting) Eri (Otel). the Yes,» dazu. spech (At 4 Scene 3) Marina (Peis) Tey Anne (Rh I) ~ the feral scone spesches (Act 1 Scene 2) Juliet (Romeo an ai) The Nurse (Rome> adult) Katherine (The Ting fe Shen) Olivia (on Nit) ie Doel Nit) Jilin Te Tio Geen of Vroa) The jer’ Daughter (Te Teo Noble Kinsmen) Hermione (he Winter’ Tle) TThave ite specific scenes / speches agains a character, where these ts materal eehere for that aracer which not too often used {Tiss is by no means exhaotive oer autoner will have other Characters al speeches they e seen fo often Shakespeare - The Actors’ Writer ‘Shakespear, and others, wrote fora theatre that had minimal sts Shan audience that didnot sit quietly watching —they reacted like Woden football crowed, (Conditions that they are attempting Yo ‘ecrnte at The Gla Toate on London's South Bane) He had no Tighing beyond available daylight and the occasional flare or Giller no sophisticated special effects and no modern sound Systems, ‘Theye wos some five music and the oceasional drum, ‘amp, cornet, and soon, but the principle emphasis was on the power of theexitingly spoken word. An thats what Shakespeare Pine actors a brillant vehicle, his words, that can ely help the Sauitoning actor leo without sot lighting, and so on. He also fad incredible insights into how people tick na way that wasn feally generally understood until about 2 hundred years 2g famously through Freud and in the acting word through Stans Iuvak There isa sfory about a man afer seing his fst Shake Spears production: Hey, this guy knew about Freud three hundred years before Feu, ‘Shakespeare the Man We haves number of tantalising fats about the wal person, but not Enough to writen definitive biography. One thing we are sure of that he managed to make a goed living out of writing and staging plays the halo commensal eye for what would attract autiences Fe looked for popular subject and managed to avoid controversy by writing plays st either remote in Hime and oF set in other cunies (Only The Merry Wows af Windsor is set overly In the Elizabethan here-and-now, and that doesn't contain any kings, princes and so on ~ people who if olfended could be highly Eangerous) He didn’t write contemporary satires to attract Sdiences~ unlike Ben Jonson, his friend and nearest rival as a Playwright —and he seems to have avoided any trouble with the othortes, unlike Jonson who spent me in prison. [think Ua ‘eeuse he didi’ have any politcal axe to grind, he concentrated tn the people in is plays rather than contemporary pelts. Issues ‘evant tan Eiabethan ae largely only of interest to a historian (Of subsequent generations, I believe Shakespear apolitical Spproach and his concenration on the peescnaities involvederative Shakespeare Auditions helped to ensure his immortality Pm not saying that he did't write about politics ata, his phys are fall of examples; but he ida’ t take sides. For example, though there ia lot in Tie Merchant Of Venice which $8 antisemitic (chockingly 0 to a moder Budience), Shylock, the money-lender, has some wonderfully sympathetic moment inclading this fom Act 3 Scene 1) lam a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not Jew hands, organs, dimen: sions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt With thesame weapons, subject othe same diseases hele by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer 252 Chvstan i? If you prick us, do we not bled? Ifyou tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison ws, do we not di? And if you ‘wrongs, shall we not revenge?” Asia playweight Shakespeare wasnt working in isolation, he vas a member of several acting companies, principally the Chonterla’s Men (later known a6 the King’s Mon). 1 like to sugges that The Complete Works came not just fom one man but through the energy and ideas generated by groups of people working closely together. A man called “Shakespeare” may have ‘written lot ofthe words but he must have used their experiences to inspze mach ofthe detail And, knowing actors, Im sure they had plenty of their own suggestions ~ good and bad ~ thst were Incorporated into the scripts we now have. This isthe cradle, the sustenance and encouragement that nurtured the ‘genius’ we label ‘Shakespeare’. Over halla century later another genius, Sir Iase Newton, the scientist, ote, i Thave seen futher itis by standing on the shoulders of gant. I suggest the same could be said of Shakespeare and his pays. Elizabethan England [Not only was he almost certainly helped by his actors, but also by the comparatively stable political climate ofthe first Ellzabethan age. As often happens in his history plays, the threat of ineasion (and vice-versa) was common in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I's predecessors Ths required armies and ships, which were a huge Arainon the national exchequer and when she ascended the throne England was not very well of. Her immediate predecessor (and elder sister) Mary, was a Catholic Elzabeth, a Protestant, was "pe target for Catholic France and Spain ~ England's principal rivals. Thene were also a number of people in England who ‘thought that Protestantism had gone foo far and would have Shatespeoe- The Actors Writer ‘welcomed an invasion, However, the two continental countries ere at loggerheads and ignored England until the Spanish JRnmada in 1588, thirty years after Elizabeth had ascended the throne. In the interim the English ships had been used for lucrative tuade and exploration, this building 9 strong economy, sttong Enough #0 fund the soldiers and sailors for the defeat of the potential invaders by the time ofthe Armada, and strong enough {b support the social welfare of the nation. “We were just in’ financial position to alford Shakespeare atthe moment whet he presented himsl(M. Keynes, Beonomis) Elizabethan English Blzabeth was the most extriondinary woman, highly intelligent tnd iterate, and she used her power forthe sake of the people, not just for her own ends, as most previous monarchs had dane. She {rested a ation, with the help of some brilliant chief ministers, ‘which ha ‘a 2est and an energy and a love of le that had hardly boon known before’ (Anthony Burges) This feel-good facto, that modern politicians yearn fo, created a new prie in the English language’ Previously, Latin had held sway through the church, aver the bulk of printed lterture and thoughout the limited ‘education provision that existed then. People spoke to each other in warious English dislets, but the use of the language in written form was extremely limited. Anything important was writen in [atin with its very strict rales of grammar and speling but there were virtually no oficial ries of pelng and grammar for English ‘Witnes, the varying spellings that we have of Shakespeare's own name: ‘Shaxpere, ‘Shogspae, ‘Choxper, and so on. These arse because each water ofthe name oe any word) would write down the sound of what held heard as he would like to spell it. The ‘wetlen English of that time was ‘not fixed and elegant and con twlled by academics” (Anthony Burgess) ~ it was a language Hipe for exploration and development, asthe sailors were doing with ‘material goods in the new world, All this lack of regulation means that itis very common for shakespeate’s characters to commit what we would now consider to be grammatical howlets, for instance plural subject combined with singlac verbs and seemingly non-snsicl changes in tens. However, he was writing (in elevated form) in the way people speak and these “howler” often reflect the characters” state of mind“The Plots of Shakespeare's Plays The commercial playwright had to waite plays that he could be romsonably sure woul attract an aadience and wok hs plots rom ‘Sting sources that would be generally known and appel 1 4 paving public. Early works inti: The Comedy of Errors, a free Maaptaton of a well own Roman comedy of confused identity Sha Titus Andes, a sox anc sadism horror that would put Today's in censors into complete spin. The theee parts of Hetry Virand Richard Ill are based om historical accounts of one of England's most troubled times which were finally resolved by acquisition of the throne by Henry VIL, grandlather of the ever popular Qusen Elizabeth | ~an event which happens atthe end of Kidhnd TA modem equivalent might be dramatically to chart ‘Winston Churchill's ie rom hiswildemess yeas’ (forced aut of politics fo the tiumph of the suender of Nasi Geemany. ‘Another aspect ofthis commercalism was the ‘megabucks' that could be mace by special one-off performances Forsch patrons For example, Maceth-was probably writen for performance before King James | (Bizabeth 1's successor). Banque, one of| Macbeth’s victims inthe play, was reputedly an ancestor of ames Shakespeare radically altered the available historical record to ensue that the King was not offended and included references (0 wwtcheraft, breastfeeding and tobacco ~ subjects very lose € James" heart, ‘Some Significant Speeches in Shakespeare's Plays Ws not just the plots that Shakespeare adapted from known sources, he even adapted other people's words. For example inthe fourt scene of Henry Vill (Act 2, Scene 4), Queen Katherine's ‘wonderful speech beginning ‘Sit, I desire you do me right and justice.” is an almost ditect copy of what she actually said, ccoeding tothe historical record. Enobarbus’ famous speech The barge she sa in.” in Antony ae Clepars (Act 2, Scene 2) is very ‘ose to 8 translation from Plutarch’ ie of Antonis Shakespeare's Tents Four hundred yeors oni ficult tobe sure that every word in ‘a Shakespeare play is exactly ashe frst wrote The problems with fis play-exts bein with te fact hat then thre was no such ting faa law of copyright. That vast to arrive for another hundred years Once a play Was in print anyone could simply copy and sell Siakespene ~The Actor” Wr thet con version wth no royalties going wo the egal writer Ate dan ths, once in print, other companies cox put on th aris own plays pitted. About five years afer Shakespente’ fei two of fs acters Joho Hemnge and Henry Conde pt rather what script they fad ino prin The Fis Fai, the Sst rary Complete Works inns the sours wer Ta) Some of the orignal hand-wrten cue-srpts Gust the ind goal actor's ines and his eve ies). {o Some previously published editions of individual pays, the ‘Quart’ eitons, (Charo erally means the sie of piece of paper crated by folding a whole sheet tice 5038 form four 2kes or eight pages, bt means folding tat sheet once 49 rake to env of four pages) {0) The memories of surviving act Nine of hee cn be sworn to Bing entiy accurate cous a) Bven the best handling of the time s sometimes hard 1 Areipnr(Weldont have a txtin Shakespenr’s own hand) {by rng in his te wan't enily accurate. Think of having, {olplnce every leer space an panctuntion mark ~ each nthe eu of on ndividully moulded poe end~inta fame that them went onto the presses. The Complete Works with Tie Tio Noble Knee, whic isnot always ineladed) total about 950,000, oughly 2500 words and 1170 characters pr pla. Als some rte Quarto eitions were printed from manuscripts waitlen ‘Town during performances by people trying to ‘pirate’ the plays {otten known aad Quarts). {6} Sometimes actors have very accurate memories for ines they've sido stage, sometimes they improve on what the psprightactally wrote dove andsometimes, he esse nes Trak hash of he playwrights intentions Shakespeare prbsbly did't write every ord anyway There ane Slew other writers who alms cern contbuted © what dhe now know as The Conpce Wok tals sums to ae ky Svcntnecearstances in which Shakespeare wrote for aspcii Semany of actors ha they might wel exch have fd thi inated ay’ de det of what thir characters sid and some of ther es inconporstdMore Alternatce Shakespeare Auditions Farther confsion is added by the fat that jst one copy of ‘Quarto olor eiton would be printed, prootrend. and connected then second copy would be printed, prootsead and CSrrected, and ao on. Nobody knows whether these time Consuming poceses were undertaken for every individual copy, ft to date) naa has yet found tr dentin copies of The st Foto from the oughly 230 that survive There hasbeen sucha mas of intelectual detective work yng tocotalish perfect version ofthe text hat Ieve easy 1 get the impreson of superhuman being those works must be spprosched wih overweening reverence, Shakespeare Was 2 ‘an igi het fs ia pone oe or the use of language and how people realy fel deep doven inside. . 7 e 1 do not say allthis to try to bring Shakespeare down from his pedestal: [ay i to humanise a man whom others have deified. 1 vt deny thst a nation needs her heroes, but Think that England thas elevated "The Band” overmuach, True he #38 part of an iano ative (even revolutionary) group that has rarely been matched for fits degree of positive development. But, n order to bring life back to his works, meaty four centric after his death, we have to fel fochim ~as a jobing craftsman needing to sell his wares to make &living. We noed to make his crestions have ral fe, zather than being some too often regurgitated ceremony that sounds stale Finally I have to add that without the presiding genius and humanity of Elizabeth I we almost certainly wouldn't ave known anything of him at all Periods of reat art arse when the preva [Rovernments are prepared to invest in thei nation’s culture The Lives and Times of Shakespeare's People 1 is cbvious to say that life was very different for people in BS SSpeae’s time To recreate his characters i is important 0 ve some Insight ito how ‘ifferent Birth and Death tras quite normal for baby and / othe mather to die tor soon ster bith. Tis really onl since the second world war that such {eat have become rave in Western society. Ever if the child ‘Xevived the crac early period, many only managed itt ther {Sens A working cass family woul al to breed as many children sSpossble as workers to help the family’s meagre fortunes. Many amen, even if ty survived the multiple births, were dead of ‘htawstion by theirthites The men had the hazard ofthe frequent tram. Medicine was very rudimentary ~ If not grotesquely Inac Shreateand tov expensive fra but the aristocracy, so disease and ‘malnutrition meant that people, on average, lived about forty years. You were considered grown up by about the age of fourtoen fa old by your midthirtie The aristocracy were beter fed and had acess to what medicine was evallable, but their chances in childbirth weren't much better ind overall e-expectancy wast hat much greater. (Though, the real Richard another managed olive until she was eighty) ‘Contraception mas available in fact the Hist evidence of is use dates back meaty four thowsand year), but was generally only toed foil sex (A pig's lade forthe men and hal lemon for the women for instance) Marriage In Flizabethan England the age of consent was twelve and it as Common for women to give bith in thei early teens Lady Capulet Says to her fourteen year old daughter Juliet ‘Well think of marrage now: Younger than you Here in Verona ladies of esteem, ‘Are made already mothers. By my count Twas your mother much upon these years ‘That you are now a maid. (Romeo and Jul, Act 1, Scene 3)Mare Alternative Shaesp Pir to this period dynastic marriages often took place at even younger ages for example, the ral Richard I's wile, Isabel, as Zeven wher she married him, This occurred when important ales ‘wanted to expand thelr power and possessions by alliance through Imarriage ~ equivalent to moder corporate mergers. The mariage partners oftert had nay in the course of events designed for them. Democracy, Although the idea of running England through a democratic system started to evolve some three hundred years before Shake Spear, the monarch was sill very much in charge ~ifhe or she was Strong and ruthless enough. Parliament consisted of the nobility, Senior churchmen and representatives ofthe general population However, it wasn'ta democracy as we would now think oft mone a collection of power groupings who aed mutary muscle wget theie way. The nobly had the threat of Unis pevate armies; the church (prior to Henry VII's break with the Roman Catholic church) could threaten to call on military aid from fellow catholic ounitls. These were also representatives from each town big fnough and tro knights from each shire (or ounty) ~ but these people could all on arses to back up pont, so they had very Titus acteal influence on major issues: Right upto the later hall of the nineteenth century only a. small proportion of the male population of the civilised” word was allowed to vote; a certain level of wealth and / oF literacy being the sual qualification. In Great Britain women had to walt unt the twentieth century tobe allowed t vote Law and Order “There was no national pice force an the legal system was fily arbitrary ~ generally favouring the rch. lt was comparatively easy to commit and cover up crimes, f you were clever about i.e as ako fairly easy tobe arested for something yous ade done iyo Were vulnerable and someone withthe necessary finances wanted you imprisoned, ‘Travel and Communications ‘The only forms of land travel were ether on foot or using a four footed animal, the horse beng much the fastest. The latter were too ‘expensive for the ordinary man and consequently the majority of frdinary poople would never leave their home town of lla The Lees and Times of Shaespare’s Pop ven those who became soldiers would travel by foot. AML this Fant that transiting messages and moving armies took an ‘Rontinate amount of ime “iver someone with exceptionally fsthorses could only travel at aroverage of about twenty miles an hou sot would tke a least 2R,gy to travel from London to York, for instance. Ifyou di rie iar enly stopping to change to fresh horses, you'd be utterly tuneked by the time you get there Taxation Immedieval times the monarch really only meeded taxes to pay for ‘Rams his general ving expenses came from income fom property Ihe owned. By Shakespene's ime the ax system was mote exten vel ander also to pay forthe ever expanding machinery of gov ‘Stiment. The rung powers woud arbitrary, nvent a tax to cover Siimmediate financial problem. The concept of ‘faimess’ in ‘atl doesn’ really oceur unl the Int eighteenth century and “income tax was first troduced in 17. ‘The Church The church had enormous influence on people's ives, the power of the concept of ‘God! was all prevailing ~ with no alternative view tithe way the world works. All but the most widely ead would not challenge the dea that in order to have a good ‘after ile’, you'd fave to coniorm tothe chusch’s dictates In this life. Sience was ‘only just beginning question some ofthe church’ teachings Caiseldenly, «prime-mover of this ‘guestoning' Galleo Galil, seas born in the sume year as Shakespeate (156), though i wasn’t Tint the year of Shakespeare's death (1616) that he as taken to task by the church authorities for his revoationary eas, Te also worth mentioning that the other most wonderel publication during the reign of King James was the English lang- Stage version ofthe Bible, which was sil ln. common use unl very vecenly Education Education was ust beginning to expand. It wasn't just the wealthy who could learn to read and wite Free schools were opening uP, paid for by more enlightened boroughs and open to children of trorthy local cians, Ge the elite ofthe midale-lasses The lessons Consisted mostly of Latin studies the language in which most ofMore Alterative Shakespeare Audition the limited printed matter ofthat time was ised anda ding in (oftheir duties toward God, the sovereign and all others in their Segre”. The poor had to wait until the Ite nineteenth century for the ght to universal edseation, Sanitation Even in London there wasno such thing as main drainage systems Sewage was simply dumped inthe street tobe carved away by the rains, when they happened. Plague was a regular occurrence and when i struck, pubic places such as theatres were closed to prevent further infection. Country aeas like Shakespeare's Sir ford, smelt sweeter and people's health was generally better tha in the then cramped and sinking London, Light and Heat Burning what you could acquire was the only source of these basis there were no national fuel grids of any Kine Primitive but survivable, England was just moving from an aito atcally run society to one where even the lowest individual was boginning to matter ~ only thirty-three years after Shakespeare sled the English executed their king andl pariament role without {an absolute monarch for eleven yeas, ‘itn the confines ofthis book Ican only briefly evoke afew base aspects of life in Shakespear's time. A character's le fs not jst bates and loves, won and lot Its also the ordinary, everyday aspects thatthe dramatist misses out becauce they are not dramatic and don’t serve the life of the play. In order to bring those ‘haracters to lfe you should find out as much as you can about how their ives were ved outside the action ofthe ply Auditioning Shakespeare utespeae acting ~al root int ileent fom ‘moder’ acting Sharer sin thats angsnge ce words pase al {efron weno longer we ad oe ipo) the ecm bre nvarily fray fom our direct experience Its your erst coping or ptcaanal steep youre inthe ce wei ntsnced his play you af pron paces rom Hem. any acrs argc that ong an uation speeds a desperately antl way of having ther worth essed T would tend To aoe fit however mach you may hat them, you wil periodically have {Dido tem OF course ifs an arc ston But bn ating ‘Sout making atfice seem ral? There ae ways of making them ‘Monk thinkot Bob Hosline in Wik Fremed Roger Reb and Seve Matin in Dead Men Don't Wer Pld both ating wih beings eho were telly there. have toad teste’ all the speeches contained inthis Books now your jb to search and wheats those of your coi. You {ho need te prepare youself forthe varying ceumstances you {ul bese to perform hen Think of a auton opech as man’ play you sre going to presenta nun prodicon of PREPARATIONS ‘There are a. number of things to consider before you start rehearsing Your specches Tambie Fentameters ‘Apar from the unfamiia words, hrs and expressions, this verse form (popular in Shakespear’ tine) waft pting onthe page to ‘many people. thik 3a good idea to think of nt as poetry, but {ts vedal music that is words and phraseology that people use when thoy have areal need to express themselves or “touch the souls of ‘others A good playwright ot only wits goed stories and creates ‘rele character, bu also writes in langage that will ‘gab’ an budience ~ language that has a music of ts oven. Shakespeare as ‘master of verbal mus along with Semel Becket, Harold Pinter, Sam Shepard, Edvard Albee, David Mamet, Arthur Miller, Alan “Ayckboum, and too many more to mention. Its net so much plots that make great playwrights, itis their use of language unMore Altemative Shelepeae Auitons Rhymes Some ofthe verse thymes, which can sound teribly forced and Tannaturalif you emphasise the rhyming words too much. You cant void the thyme, bt i’ important to make sound natural and rot forced os poetry often ead) std All he accent on the’ means is that you pronounce the ‘ed where {you normally wouldnt, For example: we'd normally pronounce magna! n0t sounding the but if written ‘imaginéd, you pronounce it ‘imagined Some eitions miss out theif isnot forbe pronounced and insert an apostrophe instead and leave i there, unaccente it should be sounded 4th, and soon Some people balk at tse foreshortened words. All hismeansis that ‘ou pronounce thes erally as writen. Listen to yourself and others Inngeal conversation and ote how many Telrswemiss ott Making Sense [As you start out ona speech lok tthe sens, ignore the verse, Look forthe fll sops, even if they arrive halfway through lise. Then, Took at each clause within that sentence; then put that whole sentence together to make the sense ofthe whole of Then ste put the sens ofthe whole speech together sill ignoring the verse Tinally look at what words begin and end a ine of verse, they ray have & sigalfiance that you haven't previously recognised ‘Aver you've been through all the processes of finding. and ‘coming the characte, the positioning of those words may ad to your understanding of her “The multitudinows seas incamadine’ (Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2) Tihs musical onthe life of Wiliam Blake, Tyger, Advan Mitchell had Shakespeate appear asa comboy, of penalingor can drop ‘em Withee lin” ts thal tun of phrase (hat has now degraded into the ound ite) that makes Shakeupea’s language so ectng is your jp also to make it ‘eal’ forthe character ~ don't sing it believe Preconceptions ‘With the famous characters, forget any preconceived notions you n Auton Shakspor ry have, og, Hamlet stad Jul 8 ‘wet, and so on. Part of sry car insight Is thot he crests (mosty) very rel people Sta eery primanly exhibit one aspect of human behaviou trough sabe mtmatances ofthe play But asin ie, there's far more 10 the otha that. Think haw offen you meet someone new and form tnt pression then you yt the chance o get oko them 2 a hat theres far move tet meets the eye The aim of his ara ter people away frm these oo well known characters booths sume Linco preconception can take over and dominate the betfmonee, For ince, Dona (om Peri) sems ke 2 Female’, bul ner eyevab hs good reasons for wanting rid Setanta fundamentally she wants the world beter fr her own seer god maternal instinct. Ws herman that seem extreme aerer put in Shakespeare’ ne she would have had a very good ‘Gave of geting away wth Marina's murder ~lile was cheap. Selecting Speeches ead through the speeches inthis book and see which ones create parks for'you, without necessarily fully understanding. the eat. (Largly ignore the notes and character description at fist ‘ese cme ater I the musi’ ofthe words fees good then you are ‘Mer allay towards finding «speach sultable for you. 1 can also Fez ood ie to read them ~ carefully ~ out loud, without any Erect acting’ them, Then read the Character Descriptions to see ‘ns characters are appropriate to you (age type, and s0 on) and sees whether ifs worth going farther. ‘Don't be tempted simply to go for ones with the most spectac ular emotions uditioners want to sce ral feelings not flashy ‘melodrama, Length [An audition speech doesn’t need t0 be more than about two ‘nutes Tong ard ea be shorten, which can fee t0 short whilst You are doing interestingly, Shakespeare speeches often work bese when theyre even shorter [dink that it may be something {ida with the fact that he packs go much nt his characters ~ few ‘oF his words can speak such volumes. Many people think tat they’re not doing enough with thirtoen to fille lines of verse — ‘which will probably last only. about sixty to ninety seconds Providing the speech has a complete jury tit it doesnt matter ifs this shore On the other and, you ean lose your audience if BMore Alternative Shakespeare Auton you go on fr forty ines. You may argue that thee no way you on how enough of your skills as an actor in Such a shor ime, ‘ruc. you can’t show everything, but you can give @ very good indiation of your potential ike a good television commercial How Many? For too many people theShakespeate’ isthe speech they lest want to do, and they strain evento get the minimum (of one) together. 1 {ink this is very sly. The est results I've seen have come fom people who've worked on four or five and even more. Eapecally [you are ner to acting in is language (as opposed to just reading working on several speeches at once can give you a much broader inalght int his world, And if you begin t fall out of love with ane or wo of them, you've got the others to fallback on. Ifyou ‘only start with one, you've got to start all over again if you become ‘lsatisied with Verse or Prose Some auditioners insist that you present verse speeches, soit i ‘important to have at least oe in your epertoie. Read the Whole Play [Next read the whole play (lowly and carey), read few com> ‘menlaries and if posible talk about the play and ts people with Someone who knows i ican be helpful to read summary st ‘sd then read the play but bea in mind that these merely sum Up the major plot and sehat happens to the people, without giving much psychological insight ‘When a pay is completly new to me, 1 find it helpfl to copy cout the cast is and write notes about each character as they appeat ‘Obviously this takes time, but it’s extremely helpful 10 the process of getting under the skins ofthe characters. ‘On the other hang, don’t spend hours ficking backwards and {forwards to the footnotes to try to understand every ine. A general ‘sense ofthe people and event sal that's need at this stage (nd how your character fits in. I's important to get some idea ofthe flor of the whole thing too much stopping and starting ean make you lose any idea ofthe whole Tes not euficient just t red the scene a chosen speech is from ~ you won't gain proper insight into where your character is ‘coming fom, Auditioning Shakespeare ‘The Immediate Context When you've got hold of who your ‘person build up the tial that fect er: the other people (peesent and / or influential), the tumstances (place, tne, and s0 on) ~ as well as the immediate provocation fr the speech ‘The Details (One af the fundamental keys to good acting the degree of detail (ith which you imagine the above. For example if your character is Inacaste isnot any old castle i's somebody’ home maybe your tfaracer’s own, Look at pictues and, if possible, visit castes that sre preserved as they were vein (runs wil only give a partial ipso). Try wo absorb the deals of what it might ave been ike To vein one (Touch bare stone wall, hal give you a very strong feel for medieval living in shor, id out (and imagine, if you cant find out) ab muchas you can about the ordinary’ bts ofthe life your ‘haracee might have le that are not mentioned in the play. ‘The Clothes A supremely important ‘detail’ isthe clothes your characters) ‘roull wear I'm not suggesting that you dress in period clothes bt to imagine the feel of wearing them. One ofthe principal ‘missions [sees the sense of wearing a skit that goes right down {Othe ground itis only inthe ast hundred years that skir-lengths| fave started to rise above that level. Different clothes, incding thoes, make you move in diferent ways, The Notes Begin to understand the details ofthe words and phrases ofthe speech through using my notes and those from a good edition of the complete play. (See my Bbography atthe end of this book for ‘ggetions on this), Walle out your own tanation into moder English if you find that wseful, ut don't become wedded to that translation, you'll find Wt ard to go back to the original. I's probably best to write stout and then throw it way, s0 you get @ Fete idea ofthe sense without becoming fixed on specific moder ‘words and phrases. The notes attached to some established editions can confuse with ros reference relevant to ating: they maybe writen ‘about the Character rather than for the person acting er. On the other hand, the notes in some exam fext ‘ole’ books a tend to oversimplily. 15Research When thew are real people involved ten Be useful to research what «now know about them, However, Shakespeare had a eather Talon attude tothe trath. The history plays’ are base on rel Ihstoical events (Houyy VII ends only thirty-one years before Shakespeste’s birth), but, like many other playwrights since he doesnt always follow historical fate as we now understand the ‘Sometimes this sBocause the then limited historical research a5 Jnsourate; sometimes its because vealty doest necessarily make ‘gon rama (common to all drama); sometimes especially n Henry Vile could risk the wrth of current senabities; and possibly sometimes because he was ving loo fat o research propel or Be Weas simply lazy. Da research, but dont let strc inaccuracies ‘Confuse you: take what you can from history bu the information gleaned from the play must finaly be the deciding ace Leaming the Lines Don‘t sit down and lear the lines parrot fashion. In ll this research into the background detail, keep going back tothe pla, Your character and her speech to check that what you've found out {andl used your imagination to create) sil ts with what's in the text Yu wl ind those lines simply stat ‘going in’ the more you Lunderstand thems and the ecumstances of them being spoken. you ind that pots ill not go by this process of study and absorption, then itis slinost ertain that you haven fly under ‘ood wht they mean, Don’t Generaliset Because i's a speech too may people tend to generalise, and ital comes out soaring the same, In life very few people anticipate Speaking at such length except in specie circumstances. You ‘should think of 8a series of connected thoughts and ideas ~ the CGreumstanots stimulate the fist thought to come out as words, then another arives and needs to be spoken, and another, and #6 fon Usually, atthe beginning, you should convey the impression You don't Know what you are going to say a the en. Soliloquies Shakespeare is famous for these and some people think that they should always be addresed fo the audience With obvious excep- tons (the Chorus and some ofthe clowns, for instance), {believe Ancitoning Shakes Ye our opeche Dotty to prepare other way round noner to try to organise her jumbled though Difficult to Say Words and Phrases ifyou ind yourself consistently tripping over a word or phrase, ry eying tin solation with lt of averartculation. Do this slowly sey Evetlly lots of times and you'l find il become second Obscure Words and Phrases tam sill amaze by the fact tha f the actor understands these in fer soul the general sense will communicate to. whatever Monionae ie watching, and Hey don reed extra, demonstration. This understanding i not simply 9 meatal process tis a Feeling for what the word or phrase means a0 that becomes a tof satura thing to ay in the eecamstances, First Steps ‘When you think that you know and derstand what your charac ter (or “person is Galking shout an anderstand their circu ‘tanec, Hart saying the lines ont lod ~ aiming talk to whoever bor ane the recipients of the words Dont think of 3s acting: you tie slowly beginning 4 become the ‘person’ who is saying tse ‘words ~ throug the speaking of them combined with all your Thinking and research. Take a ine or two ata time, and go back bvereach small section several times uni you begin fel you are motional connecting, You should begin ose the circumstances really happening in your imagination. One (pretrama school) Stadent I taught was relly getting Inside a Richard I speech ruddenly he stopped and said, "Lean see those f=" horses!” | Shouted, “Keep gang! and when he ished we talked about his fxperince. Te steady recor and thought he had put in (over bout two mnths) ad pal off. After that he ‘saw’ those horses regulary when doing ths speech, butt wast as shocking a the Fist time just a normal pat of eng Richard IL (ineidentlly heMore Altematve Shakespeare Anitons hae no any ides of where this king itt into English history when hestarted) ‘When you ae‘conncting’ with your frst ine or two go on othe next but se the first as arn up ad steadily on though the speech, {Please note that stil havent suggested lang the ines Yet) {im conwinced that creating a character Is ery simile to the growing process from cradle lo matory Rehearsing Your Speeches Alter you've done al this preparation you can tart rhearsing your Speeches actually becoming the persan saying those words in those Perticularcicumstances f you've prepared thoroughly, youl be wonderfully surprised at hov real alive and exciting you can now ‘make someone who was created four centuries age. Shakespeare's Advice lant says the following to group of strolling players: Speck the speech I pray you, a8 I pronounced it to you teppngiy ante tongue buf you mouth Ras many of yout puyersdo, had sls the tower had ype my nes Nor do ets thea toosmuch wth your and, bu seal get {erinthe very torrent tempest anda ay ay the whivind of jour pasion, you mst cue and beget temperance hat may Bre fr smoothnen. O, H ffnds me to the soul to ear 4 {Dbvstous,peivigpaed Fellow tat a pson lo ater t0 very rag tapi tects the groundings rho for heron pat sr {Spable nothing bat nepal dumb shows and nae. ‘Be not oo tare nether butt your own dacreion be your word, the word tothe acon, with this special obvervance: thal you Seatep not the modesty of ‘ature For anything 2 overdone fom the purpose of playing, Iwhose end both ot te fistand now, was and iso hold ae were the misor upto ature. Now this overdone, or come try of though i make the kil Tough cannot But make the jacicous grieve (Hamlet, et 3, Seen?) “Ths is some of the most succinct acting advice ever given ~ dheee hundred years before Slanslavsk (and others) were completely rethinking hovr we achieve good acing. The speechesAll's well That Ends well The Countess of Rossillion ward Helena in Jove with Betratn and wants to ma he gives way: However, Beam runs away to the wars before the ‘marrage can be consummated and Helena decides tat she mt (et Scene) Inthisscenethe Counts steward, Reyna, hi st read to her a letter from Helena telling her foster-mather of her Clepartre and this is er response played older, eee What angel sal Blew his unworthy husband? Hi Unies her prayers whom heaven light to heat Ae! loves to grant, reprieve him from the wrath OF retest justice, Wee, write, Reyoaldo fa unworthy husband of is wie Tet every word weigh heavy of That he Joes weigh too ight MY greatest ri Though ite he do felt et down sharply Dispatch the most convenient messenger When haply he sal ear that se is gon and hope Lanay that she Hearing so much, will sped he foot agi Lintner by pure love Which of thers Both Tsdeneat fo me I have no sil in ence My heat x heavy and mine age weak Cle would have tears, and sorrow bids me speakall's well That Ends well Mariana Mariana isa neighbour of Diana ad her mothe, dow Cape orenine innkeeper The three women have core ose the artval of the victorious Pench amy led by Betram, Count of Rosin. Diss snd her mother brifiy enol Betan’s hero, then they suddenly realise thatthe army has ane contrary ay’ Before he can think out trying to catch up withthe French, Mariana stops them with hs This her only sene and we lean no mote about het but she asly a woman of sane experince ofthe world She could be have constructed hsp 1 fom oof Mariana’, da Con le’ rtm again an sacs ourselves with he reper fit Well Daa, ake herd ofthis Pench Har The honor tt a maid is her name, and legacy Iss ch as honest. J your mother hus tld me how yo Rave Been soled evleman, his companion, | know that knave, hang, hin! One Paroles. fy alice be en those spgestions ‘the young Ear Beware of them, Diana thee promis tatloements eat tokens, anda these engines of st, ar not the things they go under Many a maid hath been seduced wy byron at he misery i, example, tat so treble showsin the verack of maidenocd, cannot forall that dissuade cstion, bul that they are med. wih the tgs tha eatens them. Tope need not o advise you farther, but hope your on grace will hep you where You ae, though P ss mnger Known but the modesty which vs there were no further d eso lost The gods forbid le!Antony and Cleopatra Charmian sone of Ceopatas attendants along with es, lest an ‘others: Of al of them Charman isthe closest to their mistress. She lively forthright and absolutely loyal a her mises, When Cleopatra ies, Charman stalghens her mises’ crown before she ile hese Athi poet in the play Chops’ affaie with Antony iat tshlght au theresa ight seated mosphere in her palace, Alas ha el CharmianthatSooteayer he arvana hs prisons saan for he Ste cll be ay age ete ate een and mi ti This speech is constructed fram 3 number of shorter ones Ihave aso mace afew aligh word changes In some editions characters amet Lamps, Rannius, Lees and Mardian enter ih those named inthe lage ditions but they Say nothing during the seme ~ the firs thee ay nothing tough the ply. There are variations in when the Ssothsayer atl Ener Isalreay present when Charmian an the others enter the wun Antony and Cleopatra act, Seone2 harman = Lond Alena, sweet Alas, most any thing Alexas, almost most absolute Ales, where's the soothsayer that You Praised sot th’ Queen? © tha | Kew this fsbend, Wich Yousay mest charge hishoene with garlands! Is this the man? Ist you, sit, that know things? (Gives er hand 10 the Swot] Good sr ive me god fortune, Good nov, sme teacellnt fortune! Let me be marced to thece ings in a forenoon and widow them let ne havea child at ily 0 whom Herod ofJowry may do homage. nd neo marey me With Octavius Caesa, and companion me with myst, Prihee hoe many boys and wenches aust have? If an ol palm be not a fui prognostication, Tannot scratch mie fa Price, tell her but a workaday fortune. And, AeNas come his fortune, his fortune! O, let him mary woman that ‘not go sweet Iss [serch thee! And et erie too and five hina worse, anc let worse follow wee til the wore of A follow him laughing to his grave, iyold a cuckold Good Is ear me this raver, though ho deny me mater of more weight good las I beseech the.tony and Cleopatra Octavia (Ocavia 118) was the sister of Octavius Caesar and was marred to Antony as prt of usaty Beton Ota ane Antony. (The 6 men were pat ofthe tsurvizate that ruled the Roman Empire after the defeat ofthe assassins of Julie Caesar, Octavia’ adoptive father) With the onset of Antony’ lair with Cleopata (Queen of Egypt Wich ws part ofthe Roman Empire) the two men started ofall out and ths marrage marked a temporary reconclation. However, “Antony as just head hat Octavius hasbeen angling for more power forhinself and speaking scanty’ of Antony. He tells Octavia and thi [Sher responce hei probably in er tents, In the play this two speeches have also changed two words. Pat ofthis speech is adapted from one that Ptteh,« Roman historian, reports she made to Octave, td, Scene xtavia~ my good lord, Bative not allo if you must belive Stomach not al. Amore unhappy lady Ifthe division chance ne stood betwen Praying for bth pats. The gad gods will mock me present ‘When shal pony, ‘0, Bless my led an husband! ‘Undo that prayer by crying out as Loud, 10 bless my brother” Husband win, en brother, rays and destroys the prayer: no midway “wt these extremes all, good my lord The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak, ‘Your recone! Wars ‘xt you twain would be [ifthe world should cleave nd that sin men Should solder up the iAntony and Cleopatra ct Seene2 : é Greopatea Cleopatra {so nine She ad previously been the mises uit Ceara Sir 1 wil eat no meat. not dink, it ita onebe an ‘of Gnacus Pompey, the younger son of Pompey the Crest (Caer not dep mite, Thi ota hore arch va. ‘Wi pot wat pnioned at your master’s cour, reall Octavia, Shall they Bost me wp enouring Rome? Rather ich in Eeypt mle rave uno me; theron Nils ud Thay me stark nad nd et he waters ow me into abhorring rather make ‘Ana ag me up in chains ‘Antony has been at war with his former ally Octavius Caesar adopted son of Julie Cater) but when the Kgyplian ect deserts ‘Antony realises thet he cannat wi, He sages af Cleopatra (Triple tword that she hs comated suicide ~a type emotional ck fr her to play, He tres to commit suiide But only succes in seriously frders that he be taken to her where he finally des in her arms ‘Victorious Octavine sends Prculeus (whom Antony had previ sid’ she could trast) fo reassure her, but other Roman solders Siddenly arrive and she tries to stab herself but i= provnted Froculeus tes fo calm her down; she meponds with this speed Historically she was hiyeight at his point.Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt (6-30 a) met Antony when she was twenty nine She had previously been the mises of ulus Caesar aed ‘of Gnaeus Pompey the younger son of Pompey the Great (Caesar's Antony’ has bees at war with his formar lly Octavius Caesar (he adopted som of Julius Cater) but when the Egyptian fleet dese Antony raises that he cannot win. He rages at Cleopatra (Tepe turned whore") she reuwats to her monument. From tere she sends ‘word that she as committed suicide ~ typi emotional rik for her to ply. He tis to commit suede but only sucoreds in seously ‘wounding hime He then lene that Cleopatra is stil alive and foders that he be taken to her where he finaly dhe inher arcs, Victorious Octavius fist sends Proculeius (whom Antony” had previously sid she could trust) to reasure her, bat other Roman lee sey arrive and she isto stab here but s prevented Prociles ries to calm her down then Doabela (another sie to (Octavia) aves to take over her guard He ls again to calm he, but she suddenly starts into this rhapsody on her dead lover Historia ‘he was thirty-eight a this point T have cut Dolabella's attempted interruptions to construct this speech Antony and Che act, Seene 2 Creopatea = 1 dreams these vas. an emperor Antony Cvnuch another lp, that ight ee But such another mar His face was a the heavens, nd therein stuck ‘sun and mov hich kept their course and lighted The itl O the ear His legs ber the ocean is veared arm Cesc the word, His voice was propertcd ‘Asal he fond spheres, and dat o fends Bot when he meant t all and shake the rb, He wasas rating thunder For his bounty, There was no winter ian Antony it was ‘That grew the mor by reaping His delights ‘here dolphin they showed his back above "The element they lived In his very Walked crovens aed cownet realms and islands were [as pats dropped fro hs pocket. “Tink you thee was of might be, such aman As tht dreamt of?Coriolanus Volumnia Volumis i an aristocratic Roman matron and the mother of Cai ‘ Marto (a Ramon geneva who was given the name "Coilanas’ at the beginning a the play, aller hs witry over the Volcan She is predominant overherson (There's no man inthe word / More bound {o's mather) an manages perstade even bully) him to do things . against his ov wll a he ply progresses, Her upbringing has nade Fm the succesfal (nl arogant) warrior that ets ‘Alter five victories over the Volscans Coioans s nominated to tecome « Consl the highest ofce n republican Rome), however he ‘eaucping about gong through the uid process of irdcton fo » the consulate principally the tradi of showing his scars tothe Commun people Ins cen Volum ty to persue er tSeoratsl pb pase trl spokes for hs sagen core baa inv ther Why foe yo ti hs she response. Volusia s Pay ot mires bt peel played ode } » ‘onstrate he ‘act 3 Scene? Volumaia Foca that now ilies you ont speak ‘Toll people not by yur oven istration, Norby th matter which your eat prompts you, But with sch words that ar But rote in ‘Your tongue, though but bastards and sllables Of noallowance to your Bose’ tt ‘Now tis no more dishonours you tall ‘Than to taken a town wth gee words, Which lke would pu you to your fortune and ‘The hazard of much blood woul dieser with my nature whens [My fortunes and my fends a stake equled T should do von honour Fam inthis ‘Your wie, your son, these sanatrs the nobles ‘And you wil ar show oor general outs Fow you can frown, than spend a fan upon ‘em Forthe inheritance of thei oves and safeguard (Of what hat want might rin =Coriolams ‘Volumnia Voluninia isan aristocratic Roman matron and the mater of Caiss Marts (a Raman gencral), who was given the name Coviolanu’ at the Degnning of the play, ner his victory over the Voacans. She is predominant over er son (‘There's no mania he word / More bound to smother’ and manages to persuade (even bully) hi odo things ‘gaint hi oven ila the play progress Her upbringing has made im the suecesafl (ad aeogan®)warir that he ‘Aer five victories over the Voscane Carolan s nominate to ‘become a Con (he highest afc in zepublican Rome), however he is grudping sbout gong through the equted process of induction to the consulate - principally he mject he requirement thatthe emmon people (the “abble} have a voice in his election. His pride and [nrogance eventually lead to his banishment from Rome, He has not Tong. departed from the city and. Volumnia (accompanied by CCorolnus’ wil, Vig, and Menenius, his fend and ase) has just encountered Britor and Sicinius two of her son’ principal ‘opponents. This spat of her rant again the two men. Volum probaly in her mid forties, bat x generaly played oer Thave edited several speeches together to construct ths speech ‘ct Scone? Volamnia Basan and all Twas you ince Cate that an judge ay of Ne ed the rabble As Ieamof those mysteries which heaven ‘Wil not have neh fo know Now pray sir get you gone You have dane abrave dood Ee Asfaras doth the Capitol exceed ‘The meanest house in Rome 20 you go, hea his ‘Thingy’ husband ere, hi, do you se? ~ ‘Whom you have banished docs exceed you all seu Brats and Scns “Take my prayers with you would the gods had nothing ele todo ‘But fo confi my curses Could Tenet ‘em But once» day, # would unelog my heat (Of what ies heavy tot [To Vig] Come ls go Leave theft poling and lament a5 Io, mange, anole, Came, come, 3 Exeun! Voom and VigCymbeline ‘The Queen of Britain ‘The Queen of Britains the wile of King Cymboine and stepmother af his daughter lmogen, nel mother by’ former marrage) ofthe cash Cloten, She wants f9 se hen married to Imogen so as to socure te throne for hin, However, Imogen has secretly marvied Posthumus tah is then banished. His fh servant, Pani, stays bend to Serve Imogen. Tbe Quen has just recived, what she bllves, i a potent poison (in a "box) from a doctor (Coenalius) weher Piso trrives She dismiss the doctor and begins by trying 10 rerut Pani to convince Imogen t forget her husband and mary Cte Pano does nt respond and she ‘rope’ the Box and continues with “Although King Cymibeline relly exsted. (generally called CCunobelins) around to thousand years ago, we know nothing about hit real queen She could be any age rom exly thirties to ery fits This spat of» very kang speach which sa too Tong fo we its Cymetine act L Scene 6 (Scene $i some editions) Queen She dp er fo. Pseio aes it p Thou tks up “Tho knows no what; but take it for thy about Tis thing rade, which hath he King Five times deemed from death do not know ‘What is more onda Nay. pritee tke it Itisancamest ofa farther good That meant thee Tel thy mistress how The case san with her; dot as fom thysl “Think what a chance thou changest on but think Thou hast thy mists stl to Boot, son Who shall ake notice of thee. move the King To any shape of thy prferment such [As thet dese ad then mysell, Lee “That ot theo to this desert, am bound To load thy mest chy Call my women, Thinkon my words [est Psa] Aly and constant knave, Not obese the agent for hs master [And the remenbnancer fhe hold “The handsfat o her lord have given hi that Which ithe tke, shal quite unpeople her Of egers for her sweet and Which she ates, cep she bend her humout shal be assured ‘To tste of to. Fae the well Pisano.combine Py Cymtetine Act3, Scene 1 Queen ember, my lege, ‘The kings your ancestors, together with The natal bravery of your ine which stands ‘As Neptune's par, ribbed and pad in Wi rocks uneclabe and raring waters, With aes tha wil not bear your enemies’ boats, But sock thom up tot topmast. kind of conquest (Caesar made here, bat made ot het his brag (OFCame and saw and overcame With shame The fit that eve touched him ~he was cared From of our cost, tice beste and his shipping Poor ignorant baubles, on our tribe seas Like eggshells moved upon their surges cracked ‘Aseaaly‘gulnat our rack For joy whereol ‘The famed Cassibelan who was once st pint = (pilot fortune! to maser Caesar's sword Made Lud's Town with rejoicing Bes bh, And Britons strat with courageHamlet Ophelia ‘Ophelia isthe daughter of Polonia (9 counllor of state, cote to ‘Chis, the King of Denmark) ister to Laerts and, before the play stats ves by Hamlet. Ine first cee she sgn Warned by Bot her bother and father io be waty of Hamlet's approaches aftr what he's receily been though 1 the sudden death of is ater (he recently decese Kin) ad ts consequences for him. As the play progress Hamlets behaviour becomes more and moe strange and {ralional culminating in him esdentlly bling Pontus and hiding the body: Opal, deeply distract by this event, suddenly appears bone the Queen, and sings a srange song Then the Quen aks her ‘Als set lady, hat imports this ong? hs Opheli's response, have cu a few rematks ofthe King and Queen, and afew Ene of (Ophelia to conse this speech Her carl spouts, in Act 2 Sane 1 and Act 3, Scene 1 ae uit ten used for auton act 4 Scene S Ophelia 1 Say you? Nay, pray you, mark Binge Hee dead and ge ay, At hs had a gras grec [sigh Wate enter Clots] Lard with Wich Bap tthe They say the owl was a Baker's daughter, Lon, we know srhat eae, but know not what we may be. God beat your {able Pray you, les have no wards of his, but when they fskyou what # means, ay yu tis: ising Timor Sit Veen’ dey, ‘Ail the morning tlie, ‘an a a your window frou the mo “he ip he me, donno oes, ‘nd dapper Te the ma tha ut 9 mid Never depart mae Indes, la? Without an ath make an end ont Tangs By Gis on by Saint Chany, ‘lack nd for sae! Seung mon wl da tf hey ame By Cock ty ae olan (hth sh, fre jo ned me Ni pried me 1 He answers Tangs "So woul doe by yonder sun, ‘Ath hast ot ome te be {hope all will be well, We mast be patient. But cannot ‘howe but weep to think they shoul Tay him theo found. My brother shal ove of And [thank you for Your good counsel. Come, ry coach! Good night, ladies, ood night sweet ladies, goodnight, goodnight. (Es aHenry 1y, part 1 Lady Percy Lady Blzabeth Percy, known as Ka (1371-21688 i the wile ofthe fey alan (aometines ain ipulve and fol) Fone Perey (Hotspur. The Peny amily had elped Henry 1V see ts from Richard but they Ratbout a simmering wsennen agaet Hany forks pte ing for at cp. Teor cove hugh a seri of pts and pushes Far to contents pen rebellion. She has jst walk in on hi sean eter he ‘ast ai oer How now Kate? ust eave you eh he fs hours’ A the dialogue tht fos ths spec sowed Act Seve 1), she lea spite character and here general seem tobe sen sparky net the _ Tm Metical Lady Per and her sand, were much ede han sSihespeare potas thems AI the tine o ths sere she wo Roe ten ine hts: however in the ply, she Comes over os someone ‘ne lt ns erly wenn, Her speach begining "0 Je for G's sake, go nto tee war inten part? Act, Sane 3) noe of he mat popula spots onthe suton cc oe 2 Henry 1V ct 2,Seene 3 (Scene 4 in some editions) Tandy Perey — Enter Lay Perey. 1 my go lord ehy are you tha alone? orwhat offence have | th fortnight been ANbanshed woman from my Hary’s bed? Tellme, sweet ond what tha fakes fom thee sThy-somact pleasure and thy golden sleep? Why dost thou bend thine eyes upon the earth, And start so often when tou st alone? Why hast hou ot the fresh blood in thy checks, An ven my teases and my rights of te vy Totheleyed musing and eurst melancholy? In thy faint slumbers by thee have watched, An head thee arma ales of on Wa, ‘Speak tera of mange to thy boursing steed, (Gry Courage! Toth i” An hou stalked 1s Ofealis and eties, of trenches, tet, Of palisadoes, rons, parapets, Or basis of cannon, culver (Of pice ransom, and of soldiers in, Anal the current of heady igh 3 Thyspirt within toe hath been 50a war, Ad ts ath so Bestired thee hy sleep “That beats of sweat have stood upon thy Brow Like bubbles ina latedistul stream And in thy face ange mations have appeared, Such as we sce when men estan et Breath © On some great sudden hes O, what portent are these? Some heat busines hath my lord nt han, 24 And must know i else he loves me not “6Henry IV, part 2 ll be estors meson within abl fal mile of ech “ Henry TV, por 2, Scene 1 nci2, Scene Faontess Quickly — 1am undone by hs going, L warrant you e's a infinitive thing upon my score, Good Master Fang, hold him sue ‘Good Master Shae et him nol scape Acomes ontsaty toPie Corner saving your manhonds to buy a sade and heh sited to inn to the Lubber’s Head in Lombard $ret. to Master Smoot’ the kan pray you, since my tom in cntere anc my ease so openly Known tthe word Fethinrbe brought nf his answer Ahundred marks lang tne for poor lone woran to ber; and Ihave bore, ad bore, and tome, and have Been fabed of al fob ot sod tbed ft rom this day to that day that isa shame 10 ‘e thought on Theres no honesty in such dealing ones woman should be mace an as and beast #0 Bear every ave’ wrong Enter Sr Falsta Bari nl te Page Yonder he comes, and that anant malmicy-nose knave Bardoiph with him. De your offices, do your fics, Master Fang and Master Snare do me dome dome your offices,Henry 1, part 2 Hostess Quickly Hostess Quickly (also known a6 Hoses’ an Mistress Quickly) isa Widow and the hostess (iste / proprietress) of the ‘Boats Hes Tavern in Esctheap inthe City of Landon. She #4 warm-hearted oman who his Known the famously fat and debauched Si Jon Fakta for ‘these twenty-nine years Shei very fond of him an he exploits this afection by borrowing money fom her and neglects to pay Itback, She has summoned two afc, Fang and Sha, fo Sret hin forthe debt, alta accompanied by Bardolph an the page, hat Just appeared and deri nearly Gght hich stopped by the arial ofthe Lord Chie Justice and his men. The asic sss Falsta repays her He asks he, What i he gros sum that owe dhs This hee response Inher verbosity she often gets er words confused. St could be any age tom tity upwards Aa2.Scene Hostess Quickly Henry 1, port2 Marry, thou wert an honest man, thse, and the money too. Thow dist swear to me upon apace i goblet siting navy Dolphin chamber atthe round able by a ca-oa fe tpon Weenesay in Wheezn week when the Prince bro thy Head fo king his father to singing of Windsor thou dist swear to me then Iwas washing hy wound, to marry me, and eae me my lady thy oie Cans thou deny 4 Di not goodwite Keech, the butcher's wile come then fand cal me ‘Gossip Quickly’? coming nt bora a mess ‘of vinegar telling usshe hada good dish of prawns, whereby ‘Bou did desire to eat some, whereby Eto thee they were il for green woud? Ar did thow not, when she was _gane downs desre me tbe no mae so frit with Sich poor people saying that ere lng they should call me ‘mada? And dst on not Kise re, and bid me fetch toe thy sling? I pt toe now to thy ook oath, Deny tif thou canst [She weeps] ”Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIL Katherine of Aran, Quoen of England (1485-1536) was the fist wife af Henry Vill She oniy ad one surviving child (Mary) and ater twenty years mariage Heney, desperate fore male heir and with an ye for Anne Boley, institates divorce proceedings based om a ‘Sbputed reading of catholic church law She fuses to accept the en dere Cardinals Wisey and Campeius ae tying to get her to ‘ange her mind The Cardinals have been gently trying to persuade hor and she becomes more angry, and Campelus has just sd, Your mistakes us Le Tn Your anger yous are misjgingu ‘Although she was Spanish by ith, she had lived tn England for most of her aul le, she could havea slight accent. She was forty th hse atthe time Tn the play Wolsey speaks between fines 10 and 1 Her wonderful courtroom speeches (Act 2, Scene 4) ae very often ed in ation, iets rr wll cy nd se ch Henry Vit rhe more shame fr ye! Holy men thought ye, Upon my soul two vere cardinal viet But cardinal sine an allow heart fea ye Mend em for shane my lords! shi your comfort? The coll tat ye bring weched Tay ‘Avtoman ks among ye, laughed seared? Trill not wish ye al my mise: [ave more chant. But ay T warned ye Take heed or heaven's sk take heed lest at once The burden of my sorrows ll upon ye Yerum ments nothing Woe epoa ye, All such alee professors. Would you have ne — Ir yout have any astice any iy Ii ye be anything but cherchnen’s bis Patimy sik nue ito his hand that hates ne? Alas, hes based me his bed alread His love 0, lng ago-1 aol, my los Anal he fellowship hol now th in Iscnly my obedience What can happen {Tome sbove this wrotchenes? All your studies Make me accursed ike this.tr. Henry VIL Katherine of Aragon Katherine of Aragon, Queen of England (1485-153) was the fis wife of Henry Vill She only had cow surviving child (Mary) and after twenty yeas of mariage, Henry, desperate fora male heir and with an sje for Anne Boleyn, divorced her She never accepted this it wa ‘sed on disputed reading of cxtholc church law) nevertheeny Henry allowed et to live out her ie in some crnfor. This from her last Scene ofthe play and she is ving her ictuctions to Capac (an fmbasador frm Rome and her nephew) who has en ent (00 le) by Henry to wish her beter health. She has just given him he as eter ta Hency which he has agreed to deliver. ‘Although she was Spanish by bth, sh had lived in England for most of her adult ite, she could have a slight accent. She ws forty. three at the time Her wonderful courtroom speeches (Act 2, Scene 4) ae very often sed in audition, yearn Po meting hy 2 dati vi 2 Spreng ingen tpn) Henry Vl ‘Act 4, Soene2 Queen Katherine {thank you, honest lord, Reem me {nally unto is highness Say his long trouble now passing ‘Out ths word Tel him neath tbls him, 5 Forso sil Mine ees grow di. Farewell, My lord Grit, farewell [her wom] Nay, Patience ‘You must not eave me jot. I must o be Callin more women, When Tar desd, good wench, {etme be sed ith honour trew me over vy With maiden lower, hata the word may know {was a haste wife my’ grave Embalm me, ‘Then ny me forth. Although ungueeed, yee Uke ‘Adquen and daughter toa King inter me 4 Teafine more, sean! Capac and Griffith at ne dor Patience eating Katherine aveter 51i am King John Blanche Blanche of Spain 1188-1282) was nice to King John, Her mariage to Lowi, the Pench Dauphin, was arranged as part of an lance with King Philp of France, Leis ater n ter Iie Blanche Became que ’ considerable force in Pench story. Her husband died young and She acted as repent for her son and rules very effectively wt he grew up an later when he was away fighting in the Crass. At this pont inthe play, she and Lows hae fost boon marsed but the {wlebratons have ben interrupt by Cardinal andlph an emisaty from the Pope. He demands that King Joa giv way na dispate over the archbishopric of Canterbury John wil no give way 59 Pandlh cexcommuniates him and demands that Philip break the new alice tnd make war on Jo. Philip eventually agrees, encouraged by Lewis This speech is Blanch's attempt to change the minds of the two factions ~both of whom is she snow closely related Yo. Historically she wa in her ealy tensa this me This is several speeches put together and, in the pay, King Philip Analy decides to declare war on King John about half way thigh this spocch. However, [have adapted a ine of Lew’ for hee use and rade a few other minor mocifiextons to make ita longer plea for peace. 5 Sm ye fo ing ane SSS ees ht es apy ing fn Act 3, Scene Blanche Husband, to arms? Upon thy wedding day? ‘Agunat the blood tit thow hast arse? ‘What shal our fas be kept with slaughtered men? ‘Sal baying tramps and oud chars drums, {Camus of hell be measures to our pomp? ‘Osband hear me! Ay alack, how new [e"husband’ in ny most Even for thst name Which il this ime my tongue did eer pronounce, ‘Upon my knee Ibeg, go not to arms [Agunet mine uncle O, what motive may Be stronger with dha than the name of wit? Which the side that mst po witha? Tam with Bothy each amy hah a hand ‘And in th age, having hod of bot, ‘They whe asunder and dismember me Hiesband, Ieanot pray that thou mayst win ‘Uncle needs mist pray tha thou mast lose Father, may not wish the fortune thine: Granda Twill ot wish thy wishes thrive ‘Whoever wins, on that ade shall ose ‘Ass loss before the match be played 53ing Le King Lear act See ‘ene some etn Scne 18 in the Quarto eon) Cordelia Sat Corda King Lea’ young ad mat honest daughter whom he stably rots Inthe ft see of th play, knwing ah Ener hdr nd el, Cadel Dt ders ‘ary, Core 0 au a all of love wl fever Bo Alcs et Wye was mt even 0m her father os he demand) she Regan and Covel her ‘ema the en em singing, Noa ste. Lest miner Conc honesty for lack of rowed i nk fir a fro ats stesion and antes er She aris he King of ac and ot ‘ih burs hemlet ko wer Seen ain un ths see, when she avs wih an army ep her | Damal andl the idle weds hat grow inter cover Nhe She hast card at hr one fr ther tour ssn com [To lie set end forth Stina degre pi ae mental stat Search evry sn the igh Bl, “here more amon vile version of hs ply The oi Aig our eye tesa sis themes starts one tthe Gas een cna eet ‘What can mans wor les and deta arts) ttre nw generally nororsted ino nthe eight eae the publi version ep us Hetiathepin, take ll my ota orth “his such amos play ht timothy ae prepare ‘lo npabiahd is oh nh tej the petrmance dct you rake with sees Spring ith ny eb aoe a emeiate hae cine of the Detar « Mesenger a Corde cost the gon ms ie! Sok ec oH sneapech Ulsth ngoverd age dase he Me +s Thatrane means told it = Ds ther, | Ie hy bins tat go abo — Noblwn ambition doth or am ict, Balove der love, an ura ater ght |» Bem Ent 3 wet ct oa es 5 gegen + Solace cms of ear hig mat et oh “pm ebsites) sneer teyand casLove's Labours Lost ‘The Princess of France The Princes of France (er never given afr name) ia very sharp, witty and straightforward lady Tecknealy, she fom a diplomatic -mision to the King of Navare (now part in France an part 9 Spa) ‘wither tre atendant ladies In this speech (hee st ofthe pla) she {responding to Boye an attendant Lar, who has jst been very Astrig to er: He and the ladies) te very much her frends and she rarey pals an She could be as young as late eens. Loves Labours Lost ‘Act2-Soane 1 The pk Enter the Princes of rence wih te attending lade Mara, Katerine, nd Rosine ~and nd nama ‘Goed Lord Boye, my beauty, though but mean, [News not the painted lure of your pra Beauty is bought by judgement ofthe eye, [Not tered by base ale of chapmens tongs Tar la proud thea you tell any worth ‘Than you much willing tobe counted wise Inapending your wit the prise of ee ‘But now to task the taser: good Boyt, You ae not ignorant alleling fae Doth nse abroad Navarre hath made a vow “Til paingal study shal outer thee years [No woman may approach his sient cour. “Therefore t's scemeth it need course, Before we enter i forbidden gates, ‘To know his pleasure; and in hat chal, Bold of your worthiness, we single you AAs our best moving fae solctoe “Te him the daughter of he King of France, (On serous business craving quick dispatch, Inmportines personal conference with Ris re Hate, signify so much, while we aend, [ike humbleiaged suitor, his high il