[Dixielandjazz] Misunderstanding old tunes

[R. or V. Thompson]

Dan,

Hate to tell you this, but Shakespeare is MODERN English.  If you want "Middle" English, think Chaucer.

Best,

Bert

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 19:33:11 EDT
From: DWSI at aol.com
Subject: Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Misunderstanding old tunes 
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Message-ID: <585.1656392.31f6b2b7 at aol.com>
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[snip]   
 
In some ways this reminds me of how we fool ourselves into thinking we  
understand Shakespeare today, just because we speak the modern English language.
In fact, Shakespeare is middle English with different meanings to many words 
and  phrases. Take the famous balcony scene for example, where Juliet looks at 
Romeo  and asks: Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? Is she blind? Is 
there a  heavy fog coming into Verona? No, in middle English, that phrase meant,
why does  your name have to be Romeo. Ironically, the French understand our 
Shakespeare  better than we do because his plays are translated into contemporary
French. Ask  a Frenchman to tell you what's going on in a Shakespearean play
next time.
 
[snip]
 
Dan (backup piano man) Spink


rvthompson at earthlink.net
In Russian comedy, everyone dies....but they die happy.