While I recognize that what I'm about to say concerns Shakespeare, not
SIdney or Spenser, nonetheless I thought I'd offer the following anecdote
from last Monday's seminar, not on Richard II, but on the rest of Henriad.
A very bright student observed the utter disinterest of Henry IV and his
representatives in history, or any alternative explanation of events other
than the one they had already decided on. At one point, Blunt, I think it
is, interreupts Hotspur's explanation of their position with an abrupt "I
didn't come here to hear this" (please forgive the rough paraphrase). The
parallels between this scene and contemporary events immediately suggested
itself, and the discussion took off from there.
Peter C. Herman
At 01:46 PM 3/13/03 +0000, you wrote:
>> Dare I ask what Spenser would have thought about George
>the Lion-Hearted's crusade against this latter-day
>Souldan-Gerioneo-Grantorto?
>
>I've just come from a seminar looking at the deposition
>scene in Richard II, an early debate on the legitimacy and
>mechanics of regime change (and, incidentally, a wonderful
>scene for exploring speech-act theory in literature: what
>are the conditions that will render Richard's 'abdication'
>felicitous in Austin's terms?) Parallels with the current
>world situation couldn't help but offer themselves. In
>particular, the current British proposal to get Saddam
>Hussein to demonstrate his compliance publicly (I forget
>the details, but I think he has to go on television in a
>Captain Hook costume and say 'I'm a codfish') sprang to
>several students' minds when they read of about
>Northumberland demanding Richard list his crimes to the
>Commons.
>
>In the end the debate got rather off-topic, and I had to
>finish it 10 minutes late with a cry of 'That'll teach me
>to make Shakespeare relevant to real life!'
>
>Charlie Butler
>
>----------------------------------------
>Butler, Charles
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>"University of the West of England"
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