Royally Shakespeare

I will admit that watching a Shakespeare play while sitting down was a completely different experience. Surprisingly, while I was more comfortable I was less into the performance of Henry IV Part II. I thought that I would prefer a production set in the time period in which it was written rather than the Roman Era but I found Titus Andronicus to be more entertaining. Henry IV was interesting to watch especially in Stratford.  Seeing a play in the place where it was possibly written does not come around often. As I said in my last post, Stratford brings Shakespeare to life and the performance only boosted that. Hearing them speak in the language of the time was as close to anyone could come to hearing the Bard himself. Seeing their costumes gave me a mental picture of what he wore in the period as well as his peers. The play covered all facets of that era with the language, dress, habits, and hierarchy. As an audience we were able to get a peak at what the people of the day might have looked like and lived through. From the poorest in rags, to the clean cut knights, and the princes and kings regally dressed we worked our way up the social order of the time. I found it interesting how loyalties were everything in that day. You had to pick a side and could not waiver or risk the consequences. You were an ever-loyal servant to the crown and it was not in your best interest to change your mind. I could see how there was a feeling of oppression and duty, no matter what your morals were. Relationships would suffer, all in the name of England. Experiencing all of this up close and personal was interesting and gave a mental image to Shakespeare's life while being in London and Stratford. His brilliance and power with words was evident and it was great to watch his work come alive for a second time.