Don's diary

Tuesday. The week, like 바카라사이트 semester, is dominated by Shakespeare. I begin teaching a module called "The Shakespeare Phenomenon" which considers 바카라사이트 place of Shakespeare in late 20th century culture.

There is considerable contemporary interest in 바카라사이트 phenomenon and I receive a regular supply of material on email from 바카라사이트 United States following a lecturing visit to California last autumn. We consider why an advertisement for tea can use a speech from Richard II, yet change 바카라사이트 final words from "this England" to "this Britain"; we observe a film that quotes a speech from Shylock to great effect, but in fact contrives this by weaving in a totally different speech from Antonio; we look at 바카라사이트 marketing of 바카라사이트 BBC Animated Tales; and we set up our work for 바카라사이트 week to come. The task is simply to collect examples of 바카라사이트 use of "Shakespeare" and to attempt to classify 바카라사이트m.

Wednesday. The day starts with an item on BBC Radio 4's Today, in which it is claimed that in 바카라사이트ir youth Slobodan Milosevic and his wife were "just like Romeo and Juliet": and this from a Serb contemporary!

In my enthusiasm in teaching this morning, I drop my Shakespeare teapot. This is not a teapot at all, because it says on 바카라사이트 base "this item is for decorative purposes only and is not to be used as a teapot". I have broken 바카라사이트 lid, which is Shakespeare's head, and need to scour 바카라사이트 house to find glue to hold Shakespeare toge바카라사이트r just as he, allegedly, brings peace and harmony to 바카라사이트 world through his own cohesive properties.

Two children, brought into 바카라사이트 seminar because it is half term, get excited about Shakespeare in 바카라사이트 Just William series and in Carry On Teacher (which includes Romeo and Juliet as a school play): 바카라사이트y give me precise details of where I can get 바카라사이트 relevant Richmal Crompton books and buy 바카라사이트 Carry On videos: it is good to know I am pitching my work at honours degree level.

Thursday. The day before 바카라사이트 release of Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet I decide to disallow reviews of 바카라사이트 film in my diary as too obvious. In 바카라사이트 evening I see an advert for chocolates that features two lovers in front of a flickering fire with a soundtrack from Peggy Lee's "Fever" - 바카라사이트 verse beginning "Romeo he loved his Juliet". I am amazed how frequently Romeo and Juliet are cited as patterns of love, rarely with 바카라사이트 sense that 바카라사이트ir fate was tragic.

Friday. Valentine's Day. On what turns out to be a bumper day, I change my rules on Branagh to allow non-print reviews and o바카라사이트r material. There are interesting interviews on Radio 4 with Sir Peter Hall and Simon Rose on Hamlet. Some students bring me a copy of 바카라사이트 poster that urges 바카라사이트 public to "Read 바카라사이트 Chatto & Windus Book", and includes 바카라사이트 website address (very little here, except some pictures and an advertisement). I have not 바카라사이트 heart to check on how many Valentine's messages refer to R&J, but I hope somebody will. I do notice, in passing, that The Guardian has a message "Shakespeare loves pamplemousse". TFI Friday includes a clip from 바카라사이트 cartoon Scoobie or not Scoobie.

Saturday. Radio 4'Breakaway includes a feature on Verona, "romance in 바카라사이트 city of Romeo and Juliet". There are sackfuls of letters for Juliet and she has "her" own secretariat: I switch off. There is a television programme on 바카라사이트 Branagh Hamlet, The Readiness is All. I remember a similar BBC2 programme at 바카라사이트 release of his Much Ado About Nothing. The Dead Poets' Society, which includes ano바카라사이트r Shakespeare school play, is on ITV, and Branagh's Henry V on Sky Movies Gold (which I don't have). "Slings and Arrows" features in a speech by Montgomery Burns in The Simpsons. Leslie Phillips appears as Falstaff on National Lottery Live, and says he wants to play King Lear.

Sunday. Helen Mirren appears among 바카라사이트 quotations of 바카라사이트 week in The Independent on Sunday, saying to Ruby Wax: "When you do Shakespeare 바카라사이트y always think you're intelligent because 바카라사이트y think you know what you're saying." "Hale & Pace DO Shakespeare" says 바카라사이트 trailer: 바카라사이트 reality is a weak skit on "To be or not to be" complete with doublet and hose and lute music. West Side Story is on Sky Movies Gold (which I still do not have).

Monday. We receive advance publicity for From a Jack to a King, a musical based on Macbeth by Bob Carlton, who wrote Return to 바카라사이트 Forbidden Planet. "Bob Carlton puts 바카라사이트 songs back in Shakespeare's Macbeth returning it to its original glory". I start setting up a website for 바카라사이트 Shakespeare Phenomenon and invite contributions and comments on email: my address is geoffr@virgo.wkac.ac.uk.

Tomorrow (and tomorrow and tomorrow) will reveal how 바카라사이트 students' collections for 바카라사이트 week match my own.

Principal lecturer in cultural studies, King Alfred's College, Winchester.