"A robe for to goo invisibell" [sic]
The above line is a quote from an original description of Prospero's costume in Shakespeare's The Tempest. Delightful, hm?
In other news, I just received Rosemary Sutcliff's The Shield Ring on inter-library loan. I'm looking forward to it - too much so, I suspect. I keep telling myself that it can't be as good as The Eagle of the Ninth, Lantern Bearers, etc because it's not talked about anywhere near as much. But I've gotten so used to excellence in her work that I just can't bring my expectations down! : P
Ahem. And now, a character meme:
1. Comment - intelligently or in a nonsensical fashion.
2. I will give you a letter.
3. Post the names of five fictional characters whose names begin with that letter, and your thoughts on each. The characters can be from books, movies, or TV shows.
oneoffour111 gave me M
In no particular order:
~ Martin the Warrior, Redwall series
"Peace is not found like a pawful of nuts or an apple. The wildcat is here,
and Kotir won't go away if we close our eyes. Sooner or later we will have
to fight to rid the land of them.
Only then can we talk of building and peace."
This brave mouse is one of the original Redwall characters. He's also a favorite of mine. (Personally I've never liked Gnoff as much. That type of flamboyant character rarely appeals to me) Martin has a very sad past, which helps to attract sympathy in a reader audience! He is a "Knight Errant" type, ferocious in battle but a real gentleman at home, a mouse who protects those weaker than him with his life. Martin was one of my earliest introductions to chivalric heroes; I first read Mossflower at the age of nine years.
~ Marcus Aquila, The Eagle of the Ninth
"When you go back to your own place, say to Tradui that I thank him
for the gift of my father's ring."
A thoughtful, loyal young man, Marcus is the forefather of many other Sutcliff MCs. As a solider and as a private man, he strives to do all things to the best of his abilities and to honor his fellow men - even those he considers his enemies. He has the courage to face the terrors of the dark unknown and, more importantly, the will power to keep going, even when things seem decided against him. He finds a way through in the end!
~ Macbeth, Macbeth
"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?
No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine,
making the green one red."
Okay, okay, I know he's technically not fictional, but so much of his story as we know it is from the mind of Shakespeare (or whomever!) that I decided to count him in.
There is no way I can write about this legendary character in a manner anywhere near as intelligently as he deserves. But I just read Macbeth and enjoyed it very much, so I will do my best.
This man starts out as a pretty decent individual. He's a hero, brave, friendly, and decent. But a temptation comes along which he can't turn away from. With his unscrupulous wife urging him on, he first murders his benevolent King, then has his friend killed, and from there descends to ordering the murder of small children. I think that pretty much speaks for itself.
Some think that Macbeth is possessed from the time he first sees the Weird Sisters - in Shakespeare's time, being unable to pray, being in a trance like state, and mental numbness were evidence of demonic possession. I'm inclined to agree with this proposition. Otherwise Macbeth's transition from general nice guy to desperate, wild sinner goes a little to quickly.
Nevertheless, this is one rotten person.
~ Mel, Crown Duel
"I almost wished I had been handed off to the torturers, for at least after
the inevitable interval of unimaginable nastiness I would have been
more or less insensate."I really have to like Mel. The poor girl is so darn tragicomic. Constantly making spur-of-the-moment decisions which plunge her into trouble - or, as the case may be, deeper trouble. She always means well, but either lacks information, looses her [quick] temper, or just does something clumsy. She's always at her worst around a certain infuriatingly imperturbable and suave Marquis.
~ Marston, Quigley Down Under
"Oh, the mint sauce on your lamb - that's my creation."
This individual considers himself a bastion of breeding and social correctness in the Outback of Australia. What he fails to notice is that he is also a very evil man. The question is, what is he trying to achieve? We don't get to explore much of his reasoning, but I think he's basically an extreme racist. He says his parents were murdered by the aborigines, and that they poach his cattle, but what he really goes on about is how "Backwards" they are. He wants to wipe them from the land to make room for civilization. And he's not particular about his methods.
Please excuse anything resembling poor grammar skills you may stumble upon in this entry - I finished it at 1 am. I will be proof-reading as time allows! And possibly adding some more notes...
In other news, I just received Rosemary Sutcliff's The Shield Ring on inter-library loan. I'm looking forward to it - too much so, I suspect. I keep telling myself that it can't be as good as The Eagle of the Ninth, Lantern Bearers, etc because it's not talked about anywhere near as much. But I've gotten so used to excellence in her work that I just can't bring my expectations down! : P
Ahem. And now, a character meme:
1. Comment - intelligently or in a nonsensical fashion.
2. I will give you a letter.
3. Post the names of five fictional characters whose names begin with that letter, and your thoughts on each. The characters can be from books, movies, or TV shows.
oneoffour111 gave me M
In no particular order:
~ Martin the Warrior, Redwall series
"Peace is not found like a pawful of nuts or an apple. The wildcat is here,
and Kotir won't go away if we close our eyes. Sooner or later we will have
to fight to rid the land of them.
Only then can we talk of building and peace."
This brave mouse is one of the original Redwall characters. He's also a favorite of mine. (Personally I've never liked Gnoff as much. That type of flamboyant character rarely appeals to me) Martin has a very sad past, which helps to attract sympathy in a reader audience! He is a "Knight Errant" type, ferocious in battle but a real gentleman at home, a mouse who protects those weaker than him with his life. Martin was one of my earliest introductions to chivalric heroes; I first read Mossflower at the age of nine years.
~ Marcus Aquila, The Eagle of the Ninth
"When you go back to your own place, say to Tradui that I thank him
for the gift of my father's ring."
A thoughtful, loyal young man, Marcus is the forefather of many other Sutcliff MCs. As a solider and as a private man, he strives to do all things to the best of his abilities and to honor his fellow men - even those he considers his enemies. He has the courage to face the terrors of the dark unknown and, more importantly, the will power to keep going, even when things seem decided against him. He finds a way through in the end!
~ Macbeth, Macbeth
"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?
No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine,
making the green one red."
Okay, okay, I know he's technically not fictional, but so much of his story as we know it is from the mind of Shakespeare (or whomever!) that I decided to count him in.
There is no way I can write about this legendary character in a manner anywhere near as intelligently as he deserves. But I just read Macbeth and enjoyed it very much, so I will do my best.
This man starts out as a pretty decent individual. He's a hero, brave, friendly, and decent. But a temptation comes along which he can't turn away from. With his unscrupulous wife urging him on, he first murders his benevolent King, then has his friend killed, and from there descends to ordering the murder of small children. I think that pretty much speaks for itself.
Some think that Macbeth is possessed from the time he first sees the Weird Sisters - in Shakespeare's time, being unable to pray, being in a trance like state, and mental numbness were evidence of demonic possession. I'm inclined to agree with this proposition. Otherwise Macbeth's transition from general nice guy to desperate, wild sinner goes a little to quickly.
Nevertheless, this is one rotten person.
~ Mel, Crown Duel
"I almost wished I had been handed off to the torturers, for at least after
the inevitable interval of unimaginable nastiness I would have been
more or less insensate."I really have to like Mel. The poor girl is so darn tragicomic. Constantly making spur-of-the-moment decisions which plunge her into trouble - or, as the case may be, deeper trouble. She always means well, but either lacks information, looses her [quick] temper, or just does something clumsy. She's always at her worst around a certain infuriatingly imperturbable and suave Marquis.
~ Marston, Quigley Down Under
"Oh, the mint sauce on your lamb - that's my creation."
This individual considers himself a bastion of breeding and social correctness in the Outback of Australia. What he fails to notice is that he is also a very evil man. The question is, what is he trying to achieve? We don't get to explore much of his reasoning, but I think he's basically an extreme racist. He says his parents were murdered by the aborigines, and that they poach his cattle, but what he really goes on about is how "Backwards" they are. He wants to wipe them from the land to make room for civilization. And he's not particular about his methods.
Please excuse anything resembling poor grammar skills you may stumble upon in this entry - I finished it at 1 am. I will be proof-reading as time allows! And possibly adding some more notes...