I'm perfectly clam

[teenybuffalo]

17th-century-and-earlier revenge tragedy rewrites of famous narratives are becoming A Thing on Tumblr. Why should they have all the fun? Here is my current favorite, a summary of the deeply gruesome and nihilistic "The Madman's Tragedy" with discussion questions.

Comments

[sovay]

17th-century-and-earlier revenge tragedy rewrites of famous narratives are becoming A Thing on Tumblr.

That in itself is fascinating. Any idea why?

Many modern productions (such as the 2000 film version, which updated the setting to late 1980s New York City)

Oh, very nice. [edit] Especially since I've seen just that done with a cinematic non-musical updating of Rigoletto.

[teenybuffalo]

Tumblr user forthegothicheroine started it, and a few other people, at least, have followed suit. Please see her Revenge AU tag for more: http://forthegothicheroine.tumblr.com/tagged/revenge-tragedy-au Apparently "Fury Road, or Massimilo the Mad" became an opera by Verdi.

The one for "Heathers" aka "The Suicide Maidens" is good: http://forthegothicheroine.tumblr.com/post/147319202356/heathers-revenge-tragedy-au though I haven't seen "Heathers" so I can't judge its similarity.

[eglantine_br]

Someone should do Arden of Faversham! It is so modern and funny. I especially like the artist with the dark glasses and the rhubarb up his nose...

[teenybuffalo]

You interest me strangely. Rhubarb?

[moon_custafer]

I saw that produced once! It was like a Proto-Cohen Brothers movie!

[teenybuffalo]

I saw that read aloud once! It was actually a barrel of laughs, which surprised me. I still don't know what the "artist with the dark glasses and the rhubarb up his nose" is referring to, but maybe they cut that bit. They did do the bumbling incompetent murderers named Black Will and Shakebag, who get drunk and stab themselves in the nostril/leg/pinky instead of murdering Arden.

[sartorias]

Sadly I can't read white text against dark background, but the couple paragraphs I read before the throb of incipient migraine warned to to turn away were fascinating. This is really a thing? Wow.

[teenybuffalo]

Well, it is for these two Tumblr users. I just feel lucky that there's a meme about something I enjoy. I had to copy/paste the text to a Word file to read it, too.

[sartorias]

Oh that is an excellent idea! Thanks.