Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons...

[angevin2]

A couple of you have heard me lament, on previous occasions, the inability to find an online reproduction of the title page of Hall's Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, because it is pretty and shiny and awesome and also highly propagandistic, and really, I know you have all wanted to see pictorial representations

Comments

[erstwhiletexan]

Squuuuueeeeeeeeeee!! <3 That is awesome.

[angevin2]

Isn't it? I am trying to argue that the "Tudor myth" as it's usually understood doesn't really exist in narrative form, but it dawned on me that I have to read Hall first (it's sure not in Holinshed). But, yeah. :D

[so_lily_briscoe]

Purrrrrrrrrr.... thanks! I don't have time to try to puzzle it out, but... wow. Legless! And such very fertile nether regions!

Also useful as a response to those "what the hell do you find interesting about that Victorian [sic!] stuff?" kinds of questions. Splendid.

[angevin2]

And such very fertile nether regions!

Well, after all, this is John of Gaunt we're talking about... ;)

I spent entirely too much time this evening trying to see if the vines between generations were properly connected, and they didn't really appear to be, but whatever, it still looks cool.

Although one could probably write up a really interesting gendered reading of it, now that I think of it, since this style of pedigree really, erm, minimizes the participation of women in perpetuating lines of succession. Except, of course, this tree does have a few women on it -- besides Elizabeth, there's Eleanor [actually Anne] Mortimer, through whom the Yorkist kings claim the throne, and Margaret Beaufort, since it's through her that Henry VII is descended from the Lancastrian line. So it's trying to be a pictorial representation of patrilineal succession (full of happy phallic plant imagery, and people waving pointy objects) except that ultimately everybody is claiming the throne through the female line. Hrm.

[marymason]

Awesome. It's like I could grow one in my garden!

[angevin2]

O, what pity is it
That he had not so trimmed and dressed his land
As we this garden! We at time of year
Do wound the bark, the skin of our fruit-trees,
Lest, being over-proud in sap and blood,
With too much riches it confound itself...

[underalilacmoon]

full of happy phallic plant imagery, and people waving pointy objects

You know how much I like swords.... Beauteous!

[angevin2]

That is such an awesome icon. :D

[underalilacmoon]

Heee. Nothing like lovable furry old Grover.

[kip_w]

Just popping in to say that the free movies at Google Video (today only -- June 23) include a 1936 "As You Like It." I know nothing about this movie, but just had to mention. For the link to all the movies, see my LJ.

[angevin2]

Ooooh, is that the Olivier one? I have that on tape! But thanks for the tip. :D

[underalilacmoon]

*mumbling* Another play I like without a good recent movie version... Olivier gets to be pretty, but the girl is... notmyRosalind. I see the BBC got Helen Mirren for Rosalind, was that any good? Maybe will have to check.

Oh, was also going to say (before I maybe leave you alone...) I've got this old Shakespeare book with lots of pics of old actors, which I could happily scan for you. There's everything from Edmund Kean as Richard III to Richard Burton as Hal!

[angevin2]

Oooooh, I loooove old actor pics!

Also, did you know Branagh is working on As You Like It? His concept sounds...erm. Interesting. It'll have Bryce Dallas Howard as Rosalind and Kevin Kline as Jaques. I haven't seen the Beeb one, and have heard varying things about it...