Shakespeare Club meets

submitted by Joan Gaughan, Shakespeare Club

From her collection of Shakespeare videos, Rosemary Whelan enabled the club to enjoy The Merchant of Venice at its meetings on March 12 and 26. Al Pacino is the miserly albeit somewhat sympathetic Shylock, who, through the brilliant efforts of Portia (played by Lynn Collins) and the merchant Antonio (played by Jeremy Irons), again manages to keep his pound of flesh which he had pledged for a loan for his friend Bassanio, played by Joseph Fiennes.

Franci van de Schalie’s presentation on Cleopatra on April 9 was a repeat of the presentation she had done last year. With her additional research, however, Franci again astonished us with the wealth, the intelligence, and the diplomatic prowess of Egypt’s queen. The splendor and grandeur of Cleopatra’s multi-ethnic capital at Alexandria with its museums and famous libraries made Rome appear like a sad backwater. Many of her slaves, who were normally captives of war, held high official rank. And the jewelry they wore put that of Rome’s wealthiest aristocrats to shame. Alexandria’s most brilliant gem, however, was Cleopatra herself. Of Greek descent, she nevertheless claimed to be the embodiment of the Egyptian goddess Isis and bore the title of “pharaoh” as well as “queen.” She was also one of the very few rulers of Egypt who bothered to speak the language of the people she wisely ruled. 

Rosemary Whelan’s April 23 presentation on Fabric was about something to which we give little thought. Yet, ever since Adam and Eve got caught with that apple, fabrics such as linen, wool, and cotton have been a critical element in shaping human history. For instance, while we think of the Vikings as a sea-going people, they had an unexpected need for wool. Since the sails of their longboats were made of wool, there was a need for sheep. That required more land for grazing, hence, the Viking conquests as far as England, France, and Sicily. And, of course, the mass production of cloth from cotton was a critical factor in the slave trade. While fabric has cleaned, warmed, and dried our bodies since ancient times, certain fabrics and colors have also denoted social status. Fabric is part of our language. When we “text” someone (“text” is from the Latin texere, “to weave”) we are weaving a connection. And when things go bad, they “unravel.” Lives might be “hanging by a thread” or stories might be “pieced together” or even “embroidered.”

April 23 was also Shakespeare’s birthday. For the occasion, Rosemary brought in a delicious cake and special cake forks with which to eat it. Having sung “Happy Birthday” to the Bard, the women then enjoyed the treat snacking on plates set on a placemat bearing the image of Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, which actually came from Stratford. 

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.