I'm pretty sure I discovered this series in the early days of the pandemic, watched them somewhat lackadaisically, saw there wasn't too much Shakespeare in them, and put them to the side.
But I'm teaching a new course under the heading Studies in the Novel. We're focusing on Mystery and Detective fiction, and I always like to take things a Shakespearean direction when it's possible to do so.
Accordingly, the class recently watched the first episode of the series Shakespeare and Hathaway, a cosy mystery series set in Stratford-on-Avon.
The first episode establishes the Private Investigation team of Louella Shakespeare and Frank Hathaway—the origin of a partnership that is now filming its sixth season.
Warning: Spoilers Follow.
The show starts with the down-and-out (though hardly hard-boiled) detective Frank Hathaway trying to keep his business together. He's approached by Louella Shakespeare, a bride-shortly-to-be who suspects her fiancé of infidelity.
Frank takes photos of the fiancé at a fancy luncheon with his secretary, but Louella is satisfied with the fiancé's explanations, and the wedding goes forward.
But not without a last-minute attempt by Frank to convince Louella that there's something shady and suspicious going on.
That leads us to the first part of our clip—and one that gives us both the faux-Shakespearean kitsch of Stratford and a bit of Shakespeare. The second part of the clip has one more Shakespeare quote; the final clip will be explained in due course.
This episode has more Shakespeare than most (though I may be mis-remembering my earlier experience of the show—I haven't re-watched the entire series). We first get the almost-route Sonnet 116: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds / Admit impediment" (1–2). I appreciated how the show itself zones out at that point.
And I appreciate (though I don't fully understand) the unusual choices the bride and groom made for their vows. Did you recognize them? I had to look them up. They're from Venus and Adonis. The bride says
Love's gentle spring doth always fresh remain. (801)
And the groom replies
Love is all truth, lust full of forged lies. (804)
The context is a very lengthy speech by Adonis. The stanza in question contrasts love and lust:
William Shakespeare,The Poems, ed. F. T. Prince (Arden, 2000)
It's an interesting choice for wedding vows. I imagine the show is going for the "forged lies" part—which is exactly what the fiancé has been doing.
We then get a quote from 3 Henry VI when Frank and his assistant are discussing the motives and suspects for the fiancé's murder (I did warn you that there would be spoilers): ". . . wet my cheeks with artificial tears" (III.ii.184).
The last part of the clip sets the new firm of Shakespeare and Hathaway on its way. I'm including it because we also read The Maltese Falcon in my Mystery and Detective Fiction class. In that Dashiell Hammett novel, the detective orders that the name of his just-murdered partner be taken off the signage; here, we have that reversed as Louella Shakespeare's name joins Frank Hathaway's.
The show is quite good—a fine example of the genre. It just needs more Shakespeare.
[Note: If I find the time, I'll try more episodes of the show to see if we're given any more Shakespeare. In other words, further bulletins as events warrant.]
Links: The Episode at IMDB.
Click below to purchase the season from amazon.com
(and to support Bardfilm as you do so).
(and to support Bardfilm as you do so).
No comments:
Post a Comment