SmackDown: Back to Our Roots

Round 2: The Bard - @painebook

The Bard

by painebook

The lecture hall was full. The room buzzed with conversation as the anxious students waited for the guest speaker to arrive.

I can't believe we have the greatest living expert on the Bard here today.

I had to fight to get a ticket. Waited in line for hours just to be in the back row.

At least you got in. There are many more who weren't so lucky.

The voices stilled as the lights went down. A tall, long-haired man walked out onto the stage. He stood there for a moment, then began his presentation.

"Today, we will be discussing the life and works of the greatest English poet, author and actor, the Bard himself. His funerary monument says it all – 'A Pylian in judgement, a Socrates in genius, a Maro in art. The earth buries him, the people mourn him, Olympus possesses him.' Let us begin."

*****

The floor of the cell stunk of piss and mold. The straw hadn't been changed in a long while. Recoiling from the vile stench, the man lifted his face and looked around the dark room with his remaining eye. He could just make out another figure lying on the single bed across the room.

The figure lifted its arms, outstretched toward the low ceiling. "But soft, what light from yonder window breaks?"

"Still practicing lines from the new play, William?"

"Yes, Christopher. My first major show. The Star-Crossed Lovers."

"I thought we agreed to change the title to the main characters?"

"Who would see a play called Romeo and Juliet? That doesn't sound interesting to me."

"The title gives the whole story away. You want to keep the audience in suspense." Christopher Marlowe reached up to touch the bloody wound along the side of his head. " ."

Laughter erupted from William Shakespeare. "You gave me that line while we were discussing the changes you insisted I make to Star-Crossed." He sat up, looking over at his friend. "Oh, my God. What happened to your face?"

"I was staying at boarding house with my friends, waiting to see the Privy Council about that heresy charge unjustly leveled against me, when my good man Frizer complained loudly that I didn't pay my fair share. That's a complete lie. Once I told him so, he attacked me with a knife." Christopher touched the gash in his head. "He almost bested me, taking my eye in the fight."

"Then why are you here, in the goal with me?"

A smile appeared on Christopher's face. "The lying bastard didn't survive his own knife. He was hoisted by his own petard."

"What a great line! I think I'll add that to my notes." William struggled to sit up. "I have reams of lines at my home in Stratford on Avon. My lovely Anne keeps them for me."

A frown appeared on Christopher's face. "The Privy Council is holding me for murder. I am sure I will be found innocent. It was self-defense." He touched his wound once more. "The proof is in the pudding."

"Another great line. Keep them coming, Chris."

"Enough about me. What brings you to this fine establishment?"

"Star-Crossed Lovers, of course." William shook his head. "I know we talked about not going against the theater ban, but I couldn't help myself. The plague closure has gone on long enough! We spread the word to a few friends. The response was enormous."