Doctor Who - the Doctor and the Bard

[fajrdrako]

I loved David Tennant's take on the Doctor's take on Shakespeare from his interview at scifi.com:

...The Doctor is absolutely thrilled to meet him and for once recognizes someone almost as brilliant as he is.

Comments

[raissad.livejournal.com]

It's a great quote. :) I'm really looking forward to that ep. I also waant to see how much of the Bard's "Fair Lord" and "Dark Lady" stuff makes it in there.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I also waant to see how much of the Bard's "Fair Lord" and "Dark Lady" stuff makes it in there.

Oooh, yes! The more the better, as far as I'm concerned!

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

The Guardian has an interview with Freema (http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,2045178,00.html).

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! Interesting. I personally wanted to hear more about her take on Martha and the role and less about her image as a black article. I suspect the Guardian wanted to make it sound serious and relevant. I like the way her attitude comes across.

Selected Sonnets For A Time Lord

[raissad.livejournal.com]

Great interview. :) I was going through the sonnets. Amazing how many apply to the Doctor...

VI

Then let not winter's ragged hand deface,
In thee thy summer, ere thou be distilled:
Make sweet some vial; treasure thou some place
With beauty's treasure ere it be self-killed.
That use is not forbidden usury,
Which happies those that pay the willing loan;
That's for thy self to breed another thee,
Or ten times happier, be it ten for one;
Ten times thy self were happier than thou art,
If ten of thine ten times refigured thee:
Then what could death do if thou shouldst depart,
Leaving thee living in posterity?
Be not self-willed, for thou art much too fair
To be death's conquest and make worms thine heir.

XIV

Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck;
And yet methinks I have Astronomy,
But not to tell of good or evil luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality;
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell,
Pointing to each his thunder, rain and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well
By oft predict that I in heaven find:
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And, constant stars, in them I read such art
As truth and beauty shall together thrive,
If from thyself, to store thou wouldst convert;
Or else of thee this I prognosticate:
Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.

XV

When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheered and checked even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night,
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.

XVI

But wherefore do not you a mightier way
Make war upon this bloody tyrant, Time?
And fortify your self in your decay
With means more blessed than my barren rhyme?
Now stand you on the top of happy hours,
And many maiden gardens, yet unset,
With virtuous wish would bear you living flowers,
Much liker than your painted counterfeit:
So should the lines of life that life repair,
Which this, Time's pencil, or my pupil pen,
Neither in inward worth nor outward fair,
Can make you live your self in eyes of men.
To give away yourself, keeps yourself still,
And you must live, drawn by your own sweet skill.

XXXVIII

How can my muse want subject to invent,
While thou dost breathe, that pour'st into my verse
Thine own sweet argument, too excellent
For every vulgar paper to rehearse?
O! give thy self the thanks, if aught in me
Worthy perusal stand against thy sight;
For who's so dumb that cannot write to thee,
When thou thy self dost give invention light?
Be thou the tenth Muse, ten times more in worth
Than those old nine which rhymers invocate;
And he that calls on thee, let him bring forth
Eternal numbers to outlive long date.
If my slight muse do please these curious days,
The pain be mine, but thine shall be the praise.

LXIV

When I have seen by Time's fell hand defac'd
The rich proud cost of outworn buried age;
When sometime lofty towers I see down-raz'd,
And brass eternal slave to mortal rage;
When I have seen the hungry ocean gain
Advantage on the kingdom of the shore,
And the firm soil win of the watery main,
Increasing store with loss, and loss with store;
When I have seen such interchange of state,
Or state itself confounded to decay;
Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate
That Time will come and take my love away.
This thought is as a death which cannot choose
But weep to have that which it fears to lose.


http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/

Re: Selected Sonnets For A Time Lord

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

They do relate very nicely, don't they? Love these sonnets. I particularly liked:

And yet methinks I have Astronomy,
But not to tell of good or evil luck

I look foward to the next episode, with Shakespeare in it. Very much.