Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for October 04, 2010

Much Ado About Nothing? A Comedy of Errors?

As long as it’s not Macbeth.

Life commenting on Art imitating Life imitating Art.

Yep; overeducated preppie geek. Know thyself.

More like “As The World Turns” or any of the other insipid daytime soaps.

Romeo & Juliet didn’t end so well either.

Radish Taming of the Shrew

Nope, it’s just like Titus Andronicus!

Is it true that you’re supposed to refer to that King in Scotland as M, not M——?

I was thinking she might be on her way to replacing Cathy if she’s not careful.

Different tribes? Alex and Toggle? It works.

Alex and Mr. Overkill? Alex and “Sir” Duke? Alex and Jim Andrews? Not so much. ;-7

We’re missing something when we view “Romeo and Juliet” as a tragic romance. I think Ol’ Will Shakespeare intended it more as satire: a couple spoiled rich kids get into a teenage crush, precipitate a gang war that kills some (relatively) innocent people, and finally get what they deserve in a comically-botched fake-suicide plot.

How come I can’t allude to Shakespeare but all my students understand when I use Law and Order?

^Lewreader: I sent you a message yesterday and had hoped to reach you this morning before you posted but missed by a minute. Read it and answer if you want, but I will understand if your answer is “none of your business.” Have a good day.

@puddleglum1066:

That particular gang war had been going on for ages…

If anything, my hope for their romance is to more closely parallel the courtship of Jessica and Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice. Of course, it breaks her daddy’s heart, but that’s what kids are supposed to do.

Hopefully this will not turn into “Love’s Labour’s Lost”…

@dukedoug:

Thanks for the chuckle.

By the pricking of my thumbs, something worrysome this way comes…

GT is having some fun with his semi-literate readers, including today’s posters who show off their own ignorance of Shakespeare. Only two of the titles suggested (Taming of the Shrew and Love’s Labor’s Lost) answer Alex’s silly question in the manner it deserves.

By mindlessly naming plays that have nothing to do with “doomed love,” Alex makes it plain that the worst threat to her relationship with Toggle is her cultural snobbery. Also, her intellectual pretentiousness (a true literary “geek” would have read Troilus and Cressida).

Is it just me or Does Gram look like Meg Whitman?