A Stick-Figure Hamlet: Dramatis Personae

Shortly after I had started Good Tickle Brain, I drew up the Dramatis Personae of Hamlet. That was, incidentally, the very first thing I drew after settling on the “circle on top of a kind of triangle” stick figure template that now forms the very base and pillar of my art.

Now, six years later, I am revisiting that Dramatis Personae ahead of launching into a full scene-by-scene retelling of Hamlet! Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!

Consulting pocket dramaturg: Kate Pitt

A moment of silence for Voltemand and Cornelius, who didn’t make this cut.

….

OK, that’s enough silence. Nobody really misses them.

Julius Caesar: Dramatis Personae

Yes, it's that time again... time to start another scene-by-scene journey through one of Shakespeare's plays! This time we're tackling Julius Caesar. As always, let's get started with a good, old-fashioned who's who:

Things I learned putting this together:

1. Julius Caesar has a LOT of random minor characters.

2. Seriously, there's tons of them. And they all have similar-sounding Roman names.

3. It's really hard to visually distinguish characters when they are almost all Roman men, who historically were all clean-shaven and, according to their busts, all had identical combed-forward hairstyles.

4. Seriously, I'm going to have to print this out for reference, and I'm the one drawing this stupid thing.

So... sorry about that in advance.  

Romeo and Juliet: Dramatis Personae

Time for another scene-by-scene retelling of an entire play! This time around it's that classic (i.e. one you probably all had to study in school at sometime in your life) Romeo and Juliet! Let's start, as always, with a look at the dramatis personae:

Tune in again next week as we launch straight into the MOST FAMOUS PROLOGUE EVER. 

Twelfth Night: Dramatis Personae

Time for another scene-by-scene retelling of an entire Shakespeare play! This time around I'm going to try my hand at adapting my first comedy, and it's one of my favorites: Twelfth Night. 

Let's get thing started with a good old who's who...

LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

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Macbeth: Dramatis Personae

It's been a while since I did my last scene-by-scene retelling of an entire Shakespeare play. What with the Michael Fassbender film making ripples in the popular consciousness, I thought it might be a good time to tackle.... MACBETH!!!

<<insert ominous roll of thunder>>

Here's a look at our main characters... and quite a few of the minor ones, too.

My apologies to anyone whose favorite thane is Angus, Menteith, or Caithness, or anyone who feels aggrieved that I omitted the apparitions.

Tune in again on Thursday for Act 1, Scene 1 of.... MACBETH!!!

<<insert ominous roll of thunder>>

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

All You Need To Know About Much Ado About Nothing

Tomorrow the RSC is live-broadcasting their production of Much Ado About Nothing! (They're calling it Love's Labour's Won and are presenting it as a sequel to Love's Labour's Lost, but it's still definitely Much Ado About Nothing.) To celebrate, here's a guide to all you need to know about the play! 

Check out my other All You Need To Know About [Insert Play Here] guides! 

King Lear: Dramatis Personae

King Lear
Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5
2.1 | 2.2 (part 1) | 2.2, part 2
3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6

Yes, it's time once again to embark on an epic scene-by-scene, in-depth look at a Shakespeare play. This time, ahead of the National Theater's live broadcast of their production, starring Simon Russell Beale, and the Stratford Festival's upcoming production, starring Colm Feore, not to mention Michael Pennington's current production in New York, I will be taking us through the wasteland of King Lear. 

I'll be posting a new scene from King Lear every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until it's done, with possible occasional interludes not involving sad, insane old men and their vindictive, manipulative daughters, for comic relief. Because a solid month of Lear might drive me insane. 

Onwards!

King Lear
Dramatis Personae | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5
2.1 | 2.2 (part 1) | 2.2, part 2
3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6

Coriolanus: Dramatis Personae

  Coriolanus

Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Death & Marriage

It's a new year and it's time for a new play! During the month of January I will be tackling Coriolanus, with an eye on hopefully finishing it in time for the National Theater's broadcast of the Donmar Warehouse's production starring Tom Hiddleston as Coriolanus on January 30th. (This is what is known as capitalizing on the Shakespearean Zeitgeist. Also, I hope to persuade my co-worker to attend our local screening with me, which is going to be slightly tricky as, let's face it, Coriolanus is not a bucket of laughs.)

I will be posting new scenes of Coriolanus every weekday. Join in the fun by liking me on Facebook and/or following me on Twitter! You can check out my other Shakespearean cartoons, including a scene-by-scene guide to Richard II, here.

 Coriolanus

Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Death & Marriage