Starts Well but Goes Downhill Fast
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
“I really want to give the podcast two stars, but I want to be fair to the host. I loved his breakdown of Romeo and Juliet. The host is amiable, and I generally like how he expresses ideas. He also dispelled some of the play’s myths and misunderstandings.
Unfortunately, things changed for the worse with Hamlet. The host has some personal theories that he just hammers at. For example, he has a theory of the passage of time in Shakespeare’s works in general and in Hamlet specifically. Rather than make his point and move on, the host states it, and then he restates it, and then he restates it. I found myself yelling at the podcast to MOVE ON!
Early in the discussion of Hamlet, the host recited a large chunk of the ghost’s speech to Hamlet. The performance was good, but it was too long. It seemed like the host was showing off his talent as well as his producer’s ability to make the speech sound spooky. Again, I yelled MOVE ON!
When he got to the “To Be” speech, I couldn’t take it anymore. The host’s pet theories were too much. Sorry, but the “To Be” speech is about living or dying. It’s not about Hamlet mulling over whether he should “Be” one thing (i.e., someone who avenges his father’s death) or not. The speech is clearly about living or dying. Hamlet is clear. He even uses the words “to die” in the speech.
Sorry buddy, but Hamlet does not accuse Ophelia of being a “bar slut.” He accuses her of possibly being two-faced and disloyal, but a bar slut? Really? The host read too much into the word “wantonness.”
Also, when Claudius says he will send Hamlet to England for tribute, he indicates sending him to COLLECT tribute, not to PAY it. The king’s line is: “He shall with speed to England, for the DEMAND of our neglected tribute.” Denmark demands it from England. Denmark is in the position of power. That’s why England later carries through on Denmark’s execution order. (It probably goes back to the days of King Aethelred when England paid tribute to Denmark.) But don’t believe me. Believe Hamlet, who says that England is a “faithful tributary.”
I’m going to give the podcast a rest. I’ll definitely skip the rest of Hamlet. Other people might like the podcast, but it’s too cringeworthy for me. The host is too loose and flippant with his analysis for my taste.”
PXM1968 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
01/13/16
More reviews of Chop Bard
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
“I absolutely love this podcast! It's a terrifc way to get an in-depth look at the plays; they're always informative and I love finding out different things. What's unique about this podcast is that not only does Ehrin do a fantastic job of relating certain situations to our...”Read full review »
Joy9585 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/13/17
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
“This is a wonderful podcast. I've gained a lot of new insights about Shakespeare and his oeuvre while listening to these Chop Bard episodes.”Read full review »
D@nG1 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
09/17/17
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
“Another happy Craftily listener enjoys this podcast immensely. Interesting and funny, He takes us behind the scenes to show us the Bard’s intent, as well as the ways the actors can bring their own creativity to the play. Long Live Chop Bard!”
Aikidoknitter via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/07/15
Do you host a podcast?
Track your ranks and reviews from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more.
Listen now
Links
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Patreon
Genres
Artwork or description wrong?
Request an update »
Updates may take a few minutes.
Do you host a podcast?
Track your ranks and reviews from Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more.
