Shakespeare in Glorantha.

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 23:04:57 +1200


Terra Incognita:

>4: Shakespeare in Glorantha

>If you want to relive the many Characteristic Plays (not Mythological Play
>of Greek as Aiskhylos ) of Shakespeare in some places of Glorantha, where do
>you want to select and place the background in Surface of Genertela?
>Hamlet: Fronela, Othello: Seshnela, Macbeth: Maniria, King Lear: Ralios

Titus Andronicus should take place within Lunar Tarsh or the Lunar Empire. Fazzur could well be Andronicus, Pharandros Saturninius and Onjur Lucius. Andronicus's Goths are the Sartarites and Queen Tamora is probably Kallyr. In Glorantha Lavinia is undoubtedly known as Gerra. (Speaking of which, does anybody else find it strange that Jonathan Rhys Meyers has gotten it in the neck from Titus twice now? One would have thought once was too much...). The RM crowd has seen fit to indulge in Anthony and Cleopatra for the same.

Othello should be within the Quinpolic League. Romeo and Juliet also takes place there with the Capratis and the Du Tumerines as the two houses duking it out.

Macbeth, I've seen as a Bad Orlanthi King. Perhaps Argrath is Macbeth, Kallyr is Duncan, Mularik Ironeye is Banquo and Phargentes II becomes Macduff helped to the throne with the aid of the Good King Edward.

Julius Caesar is a bit too republican to fit within the Lunar Empire. Unless you postulate that the Red Emperor is a figurehead and that the Empire is really run by Bellux Maximus. Brutus then becomes Tatius the Bright but the parallel starts to become too forced. Perhaps a better fit would be in Ralios.

King Lear could well be a description of the origins of the Loskalm Civil War before the ban (Good King Leer divides the kingdom into north loskalm, south loskalm and Junora - unfortunately Cordelia never takes up Junora and so it is lost). Another land wracked with civil war would have been Jonatela before the Ban but that broke up into at least three pieces. Just remembered that Kurosawa managed to set this and Macbeth both in Japan so Vormain is also a possibility.

Richard III could take place in Tanisor as that has the profusion of titles, bishops etc.

I can't really see much on Hamlet that strongly identifies it with a particular location. Western lands and Orlanthi work just as well.

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