Upon This Quiet Life

The 117th Congress adjourned sine die with a crucial responsibility unmet. Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island introduced a bill,...

First of all, the “Millers” isn’t a typo – apparently they didn’t do typos, at least in 1631 when the Second Quarto was published, so...

We conclude with the central question – did Shakespeare perpetrate this thing, either partially or in full? Well as we’ve noted...

Another day, another sword fight. Open in Cnut’s camp. He’s showing off what a big ol’ stud he is, bragging about everything he’s going...

As Act V opens, Eddie Ironside strides on stage, and man oh man is he ever orey-eyed. Yeah, I hear you sayin’ “he’s wut?” Well, it turns...

At the last possible moment, Edricus somehow manages to pay a quick visit to Canute to promise that everything’s a go – Ironside’s forces...

Meanwhile, Cnut has gotten himself a letter from Edricus. (For our younger readers, that’s what we older folks used to take paper and...

Enter Emma the Norman. Who? Well, not that we’ve been introduced yet, but apparently this is Daddy Unready’s comely Wife No. 2. She’s...

As Act IV begins, Ironside – the King one, not the DA-in-the-wheelchair one – is handed the fawning letter from Edricus the Sleazebag. ...

Stitch is parading around the stage in Edricus’ Lording outfit, and he is most definitely not down with that whole Remember Where You...

As you might have guessed, Canute is having a terrible day. He comes on stage next and roundly curses all his men, adding various snide...

Once again, we have a killin’ time scene. Ironside enters alone. He announces what the audience has already seen – that his boys are...

Enter Chorus, alone on the stage, and you know, as writers of drama say, he’s gonna lay a little pipe. (An expression which is not...

Cnut speaketh to his Herald and says goeth down to Troy, the home of Ironside, and go all “surrender, Dorothy” of ‘em before we whup them...

Gotta buy a little more time for the main actors to get ready for the next set piece, so cue the Archbishops of . . . (checks notes) . ....

Cnut just can’t understand what got into Leofric and Turkillus. Wasn’t I nice and rewarded them with many dubloons . . . or whatever it...

Now we have, well, a scene called “Killing Time” which was oh-so-subtly designed to give everybody time for a quick costume change and to...

Cnut swans into the banquet that Southampton has arranged for him at Ye Olde Crib. But there’s just one thing missing . . . “Where, mine...

As Scene 3 opens, Edmund Ironside is talking to General Alfric (I had a bad bout of General Alfric a few years ago . . . but I got better...

As we begin Scene 2, Edricus is all by his lonesome on stage, soliloquizing. He ponders his . . . um . . . less than high-on-the-hog...