There are actually no direct references to Shakespeare or
his works in J.F. Rivkin’s fantasy novel
Silverglass,
but there are several Shakespearean elements. The first bit that struck me was
this passage, which will likely remind you of
Romeo And Juliet: “But, my lord, think what it could mean! If a
Teiryn and an Edonaris should wed, there might be an end to this senseless
feuding. Our families would be forced to come to terms!” (p. 17). Sounds like
Friar Lawrence’s reasoning, doesn’t it? Then I am reminded of
Hamlet here: “Nyctasia’s dagger lashed
out wildly, barely scratching his hand, but a burning pain seared through his
arm, leaving it numb. In moments, the poison reached his heart, and he was dead
before he fell to the ground” (p. 27). The way the poison on Laertes’ unbated
foil worked quickly on Hamlet through a minor wound, right? And then there is
the character Nyctasia disguising herself as a boy, and having a girl attracted
to her (p. 46), as in
As You Like It
and
Twelfth Night.
Silverglass was
published in 1986.
