Shakespeare References in Sarah Shankman’s Now Let’s Talk Of Graves

The title of Sarah Shankman’s mystery novel Now Let’s Talk Of Graves is itself a Shakespeare reference. And the novel opens with the passage from Richard The Second from which the title is taken: “Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;/Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes/Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth;/Let’s choose executors and talk of wills.” That’s a speech from Act III Scene ii, which King Richard says to the Duke of Aumerle.

The book also refers to The Winter’s Tale: “It was quite wonderful, this fantasyland of white and silver, Comus’s theme this year being The Winter’s Tale” (p. 34). And then: “Now the stage was aswirl with scores of masked lords and ladies pantomiming a scene from The Winter’s Tale” (p. 37).

Now Let’s Talk Of Graves was published in 1990.

Shakespeare Reference in Sarah Shankman's First Kill All The Lawyers

The title of Sarah Shankman's mystery novel First Kill All The Lawyers is itself a Shakespeare reference. And the book opens with the quoted passage: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." It's a line that Dick The Butcher says to Jack Cade in Act IV Scene ii of The Second Part Of King Henry The Sixth.

Shakespeare References in Lullaby Of Murder

The mystery novel Lullaby Of Murder by Dorothy Salisbury Davis has two Shakespeare references. The first is a reference to Macbeth, specifically the character of Banquo: “Coming home to Tony as large as life, as real as Banquo’s ghost, and at his most malevolent if that was how you saw him” (p. 85). In the novel, Tony has been murdered, and Eleanor destroyed a portrait of him. And the second reference comes when Eleanor is being questioned. At one point she says, “It is much ado about nothing, isn’t it?” (p. 151).

Lullaby Of Murder was originally published in 1984. The edition I read was published in 1989.

Shakespeare References in Melissa Bank’s The Girls’ Guide To Hunting And Fishing

Melissa Bank’s novel The Girls’ Guide To Hunting And Fishing has a few Shakespeare references. At one point, two characters are talking about learning French, and one says, “It’s like Shakespeare – after a certain point, it just comes over you” (p. 54). And then a little later, this is repeated: “You probably could if you let yourself, I think. It’s like Shakespeare – after a certain point, it just comes over you” (p. 69). This time the subject is sailing, not French. Then at the end, there is a reference to Romeo And Juliet, in the choice of a dog’s name: “His favorites are my favorites – Flora, the huge bulldog; Romeo, the harlequin Great Dane” (p. 253).

Shakespeare Reference in Variety, December 2, 2014

The December 2, 2014 issue of Variety has several pages featuring brief conversations between actors. One of these is between Keira Knightley and Ethan Hawke, and a section of the conversation regards Shakespeare. Ethan Hawke says: "Peter O'Toole died last year, and he died while I was doing 'Macbeth.' He had done, famously, this terrible production of 'Macbeth' that people didn't like. And - it's hard to imagine - but some people didn't like my production, either. To make myself feel better, I went and read some of Peter O'Toole's reviews for his 'Macbeth.'" Keira Knightley asks, "Were they really bad" (although there is an error, and it's typed as "We're they really bad?"). Ethan responds: "Oh, they were so bad! I felt better just reading them. But as I read them, they started making fun of how drunk he seemed. It seemed like he was actually walking into the wall. And then, I said, 'Wait, wait, are they talking about, you know Act 5, Scene 1? That's a great idea'" (p. 35).

Shakespeare References in Laura Denham’s Have You Seen Me?

Laura Denham’s novel Have You Seen Me? contains several Shakespeare references. The character who narrates the tale is named Juliet, which leads to a Romeo And Juliet reference. When she begins working at a strip club, another dancer asks her her name. Juliet answers. “Jasmine snorted. ‘Good luck. We get a lot of Romeos in here’” (p. 47). And then much later she meets another person named Juliet. The book’s narrator says: “No way! I never meet other Juliets.” And the other Juliet responds: “It’s not a very common name in this country. More popular in England, I think. The whole Shakespearean thing” (p. 208).

Very early in the book there is a Richard The Third reference: “And I’ve always rated my own world according to calendar months and seasons. Like football teams and sales managers and tennis pros. Like everybody else. When I was just seventeen it was a very good year. Suddenly last summer. Now is the winter of our discontent” (p. 4). “Now is the winter of our discontent” is the first line of that play.

There is a reference to Julius Caesar; however, as it is not in italics, the reference may be to the person, not the play: “I had missed the Industrial Revolution, The Canterbury Tales, Julius Caesar, the endocrine system, and nuclear fusion” (p. 30).

There is also mention of Hamlet: “I guess I just wanted to break him down – out of sheer mischief, like wanting to flash your tits from the audience at the actor performing Hamlet” (p. 181).

Have You Seen Me? was published in 2002.

SHAKESPEARE REFERENCES IN FILMS AND TELEVISION: The Comedy Of Errors

For the past few years I've been compiling a list of Shakespeare references in films and television programs. Some plays - such as Romeo And Juliet and Hamlet - are referred to often. Others, like Comedy Of Errors, are not. But here are a few references to The Comedy Of Errors.

Films With References To The Comedy Of Errors:

- Big Business  (1988) with Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Fred Ward, Edward Herrmann; directed by Jim Abrahams. This movie doesn’t actually contain references to The Comedy Of Errors, but was clearly inspired by the play. It features two set of twins that have been separated, and then much of the comedy revolves around mistaken identities, as no one realizes there are twins.

- The Comedy Of Terrors  (1963) with Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Joyce Jameson, Basil Rathbone; directed by Jacques Tourneur.  The title of this horror-comedy is obviously a play on Shakespeare’s The Comedy Of Errors. (see also Macbeth)
- High School Big Shot (1958) with Tom Pittman, Virginia Aldridge, Howard Veit. The first scene after the opening credits is a classroom scene. On the blackboard behind the teacher, several of Shakespeare’s plays are listed, including The Comedy Of Errors. (see also Hamlet, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Macbeth, Shakespeare)

- Mary, Mary  (1963) with Barry Nelson, Debbie Reynolds, Michael Rennie; directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Bob (Barry Nelson) tells his ex-wife Mary (Debbie Reynolds): “You should have heard my various exchanges with Winston today. No, I’m glad you didn’t. Talk about a comedy of errors.” (see also Romeo And Juliet, sonnets)

Television Programs With References To This Play:
- Hart To Hart (1979-1984) with Robert Wagner, Stefanie Powers, Lionel Stander. In the third season episode “Hartless Hobby,” a man is trying to steal a stamp worth a million dollars. His henchmen continue to fail him, and he gets frustrated and tells them, “You two are a comedy of errors and the joke’s gone stale.”
- Slings & Arrows (2003-2006) with Paul Gross, Martha Burns, Stephen Ouimette. The show's title is obviously a reference to Hamlet, and while the first season focuses on a production of Hamlet, there are many references to other plays by Shakespeare, including The Comedy Of Errors. Actually, the reference is to a play based on The Comedy Of Errors. In the show's second episode, titled, "Geoffrey's Return," there is a funeral which is held at the theatre. One of the speakers at the funeral says, "Looks a bit like Act I of The Boys From Syracuse up here."