Christmas Eve

Inspired by a passage from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (which I read in my Renaissance Lit class this semester), I present my musings on Christmas Eve, including various allusions from the arts.

In such a night Ebenezer Scrooge, crabbed and cantankerous old soul, was visited by three spirits who helped his heart joyously open to his fellow men.

Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present -
an illustration from the original copy of A Christmas Carol,  1843. 

In such a night the four March sisters learned from their mother to carry their burdens bravely and cheerfully, so their father, when he returned, would be "fonder and prouder than ever" of his "little women."

A moment from the 1949 screen adaptation of Little Women. 

In such a night the impassioned poet Rodolfo, seeking inspiration, found a treasure ten times more valuable when he fell in love with the sweet seamstress Mimi, while his warm-hearted painter friend Marcello reunited with his fiery inamorata Musetta.

An old poster for Puccini's opera La Boheme.

In such a night George Bailey, fraught with despair, encountered the angel Clarence, who showed him the sacredness of his life.

The final scene from It's A Wonderful Life.

 In such a night Bob Wallace, Phil Davis, and the Haynes sisters gave General Waverly the gift of lasting friendship and affection from his troops.

A promotional image for White Christmas.

In such a night the troublesome Herdman siblings, their hearts softened by the Christmas story, shared the beauty of the Yuletide bond with the church members during their performance in the Christmas pageant; as Gladys Herdman proclaimed in the role of the angel: "Hey! Unto you a child is born!"

In such a night Mary, the ever-loving Virgin Mother, Our Mother, gave birth to the Christ Child, Emmanuel, the Messiah, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace.

A 1992 painting of the Virgin and Child - I don't know who painted it, but it's lovely.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

P.S. - Here's the film The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, from YouTube - it's a favorite of mine, and a real heart warmer!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope you all had a truly wonderful day, and I just wanted to wish you a blessed holiday!!

Freedom from Want, by Norman Rockwell - 1943.

A Recipe for Hot Chocolate à la Marie Antoinette

A still from Sophia Coppola's 2006 film Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst.

Here's a little something to warm you up during the chilly holidays ahead. It's a recipe I came up with, and it's a modern version of Marie Antoinette's favorite breakfast beverage. According to author Melanie Clegg in her book Marie Antoinette: An Intimate History, during her early years of reigning  France, the queen began her day snuggled in bed with "hot chocolate infused with cinnamon and coffee and Austrian pastries," though I'm sure this drink would pair pleasantly with whatever baked goods you'd care to enjoy with it.

Ingredients: Drinking chocolate, a splash of coffee (a small espresso size cup of it will do, or some that's left in the coffee pot), and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Step One - Put two spoonfuls of chocolate into a mug.
Step Two - Boil water for the chocolate and make the coffee, if it's not already prepared.
Step Three - Pour the water in the mug and stir the chocolate till it's dissolved.
Step Four - Add the coffee, sprinkle in the cinnamon, and stir.

Bon appétit!

Marie Antoinette's Birthday

On November 2, 1755, at 8:30 in the evening, Marie Antoinette came into the world. Yay! To celebrate, here is an excerpt from my book.

On an early November evening, a squalling newborn archduchess, tightly swaddled in white linen, is bundled off from her mother’s bedchamber to the royal nurseries; yet another child in Francis I and Maria Theresa’s brood – though their offspring will be sixteen in number, only six girls and four boys will survive to adulthood. The newest baby girl (who will be christened “Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna” and called “Antoine”) is as yet merely another blessing, but someday she may be a powerful pawn in a political marriage.

And here are two songs composed by Antoinette during her time in France. The first is called "C'est Mon Ami," and she wrote the music, while a poet named Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian set words to it.

Basically, it's about a shepherd with whom a girl is in love; the idea of romance among the peasantry was a common theme among writers of this era. 

Here's the second one, "Portrait Charmant." Antoinette wrote the lyrics and the music for this one, and it describes how the portrait of a dear absent friend makes the one who has the picture miss their friend even more. 

By the way, if you like these, the singer who performs them, Mayuko Karasawa, has this album (Antoinette) on iTunes, though I prefer her renditions on her other album, L'Art De Marie-Antoinette. You can't go wrong either way. 

And to conclude, here are several of my favorite portraits of the queen, for your viewing pleasure! :)

A portrait by Martin van Meytens, in 1767 - she's about eleven.

Antoinette, about twelve, at her clavichord in 1768, by Franz Xaver Wagenschön.

Antoinette aged thirteen, by Joseph Ducreux, in 1769.
This was the picture sent to the French court so everyone could see how the possible future queen looked.

Detail from a painting by Jean-Baptiste Gautier Dagoty, 1774. Antoinette was about eighteen when this work was done.

Portrait by Dagoty, circa 1775. Antoinette was around nineteen.

A portrait of Antoinette in a muslin dress in 1782, by Élisabeth Vigée Lebrun.

Antoinette with a rose in 1783, by Vigée Lebrun. 

Here she is with her two oldest children in 1790, by François Dumont.

A portrait done in 1785 by Vigée Lebrun. This was Antoinette's favorite likeness of herself. 

And that's that! Happy Birthday, dearest Antoinette!!! :)

Why Shakespeare Is A Must-Read

If you haven't had to read Shakespeare in school yet, you probably will at some point, but regardless of whether or not you've encountered him, now is the perfect time to get acquainted with this great author. Here are a few facts about him, and ten reasons why you should read his work.

About The Man: 
Full Name: William Shakespeare.
Date and Place of Birth: April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
He's often called "the Bard of Avon" or "the Bard" - "bard" is an old-fashioned term for "poet".
Other Facts: At age eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, a local girl (not to be confused with the actress of the same name), and they had three children, a daughter named Susanna, and twins, a son and daughter called Hamnet and Judith.
In the mid to late 1580's, he went to London to make his fortune as a playwright, and the rest is history. He wrote thirty-seven plays (seventeen comedies, ten tragedies, and ten histories), one-hundred fifty-four sonnets, and four long poems.
By 1613, Shakespeare had returned to Stratford, where he died of unknown causes on April 23, 1616.

Ten Reasons to Read His Plays:

1. - His stories and characters cover the spectrum of human emotions, so you can always find someone to relate to.

Katherina (the one with the long hair) is a super sharp-tongued gal
(she's the shrew in The Taming of the Shrew),
and Bianca, her younger sister, is Daddy's little angel,
so the girls have a huge sibling rivalry, which is no fun.

2. - His plays teach lessons worth knowing (like Romeo and Juliet; if those two hadn't let their emotions run away with them, they'd have lived).

See what I mean? Their relationship is one hundred percent hormones.

3. - Some of his plays have inspired modern films (She's The Man, for example, is a re-imagining of Twelfth Night), and unless I'm mistaken, you'll find that the originals are much meatier.

Viola's reaction when she realizes Olivia loves her: "I am the man."
I'll bet that's where they got the title for She's The Man. ;)

4. - His tragedies are moving.
 

Ophelia from Hamlet.
Poor thing - after her boyfriend
breaks up with her, she goes nuts.

5. - His comedies are mirth-inducing.

Petruchio, Katherina's husband, carries his bride home
from the reception at her dad's house as part of his taming process.
It's as boisterously amusing as it looks!

6. - I've never been able to really get into his histories, but if you like that sort of thing, you can't go wrong with Will. :)

These old books look rather history-ish to me.

7. - His plots grip you from the get-go.

Curious as to why the lovely Hermia is lost in the Athenian woods?
Read A Midsummer Night's Dream to find out!

8. - His writing stirs your soul.

My favorite quote from All's Well That Ends Well. I try to live by this.

9. - His characters become either your life long friends or enemies (depending on whether they're good guys or evil ones).

You can't help liking Olivia in Twelfth Night - she's so realistic.
She's vain of her beauty, stubborn-willed, and fiercely passionate.

10. - In him, you will find an enduring, caring companion; as his friend and fellow playwright Ben Jonson wrote, "He was not of an age but for all time!"

I love the contented look on his face. 

So, to paraphrase a line from Hamlet, get thee to a bookstore! :)

P.S. - The top pic is an old illustration (I couldn't find out who did it), the second is a gif I made using a clip from the 1968 film of Romeo and Juliet (I made all the gifs), the third is a gif from a clip from the 1996 Twelfth Night, the fourth is a painting by Arthur Hughes, the fifth is an illustration by Willy Pogany, the sixth is an image I found on Shakespeare Online, the seventh is a painting by John Simmons, the eight is a quote I got from QuotePixel.com, the ninth is a painting by Frank Dicksee, and the tenth is a pic I got from newartsnyc.com.

A Bit of Shakespearean Mirth

Just for giggles, here's an old cell phone ad involving Romeo and Juliet. I saw this when I was little, and it still brings a grin to my face. :)

More Book Excerpts

Here are some more scenes - Antoinette gets married and discovers something heart-warming about her husband.

Two days later, she stands in the magnificent chapel in the palace of Versailles. Decked in a dress of silver cloth and white brocade adorned with lace, pearls, and diamonds, she gazes at her nervous groom. She shares his timorousness, though she hides it; meanwhile, he shakes a little placing the ring on her finger, and blushes while saying his vows. The ceremony proceeds, and when all is said and done, the royal family members sign the marriage contract. In her agitation, she smudges her new name: Marie Antoinette Josephe Jeanne.

Late that evening, the couple, accompanied by the King and throngs of courtiers, enters the royal bedchamber. The Archbishop of Rheims blesses the bed sheets with holy water, then with much formality, the bride and groom are prepared for the night before them; after they’ve been dressed their nightclothes, they are escorted into the bed. They sit rigidly, while the curtains are closed and drawn open again, to represent the impending consummation. Though they’ve known each other a mere two days, both know what is expected of them. After everyone has finally left, Antoinette turns to her husband, covering her anxiousness with a smile. Expecting her husband to embrace her, she is surprised when he courteously says, “Goodnight, Madame,” and rolls over to sleep. Replying, “Goodnight, Monsieur,” she lies back on her pillow, rather confused and quite weary from all she’s been through.

One night, a few weeks later, disaster strikes. The fireworks display in Paris, set to round off the wedding celebrations, instead dissolves in tragedy, and Antoinette, accompanied by her husband’s three maiden aunts, sees the turmoil. Upon her return to Versailles, she rushes into Louis’s apartments, where he sits with a book.

“Monsieur!” she exclaims, choking back a sob.

Seeing her, he lays aside the volume and she sits next to him. “What is the matter, Madame?”

“Oh, Monsieur, when your aunts and I went to the fireworks, we could not arrive in the city, because in the darkness, many Parisians fell into some pits of a street which is under construction, and they were crushed to death by carriages and other members of the crowd.”

She dissolves into tears, as he sits, unsure of how to comfort her; then, he gently takes her hand and holds it between his own.

Her weeping abated, she exclaims, “We must do something to help those poor souls who are mourning their kindred and friends!”

“Indeed we must,” he solemnly agrees.

 The following morning, they meet again in the room.

“I have just sent all my monthly allowance to the Minister of Police, with a note asking him to dispose of it as he sees fit, to those who are in greatest need,” he tells her.

“Oh, I shall do the same with my allowance!” she smiles, delighted at the discovery of her husband’s benevolence. He too is pleased to see he has married a good-hearted woman.