shakespearefreak

[shakespearefreak]

Wait, there are Hamlet fans who DON'T spend a massive amount of time thinking about Gertrude?

Anyways, my answers (very much my personal subjective opinions, also I may be biased because of my own Claudius crush):

when did she know about king hamlet’s murder? She probably always suspected. She knew what Claudius was capable of. But she didn't want to know. She never asked, and Claudius never volunteered the information. They both knew the truth could break their relationship. Which hurts so, so much because in so many ways their relationship was so much healthier than most other relationships in the play (not just romantic relationships but familial ones too), and certainly more so than Gertrude's previous marriage. Stagings where Gertrude and Claudius' marriage is straight-up cute and wholesome and it contrasts with the horror going on in every other part of the play own my whole heart.

does she love claudius? Yes, absolutely.

does she drink the poisoned wine on purpose? I think so. I think, in the end, what broke them wasn't the truth about the murder—honestly, I think she could have dealt with that, it might have taken her a bit but it wouldn't ultimately have been a deal-breaker for her—but that she loved her son more than she loved Claudius. And he loved her, but he loved himself more (I love the idea of staging it with him trying to stop her from drinking, her pausing just long enough that he could have stopped her, but he realizes that stopping her would reveal the poison and his part in it, and ends up watching helplessly instead).

my latest litmus test for productions and adaptations of hamlet is whether the creator(s) make any thoughtful choices about gertrude at all. they don’t have to do a completely radical against-the-grain gertrude; they just have to do Something. everybody has thoughts and feelings about ophelia, but do you have thoughts and feelings about a woman who’s older and more opaque and ambiguous, who has more power in the play and who doesn’t necessarily look virginal and beautiful, a woman who isn’t so innocent? have you thought at all about what she knows, when she knows it, how she feels about it? when did she know about king hamlet’s murder? does she love claudius? does she drink the poisoned wine on purpose? or does she simply stand there, woman-shaped, and say words

[shakespearefreak]

Just finished watching "The Reality War." I'd managed to almost completely avoid Spoilers, so I screeched "WHAT?" at the end in a pitch so high that only dogs could have heard it.

[shakespearefreak]

Yesterday was super hot and sunny, so I made a trip to my favorite local beach. 🏖️ I wanted to bring a doll, but didn’t feel like bringing any of my American Girl dolls… and all of a sudden I remembered Ariel! 🧜🏾‍♀️

Ariel has been living in a box with most of my other smaller fashion dolls for over a year now, since I got my cat Spork 🐱, who as a kitten decided his life’s mission was to destroy everything I hold dear. He’s two and a half years old now and calmed down somewhat, so I’ve been slowly re-introducing my small dolls and figures to my shelves, but Ariel was still in the box (Spork likes her hair and fins a bit too much). I dug her out, and brought her along with me for some long-overdue photos of her by the lake!

Ariel is very slightly customized: I painted over her tail and scale “bikini” with pearlescent finish, which gives it a subtle shine.

“Fun” story: I literally dropped my phone in the lake taking the second picture! 😱 (I luckily have an OtterBox—I’ve never been more grateful I splurged on the expensive protective case—and so far it seems to be mostly okay, but still).

[shakespearefreak]

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH GHOULS, MANSTERS, AND MONSTERS OF ALL SORTS!!

🖤❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

[shakespearefreak]

American Girls! ★

I drew 10 of the original historical American Girls in my style! This was a fun little fan art series in between my other illustrations 🤭

In order: Felicity and Josefina, Kirsten and Kaya, Molly and Kit, Addy and Samantha, Julie and Rebecca.

[shakespearefreak]

Happy Trans Awareness Week

Edit: Ok this blew up sooooo here is a file to have fun with

[shakespearefreak]

Still catching up on doll posts!

Since Samantha and I didn’t go to the beach on Memorial Day as planned, I took Corrine the following Friday instead! 🏖️ (I debated bringing Flurry 🐶 along too, but as much as dogs love water, I don’t think plush dogs, sand, and waves would be a great combination. 😂) She wore her swimsuit and brought her towel, but decided it was too chilly to wade… however, I braved the cold water and was rewarded with a lovely swim once I adjusted to the temperature. 🏊 One good thing about swimming when the lake is that cold is that when you get out, you feel nice and warm! 😆

“I see why you like this beach,” Corrine told Marley. “It’s really pretty… but are you sure you want to actually swim?”

Marley had to admit Corrine had a point. The day had been hot and sunny (with a high of 88° F), but it was now early evening, and long shadows lay over much of the water in the little cove. Still…

“Yeah, I really want to swim,” Marley said firmly. “I’ve been excited about this for weeks, there’s no way I’m backing out now.”

Corrine made a little nest at the top of the lifeguard’s tower and watched skeptically as Marley waded slowly into the waves, gasping from the shock of the cold water.

“How is it?” Corrine called, taking a bite of the apple she’d brought as a snack.

“It’s… like ice!” Marley called back, shivering a little.

“You sure you don’t want to come back?” Corrine raised a brow, pretty sure of the answer.

“I’m not a quitter!” Marley replied doggedly, and dove fully under the water. They resurfaced a second later. “C-COLD!” they yelped. But already they were starting to feel better. In a few minutes, they were splashing around very comfortably.

After Marley waded back to shore, dripping but feeling almost toasty in the (comparative) warmth of the air, they ate a late lunch/early dinner on a bench beside the lake while re-reading the first chapter of Corrine to the Rescue, listening to the waves lapping the rocks below. Marley had also brought a collapsible tripod, so the friends could commemorate Corrine’s first trip to this beach with a selfie. “Smile!”

[shakespearefreak]

 🍰 🌷 Happy (Belated) Birthday, Samantha! 🌷 🍰

(I’m VERY behind on doll posts, oops!)

Sam’s birthday fell on Memorial Day this year, the same day that our local beaches officially open for the season, so initially my plan was to move our traditional botanical garden picnic to my favorite beach and go swimming while she and Nellie celebrated. But when the day came, I wasn’t feeling well and ended up sleeping almost all day! 🙁 So we decided to do the usual garden picnic the day after that instead.

We got there in time to catch the last tram tour of the day, which I’d never done before. My plan was to just ride the tram till I saw a good picnic spot and then hop off and let them go on without us (the gardens there are large and sprawling, and I wanted to save time and walking energy), but the tour itself turned out to be quite interesting, so we ended up doing the whole circuit. I’m a semi-frequent visitor to this place now, so I was surprised at how much stuff I’d walked by a dozen times without noticing! (Example: near the Thai Pavilion, the walking path turns into a giant serpent 🐍 for quite a ways, because snakes are important in Thai culture… I’ve walked along its stone scales many times without even realizing the path had changed at all!) The tour guide was also charmed by Samantha and Nellie, as were a number of other garden guests. I remember how nervous I used to feel about bringing dolls out in public… now I love all the attention they get! 😄

Anyway, after the tour, we found a nice spot on the Great Lawn to spread out the blanket. Food and drink (other than water) typically aren’t allowed inside the garden walls… luckily, there’s no such ban on doll food! Similarly, while pets aren’t usually permitted, we had no trouble bringing Jip 🐕 along with us. 😂

After the picnic, I gave Samantha her gift 🎁 (her stereoscope, which was actually a gift to both of us from a friend from an AG Facebook Group!). Then we had to pack up pretty quickly and hurry to catch the bus home in order to get to Book Club 📚 (a virtual one through that same Facebook Group that “meets” on video call once a month).

Jip had been very patient and quiet all through the tram tour, but as soon as Marley set down the basket on the lawn, he popped up like a furry Jack-in-the-Box and poked his head out, nose sniffing wildly to catch all of the different, exciting scents.

The friends unpacked their picnic (a pitcher of ice-cold pink lemonade, most welcome on the warm day, and a rich, moist cake garnished with strawberries) and settled down on the grass, Jip stretched out contentedly nearby with a chew toy.

Samantha kept glancing at the present on the ground between them, the gold in the wrapping winking tantalizingly in the sunlight. “Can’t I open it yet?” she asked Marley.

Marley shook their head with a chuckle. “Not quite yet, Sam. It’s your special day, you should slow down and enjoy every bit of it.”

(NOTE: You may notice that Jip is now able to pose in multiple positions! That’s because I gave him, along with the other three dogs, a wire skeleton. It took some trial and error, and two of the dogs had to undergo the surgery twice because I wasn’t content with how it came out the first time, but I’m quite proud of the final result!)

However, Sam reminded Marley that they still had to make it home in time for Book Club, and as the sun sank slowly lower in the sky, Marley began to see the sense in hurrying a little. “Okay, okay!” Marley relented with a laugh. “I guess you should open it now, it is getting pretty late!” Samantha eagerly took the present on her lap and began to unwrap it. Jip, his doggy curiosity piqued, got up and sniffed inquisitively at the package.

“Oh!” Samantha reached into the crinkling paper within the box and withdrew her gift. “My stereoscope!”

“And some slides, too,” Marley pointed out, as Sam fished the slides out of the box.

“Thank you!” Samantha said gratefully, but Marley shook their head.

“Don’t thank me, it’s actually Sylvia from the doll group who gave it to you! I just wrapped it up for you.”

“Oh, my!” Samantha marveled. “I’ll have to thank her at Book Club tonight!”

“Speaking of which…” Marley said, checking the time on their phone, “we’d better pack up right away if we want to get back on time!”

The End

BONUS:

(Back and side views of Samantha’s birthday hairstyle, which I think was both pretty and rather clever of me! Braiding the rose circlet into her hair allowed her to wear it all month long without Spork 🐱 being able to steal it off her, and also kept it secure on her head while we were on the bus and at the botanical garden!)

[shakespearefreak]

[shakespearefreak]

For whatever reason I really connect with Twyla

[shakespearefreak]

Not my usual doll photography, but I had to show off that I embroidered top surgery scars on Noa!!!

[shakespearefreak]

So as a frequent em dash user: I type it as "--" when I'm working and then go to a previous work of mine and copy and paste it in manually before publishing. Is it a pain? Yeah. Is it worth it? Also yeah.

"this is DEFINITELY written by AI, I can tell because it uses the writing quirks that AI uses (because it was trained on real people who write with those quirks)"

c'mon dudes we have got to do better than this

[shakespearefreak]

IMVU Neverland

I created a bunch of Peter Pan-inspired looks on IMVU quite a while back now, and I'm finally getting around to sharing them here! Two of the characters (Kai and Arson) are my OCs; the others are canon (fairly obviously in most cases). The text quotes paired with each image are from J.M. Barrie's original book, with the exception of the ones for my OCs, which are meant to mimic the tone of the book as much as possible. The outfits themselves were mostly inspired by the book, but with some of the stage musical, the 2003 film, and the Disney animated film thrown in.

Peter Pan:

"He was a lovely boy, clad in skeleton leaves and the juices that ooze out of trees; but the most entrancing thing about him was that he had all his first teeth."

Wendy Moira Angela Darling:

"'What’s your name?' he asked.

'Wendy Moira Angela Darling,' she replied with some satisfaction."

Captain Jas. Hook:

"His eyes were of the blue of the forget-me-not, and of a profound melancholy, save when he was plunging his hook into you, at which time two red spots appeared in them and lit them up horribly."

Tinker Bell:

"It was not really a light; it made this light by flashing about so quickly, but when it came to rest for a second you saw it was a fairy, no longer than your hand, but still growing. It was a girl called Tinker Bell, exquisitely gowned in a skeleton leaf..."

Blue Never Fairy:

"When a new baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born… the mauve ones are boys and the white ones are girls, and the blue ones are just little sillies who are not sure what they are."

Kai (Mermaid Lagoon OC):

"One of the merfolk, bolder than the others, would sometimes get quite close to the children, its long tail shimmering with all the loveliest pale colours of the rainbow, like the inside of a shell you find on the beach. But they were never quite sure if it was a boy or a girl, as it would splash away whenever they got too close, leaving the lagoon echoing with its gay peals of laughter. John said it must be a boy, but Wendy thought girl. When they approached Peter to settle the argument, he laughed heartily and said 'They’re both. And neither.' And though they tried to question him further, he’d lost interest in the topic and wandered off to play at a new game Michael had just invented called Find the Sovereign. This game led to a very interesting adventure, in which the pirates, for once, were the heroes of the day, and in fact — but that is another story."

Note: Kai actually uses "xe/xyr" pronouns in the merfolk language, but to English-speaking children in the Victorian era, "they/them" is the closest approximation.

Also, I (informally) refer to Kai as a "mermx" as a sort of pun on the gender-neutral prefix "Mx." (pronounced "mix").

Arson (Jolly Roger OC):

"...And there was Arson, who was neither man nor woman, but all fire and madness; Arson, dressed in gaudy purples and bedecked with golden bangles and baubles, with the tentacled form of a monstrous octopus tattooed into their flesh; who had once burnt half of Port Royal to cinders on a whim, and who always carried a lit match clenched between their grinning teeth."

[shakespearefreak]

Happy Pride!

[shakespearefreak]

more worrying ukpol

uk people, in particular uk womb-havers:

gemma clark has made a form letter:

The text you need to EMAIL TO YOUR MPS BEFORE JUNE 2ND

Subject: Support for Abortion Decriminalisation Amendment

Dear [MP's Name],

I am writing to urge your support for the cross-party amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, laid by Tonia Antoniazzi MP and over 50 other colleagues. This amendment aims to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, thereby protecting vulnerable women from criminalisation for ending their own pregnancies.

Currently, the law, dating back to the 19th century, criminalises women who seek to terminate their pregnancies outside of specific provisions. In the last three years, six women have faced prosecution, with many more investigated under archaic laws.

For example, Sammy experienced a traumatic premature labour at home, during which seven police officers searched her property before paramedics arrived. She was subjected to a police investigation lasting over a year, during which her home was treated as a crime scene, and she had restricted contact with her baby.

Laura, a university student and mother to a toddler, was trapped in a physically, sexually, and emotionally abusive relationship when she sought to end her pregnancy using illicit medication. Pressured by her partner not to seek medical help, she ultimately pleaded guilty after being threatened with life imprisonment. Despite her circumstances, she received a sentence of over two years in prison, while her abuser was never investigated or held accountable for his actions.

Sophie, a teenager, was arrested at midnight and held for 19 hours under suspicion of using abortion medication. Her arrest revealed her pregnancy to her parents for the first time, and after enduring two trials, she was left with a criminal record despite the charges being dropped after six years.

These stories highlight the urgent need for compassion rather than criminalisation. Westminster has already repealed similar laws in Northern Ireland in 2019, yet these archaic laws remain in place for women in England and Wales.

Supporting this amendment does not alter abortion time limits or access to services; it simply acknowledges that women in desperate circumstances deserve our support, not punishment.

I hope you will consider backing this crucial amendment.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Contact Information]

[shakespearefreak]

A couple weeks ago Virginia and I went to a local botanical garden 🌳🌼🪻… partly because I’ve been wanting to take her there since I got her anyway, partly to show off her new stuff made by a lovely woman in one of my Facebook groups: a fascinator hat 👒, a pair of gloves 🧤, and a purse 👛! (She also made a fur muff, which I’m saving as a holiday gift for this December, and is working on a parasol 🌂, but we’ve encountered some difficulties with the structure so that’s not done yet.) We both had a great time, though I was exhausted afterward—the gardens there are huge, and while there are plenty of places to sit and rest along the winding pathways, there’s so much to see that I always just want to keep going and look at as much as possible! 👀

Also, in keeping with another lesson I got from the Smart Girl’s Guide: Body Image book, I didn’t allow myself to touch up my appearance in the last photo when I got home. I usually do, at least a bit, for pretty much the same reasons I was wearing makeup to Book Club. It took a while, but I’d told myself it was okay because I was doing it just for myself, so I could enjoy the memories in the pictures without being distracted by how I looked in them. (I’m not sure that’s true anymore, either; I think I was doing it partially for others’ approval, even if I didn’t realize it.) It had never occurred to me that editing my own appearance in photos I post publicly might affect other people’s body image, too; but in the section on photo edits, the book points out that “studies show that unless a photo is using an obvious filter, most girls have a hard time noticing when a social media image has been altered. And even when girls can tell, an unrealistic image can still make them feel bad about their own bodies.” The book acknowledges that “playing with photos can be a lot of fun,” and doesn’t discourage doing it purely for entertainment, but adds that “editing a photo simply to fit a beauty standard can hurt other girls.” So I’m going to break myself of that habit, too.

[shakespearefreak]

CW: mental health issues, self-esteem issues, mental hospitalization mention, mentions of weight/dieting

I don’t wear makeup in daily life. I generally like how I look when I see myself in the mirror. But I am deeply uncomfortable being on a video call without makeup; something about the way the camera captures certain things like redness or shininess of skin really bothers me, to the point that I cannot focus on what I or anyone else is saying when I’m seeing my bare face mirrored back at me on a screen. 

I’m in an American Girl book club through a Facebook AG group; we “meet” once a month on a video call to discuss various American Girl books. Many of the people in Book Club saw me in person without makeup at a live meetup last summer, and that doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is me seeing it, not anyone else. So I put on makeup on the evening of the last Tuesday of every month, even though usually it makes me super late to the actual meeting I’m wearing it for.

The thing is, I remember a time in my life where I wouldn’t want to be seen without makeup, ever. I missed whole class periods in high school because I was fixing my eyes or my lips or whatever. I had a lot of trouble (and in fact never got around to graduating) because of this. I was hospitalized for severe OCD, and they made me go cold turkey on the makeup and accessories. For years, I didn’t allow myself to put on even a little bit of makeup other than for theater or cosplay, because I was so worried about being pulled back into that spiral. I finally began to enjoy makeup, and view it as a fun hobby I could do on rare occasions rather than an obligation. But Book Club changed that; it started feeling like a necessary chore again, at least once a month.

I finally got around to reading the Smart Girl’s Guide to Body Image book last month. Some of you may recall that this book got some serious backlash over showing trans and nonbinary gender identities. When it became clear that the book would probably be pulled, I bought a copy right away (because I wanted to read it, and also to show AG that supporting trans youth could appeal to customers as well, not just push them away), but then it just sat on my shelf for a couple years. When I finally read it, I am not exaggerating when I say it felt like therapy. The reassurance, repeated many times, that all bodies are good bodies; the reminder that diets usually result in weight gain, not loss, and that weight doesn’t equate to health; the fact that for once, I didn’t have to change the pronouns in my head for these statements to apply to me personally… yeah, it was really important to me.

But what struck me most of all was the section on makeup: the book acknowledged that “experimenting with makeup, jewelry, nail polish, and hairstyles is a great way to discover your unique style” and that makeup can simply be fun, like any other kind of art, but had the important reminder that “It’s all optional. Makeup, nail polish, and fancy hairstyles are never required for going to school, hanging out with friends, or leaving the house. Your body has the right to exist in the world with or without decorations.” I decided that I needed to go to April’s Book Club meeting without any makeup.

I was so worried, even more so because now I’d look different than usual on video (I dreaded the idea someone would ask if I was sick, and I’d have to explain that no, this is just how I look, you’ve just never seen it before because I was concealing it). I tried to bargain with myself (“I can only put on some of my usual makeup” or “I’m not allowed to spend more than __ minutes on it”). I tried to talk myself into putting it off until this month. I wasted time to delay joining the meeting. Ultimately, I knew it was going to be uncomfortable for me at first, even very uncomfortable, but if I didn’t face it (no pun intended, haha) now, I might never, and I couldn’t let myself slip any further back into that old mindset. So I joined the meeting, sans makeup, and no one commented on it. I don’t know if anyone even noticed a difference. After a few minutes, I barely noticed a difference in my own face on the screen. It was like, “Oh, wow, I’ve been putting in all this extra effort for over a year, and it turns out that it barely mattered at all.” The sense of relief was inexpressible.

So yeah. I guess I just wanted to say how grateful I am to this book, and that I cannot recommend it enough if you can get your hands on a copy.