Will Shakespeare is still in Stratford. Anyone want to drink with me?

[Aristus]

Ask me anything about Will Shakespeare.

[pinboy3niner]

1. What was Yorick really like?

I heard Will knew him pretty good.

[Aristus]

3. "Alas, por Yorick! I knew him, Horatio."

It's obvious Hamlet held Yorick in high regard. One of the occupations of the court jester was to play with the royal children. He was like a governess/playmate who would have spent a great deal of time with the royal family. Hamlet loved Yorick, no doubt.

Court jesters were not just stand-up comedians for the king. They very often served as royal advisors to the ruler of the kingdom. One reason for this was their unusual license to speak plainly to the king, without a lot of court manners that could cloud wise advice. They did not have to be obsequious to the king, allowing them to give the king an unvarnished opinion.

Hamlet no doubt would have valued Yorick's counsel in the matter of Claudius' treachery. Yorick's love for Hamlet would no doubt have superseded his duty to King Claudius.

[pinboy3niner]

6. Thanks for fleshing it out

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Why on earth is Will still in Stratford???

Doesn't he know we miss him?

I'm sure you do, too, my dear Aristus.

[Aristus]

4. I do.

But he misses his 'little fools', the twins. Hamnet, the boy, is always sick. They need their father.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. That is understandable, of course.

They do need their father.

Sorry for my dumb question.

[Sanity Claws]

7. What does Will like to imbibe?

[Aristus]

8. Good English ale, most of the time.

If he's feeling extravagant, sack, which is a dry white wine from Portugal..

[pinboy3niner]

9. WHITE wine?

[ailsagirl]

10. Aristus, I am an Oxfordian

There. I said it.

Nonetheless, whoever penned those exquisite works has my deepest esteem forever.

One can devote an entire lifetime to savoring that man's works and never run out of new facets to explore and delight in.

Sublime stuff

[Aristus]

11. Okay then.

I don't always know what to say to an Oxfordian, and why they believe what they believe. So let us agree to disagree, then.

[malthaussen]

12. What does Will think of Star Wars?

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
But in ourselves we are made underlings."

Or perhaps some other pithy observation?

-- Mal

[DFW]

13. Are you drinking mead?

Just wondering.......

[Aristus]

14. Nah.

I had a Mack & Jack's and two shots of Ouzo.

[DFW]

15. After that, I'm not sure I'd know the difference n/t

[sarge43]

16. By Will's time, mead had more or less fallen out of fashion

Poor man's booze because it's so easy to make. Probably was the first brew people made.

[trof]

17. GIN! DRUNK FOR A PENNY!

DEAD DRUNK FOR TWO!

Or was that later?

[sarge43]

18. Later

Known in Europe since Will's time, but took off in England early 18th century

[DFW]

19. Don't let facts and history get in the way of a good response

This is DU, after all.