Is Tybalt Deaf?

Actually I’m just being silly, but I noticed this morning that Tybalt’s first two lines, literally, are “What?” Enter Tybalt TYBALT What, are thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon they death. BENVOLIO I do but keep the peace: put up they sword, Or manage it to part these men with me. TYBALT What, drawn, and talk of peace!  I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: Have at thee, coward!   Reminds me of a neighborhood bully when we were growing up.  Whenever you said something that he felt like taking as insulting he’d always start with a “What?”  Far from being intimidating, it only made him seem stupid, like he was never fully able to process that he’d been insulted.  There used to be a pro-wrestler who did a whole big gimmick out of punctuating his interviews with “What?” whenever somebody else was talking. I realize of course that it is not being used in that context.  It’s actually a pretty common interjection in Shakespeare’s dialogue, I count 14 times in R&J alone.   Taming of the Shrew has 22!

Sesame Street Shakespeare

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/04/29/sesame-street-video-theater-edition.aspx You know, when I found a list of YouTube clips featuring Sesame Street doing Shakespeare, I was very excited.  With 3 little kids running around my house I’m one of those adults who’ll giggle hysterically every time Cookie Monster eats poor Prairie Dawn’s letter of the day.  There’s a surprising number of references for adults to be found in the show (I once saw Grover make a Cherry Orchard reference). Alas, the skits just aren’t that good.  Having a bunch of puppets running around adding “eth” and “ooth” to the ends of all their words does not make for a Shakespeare skit, in my booketh. Although the Waiting For Godot one is pretty good, if only for Cookie Monster’s description.