AlbertAnastasio

=__**Instances Where Shakespeare Uses Food to Convey Ideas and Context**__= In many of the Wiki's that are already completed, food during the time of Shakespeare has been studied. The previous Wiki's have focused on providing detailed analysis on the types of food eaten by both the poor and rich classes from Elizabethan England. Because food is an extreme interest of mine but has already been covered to such an extent, I would like to take a different approach on the study of food during Shakespeare’s time. I will take specific references from The Bard’s plays and provide insight on why Shakespeare may have chosen that specific food as well as the impact that that specific food had on Elizabethan England.

//I would give all my fame for a pot of ale.//
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In __Henry V__, Shakespeare depicts the famous king as a viscous man. At one point, Henry says, "your naked infants (will be) spitted upon pikes." Perhaps it is fitting that Shakespeare also depicts the king as a heavy drinker. Here, in this somewhat humorous quote, The Bard shows not only a part of the nature of his character, Henry V, but also a problem with the English society of the day: drunkenness. Many men spent time and resources chasing the lightheaded escape that comes from drowning oneself in beer. However, it was not only the men that consumed inordinate amounts of alcohol. Most households primarily drank ale or beer owing largely to the fact that clean water was very hard to come by. Ales were brewed with malt and water, and beer contained hops that imparted a bitter flavor. Also, many English housewives added other flavors as well, such as bayberries, orris, or long pepper. Amazingly, Consumption of weak, low-alcohol drinks at the time of Shakespeare has been estimated at around one gallon per person per day.

//Truly, thou art damned like an ill roasted egg, all on one saide.//
Here is another humorous quote from The Great Bard. In Shakespearean times,eggs were commonly roasted as shown in the image below. This is a method of preparation that is not used today very frequently but according to many food bloggers who have tried roasting an egg in typical Elizabethan fashion say the egg has a rich, smoky taste that is actually quite pleasing. Eggs were consumed frequently during Shakespearean times so both the lower and upper classes would understand this reference. In the above quote from __As You like It__, a comedy with pastoral themes, Shakespeare compares a character to an egg that has been burnt on one side. He uses a food analogy for humorous purposes which I appreciate. I also appreciate how he spells the word "side." The Bard's spelling reminds me of the video we watched about pronouncing correctly the word "time." It really makes you feel like you are watching a Shakespearean play when you imagine the actors yelling "Tyyymme" and "Saaide."



**__Macbeth__: act 2, scene 3**
//**Drink sir, is a great provoker of three things....nose painting, sleep and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire but takes away the performance.**//

How could I not include this famous quote from Macbeth? Again, Shakespeare points to the vast quantity of alcohol that was consumed during his time. I love how The Bard describes the reddening of the nose as "nose painting." When he discusses lechery, the porter hits the nail on the head. I find it hilarious how a clumsy drunk is able to accurately describe the effects of alcohol on sexual prowess. Every time I saw this scene take place during the various movies we watched and the play version we attended, I chuckled a little. On a slightly unrelated note, I like how directors of __Macbeth__ are at liberty to take the role of the porter and twist it in whichever way they feel is funniest. In the play version we watched, the porter was female and I though she did a phenomenal job.

**__A Midsummer Night's Dream__: act 4, scene 2**
//**And, most dear actors, eat no onions or garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet comedy. No more words: Away! Go, away!**//

These classic famous instructions from Bottom to his cast which is about to perform for the duke is both funny and (at least to Bottom) a serious suggestion. Bottom ‘s attempt to provide merriment for the Duke Is the comedic relief for __A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream__. Perhaps Bottom and his cohorts are most funny because of their seriousness. None of them have any idea how to properly conduct a play. Bottom actually believes that if the breath of the actors is fresh and sweet, the Duke will view the play as sweet as well. Hey, seems like good logic to me! If he felt so strongly against his actors eating Onions and Garlic, It was probably wise for Bottom to warn his bumbling cast not to eat these stink-inducing foods; they were staples for providing flavor to Elizabethan food. Since they were both easy to grow and plentiful, the wealthy class would use Onions and Garlic to flavor meats. The poorer class would also be familiar with these ingredients even though meat was not as commonly eaten amongst the lower class. Even today, garlic is an incredibly popular flavoring for meat. My mom and dad, who both enjoy cooking immensely, have a simple yet delicious recipe for a steak rub: salt, pepper, and garlic. It sounds good enough to come straight out of a Shakespeare play!

**__Richard III__: act 3, scene 4**
//**My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn I saw good strawberries in your garden there; I do beseech you send for some of them.**// There is enough information about this seemingly innocent and simple quote to write a whole essay on this quote alone. I will attempt to briefly summarize the intriguing history behind the strawberries of Holborn and Lord Ely. Interestingly enough, the strawberries used here in __Richard III__ represented the in crowd within England's government. Though he wouldn’t dirty his own hands by taking blame for the murder, Richard III ordered may people killed. He would use code to refer to those that he wanted dead, a large part of why it was hard to pin the murders on him. Here, he is talking to the infamous Bishop of Ely and in the midst of their conversation, he is ordering a murder by simply asking for a few strawberries.

Another point of interest is that this statement was made during the mini Ice Age and strawberries did not ripen until mid to late July. In __Richard III__, they have ripe strawberries before the arrests occurred on June 13, 1483: at the point where Gloucester Richard III) says this, the code still stands because he has not yet been busted.

Furthermore, the quote about strawberries is an allusion to the disreputable Bishop of Ely's practices when dealing with members of his bishopric. He felt that he held the power of life and death over anyone in his diocese (garden) and when he had problems with anyone, they had a magical way of disappearing forever. From here, the quote takes an even sicker twist. Human bodies, when buried and broken down, are a great fertilizer for, you guessed it, strawberries.

Perhaps we have had enough on strawberries after that grisly story, but I feel I should discuss their impact on the Elizabethan diet. The rich would often eat them with cream and they were popular with the poor classes when they could get their hands on them. If it is true that decomposing human bodies provide nourishment for strawberries, then with all the plot, intrigue, and murder in Shakespeare’s time, the strawberries must have been baseball sized!


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As we can see, Shakespeare utilized food in some interesting ways. Food has been used in many literary forms to subtly describe important aspects of the wok such as location and time, but Shakespeare took the art to a new level by using food in metaphors and as symbolism for other facets of his plays.

Works Cited “Elizabethan Food.” //Elizabethan England//. Google, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. . Briefly touches on my subject. Not really in depth. Good Place to start! It goes into the way that food was presented, which of course is incredibly important. I will use this source to get started. “Elizabethan Food.” //Queen Elizabeth//. Google, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. . This site does have information on what poor people ate. I am interested in how Shakespeare would use food to describe social class. Also this site talks about desserts, which is interesting as well. “Elizabethan Food and Drink.” //The Lost colony’s education pages//. N.p., 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. . Very in depth article!!! a great find. Will use very heavily in my paper. “Elizabethan recipes and food.” //Elizabethan banquet menu//. Google, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. . this is simply a quick example of a meal for the upper class in Shakespeares time. I will use this to compare with meals from the lower class. “Fooles and Fricassees: Food in Shakespeare’s England.” //Fooles and Fricassees: Food in Shakespeare’s England//. N.p., 30 Dec. 1999. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. . This is my best site by far. It actually focuses on my topic. It has many sources and pictures. I think this topic will be extremely interesting because authors have used food to establish location, time, and mood for many years and I would argue that Shakespeare was one of the best at doing this. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">“Of bread and Wine.” //Life in Elizabethean England: a componium of common knowledge//. N.p., 25 Mar. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. <http://elizabethan.org/‌compendium/‌home.html>. this is reference site for all things elizabthean. perhaps i should show this site to the class, it could be of use to many people. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">“Old Elizabethan Recipes.” //Elizabethan England//. Google, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. <http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/‌old-elizabethan-recipes.htm>. This site provides recipes from Shakespeare’s time. Perhaps I will bring a few dishes in as a facet of my project. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Pinil, J. “On Richard III.” //On Richard III//. J. Pinil, 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://myincarnations.com/‌bard/‌richardIII.htm>. A great summary of the Quote about strawberries I chose to use in my Wiki. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">“Shakespeare on Food & Drink .” //No Sweat Shakespeare//. Modern Shakespeare resources and translations, 2009. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/‌resources/‌shakespeare-food-and-drink.htm>. This site will prove to be very useful because it provides instances of food being used in Shakespeare’s works. It gives the play title and scene and act number. It will be useful in proving my point that food can play a huge role in an authors work. Also, it shows how Shakespeare would make analogies comparing his characters to food.