Competition Tessa Castro
IN COMPETITION No 254, you were invited to summarise a Shakespeare play in a single limerick. The example I gave came from Twitter, but two of you pointed out that it was written by Stanley J Sharpless (1910-1998) for a New Statesman competition in 1975, and then appeared in a collection edited by the wonderful Arthur Marshall and later in The Penguin Book of Limericks edited by E O Parrott. So I was right to admire it, but wrong to trust Twitter.
You sent lots of excellent entries. Timothy Jones sent a limerick for each play, including Henry VIII, which was impressive but a mixed blessing. Commiserations to those for whom there is no room. Congratulations to those printed below, each of whom wins £12.50, with the bardic bonus prize of The Chambers Dictionary of Great Quotations going to David Jeans.
The Tempest It’s Love Island for our handsome pair, But their fathers have issues to square; ‘I’m so full of remorse.’ ‘We’ll return home?’ ‘Of course.’ ‘You be duke; hide your wand over there.’ David Jeans
The Taming of the Shrew Petruchio’s taming the shrew, Using methods extreme, to subdue Her resistance – he’s proud. When Kat’rina is cowed, The ending’s a case for #Metoo. Sylvia Fairley
Titus Andronicus Having vanquished the Goth army fast, he Comes home with some captives at last. He Alas does the same When they kill and they maim, Serving up the Queen’s sons in a pasty. Timothy Jones
King Lear Cruel gods drive this dire diorama, Lear’s realm, overwhelmed by bad karma: Gloucester loses his eyes, Almost everyone dies, Quite the norm for Shakespearean drama. Mike Morrison
Othello This military Moor named Othello, A noble yet insecure fellow, Slays his virtuous wife, Then takes his own life,
On the word of Iago, who’s yellow. Janey Wilks
Two Gentlemen of Verona Two gents, in Milan, each feel sure The Duke’s daughter will fancy them more. And a cross-dressing page Finds him/herself upstaged By a scene-stealing dog in Act IV. Con Connell
Measure for Measure When Angelo’s running the city, He meets a young nun who is pretty. He tries to corrupt her, And thinks that he’s tupped her. He’s fooled. He does not deserve pity. George Simmers
King Lear The old king, since his thinking is hazy, Flips Cordelia the bird. Whoops-a-daisy! He is destined to find Cordy’s sisters unkind. Soon he’s not only stupid, but crazy. Max Gutmann
COMPETITION No 256 A verse postcard to a grandchild, please, describing something we used to do, with the title Before the Virus. Maximum 16 lines.
This month we cannot accept entries by post, I’m afraid, but do send them by e-mail (comps@theoldie.co.uk – don’t forget to include your own postal address), marked ‘Competition No 256’, by 25th June.