{"id":11699,"date":"2023-04-19T17:38:04","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T21:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/?p=11699"},"modified":"2023-04-19T17:38:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T21:38:04","slug":"much-ado-for-dinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2023\/04\/19\/much-ado-for-dinner\/","title":{"rendered":"Much Ado For Dinner"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Hark thee! Heigh ho, come thee hither and celebrateth National Shakespeare Day! Wouldn\u2019t it be fun to talk like Shakespeare and his pals back in Elizabethan times? T\u2019will be a hilarious dinner conversation if everyone adopted \u201cShakespearian\u201d language. Although “The Bard” is best known for his plays, his poetry and use of rhyming in his works showed his grasp and creative use of language. It’s only fitting that we celebrate him in his birth month of April, also the month dedicated as National Poetry Month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Well, maybe speaking in iambic pentameter<\/a> or reciting sonnets t\u2019would be folly for every dinner conversation but t\u2019would be a lot of fun to host an event honoring Shakespeare. We\u2019ll be using a lot of thou<\/em>, thee, thine<\/em> and yea<\/em> or nay<\/em> throughout our conversation. Let\u2019s make it a real revelry with outfits, conversation and food.<\/p>\n

Perchance To Join For Dinner? A Salute To Shakespeare.<\/h2>\n
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  1. Speak The Speech:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0If everyone joins in, you won\u2019t be a laughing stock<\/a>! But there will be merriment and gaiety. Practice using phrases and words common<\/a> in the Elizabethan era. Here\u2019s a site that will translate<\/a> currently used words to Shakespearian.\"\"<\/li>\n
  2. Come in Character:<\/span><\/strong> Ask your guests to dress as Shakespeare, one of the characters from his famous plays or even Queen Elizabeth. Intertwine leaves, branches and flowers in a costume to become Tatiana from Midsummer\u2019s Night Dream or dress all in black like Hamlet. Collars, ruffs, doublets, hose, breeches, puffy sleeves and voluminous capes were all the style. Remember men used to play the female parts in the plays, so a man dressing as Juliet would be historically appropriate and<\/em> comical!<\/li>\n
  3. Prepare To Amuse:<\/strong> <\/span>As Shakespeare did, endeavor to entertain. Ask your guests to come with a prepared excerpt from one of his plays or poems, recite an original sonnet<\/a> or act out a scene from a favorite play. Ahh…an ode to thy delectable dinner…<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Tune In Music:<\/strong><\/span> Shakespeare was known to enhance and set the mood of a scene with music. \u00a0Play some of the beautiful operas and other classical pieces inspired<\/a> by his plays as your guests enjoy their dinner. If music be the food of love, play on.<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n
  5. Set An Elizabethan Table:<\/strong><\/span> While some of the wealthier members had adopted the Italian custom of using spoons, most of the populace in this era only used their hands and knives. Forks were yet to be introduced to the place setting. Food was served in wooden and bread trenchers, beer in tankards and wine in goblets. Thank goodness napkins were readily used! Interestingly, women placed their napkins in their laps, but men draped them over one shoulder! Remember to light plenty of candles since there wasn\u2019t electricity in the 1500\u2019s.<\/li>\n
  6. Feast As Shakespeare Did:<\/strong><\/span> Fans of the farm-to-table efforts would have loved the selections from Shakespeare\u2019s time. The chefs of that time were creative both with using found ingredients and presentation of the various dishes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n