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William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope
William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope | Ian Doescher
48 posts | 62 read | 37 to read
Experience the Star Wars saga reimagined as an Elizabethan drama penned by William Shakespeare himself, complete with authentic meter and verse, and theatrical monologues and dialogue by everyone from Darth Vader to R2D2. Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas's epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare's greatest plays. Authentic meter, stage directions, reimagined movie scenes and dialogue, and hidden Easter eggs throughout will entertain and impress fans of Star Wars and Shakespeare alike. Every scene and character from the film appears in the play, along with twenty woodcut-style illustrations that depict an Elizabethan version of the Star Wars galaxy. Zounds! This is the book you're looking for.
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Awk_Word_Smith
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Pickpick

Verily, I confess this folly to be most enjoyable. Is it Shakespeare? Actually…

George Lucas studied character archetypes and used them all in constructing Star Wars. One can see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in R2-D2 and C-3PO. Luke follows the hero arch. Darth Vader corresponds to Othello when viewed through the larger scope of Episodes I-VI, or rather the Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker.

Awk_Word_Smith But I doth protest too much. Science fiction fans may see the similarities, while Shakespeare fans may see this theory as a stretch; but I am a Star Wars geek who also is a Shakespeare geek, so this particular “fun” read was quite enjoyable, feeding my own personal duality. 4/5 stars since it was neither Shakespeare nor Star Wars. LOL (edited) 13mo
15 likes1 comment
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Awk_Word_Smith
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Verily, an enjoyable folly of the great Star Wars, I do say.

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Graciouswarriorprincess
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Happy May the Fourth! Happy Star Wars Day!

Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth Be With You!! This set is one of my favorite sets of books: William Shakespeare‘s Star Wars by Ian Doescher. I love the language and illustrations are wonderfully done along with the beautiful covers.

Have you read these books? Do you have a favorite one?

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I love these, they are great on audiobook too. I love the original trilogy the best! 4y
BookwormAHN I have some of them. The illustrations are gorgeous 💚 4y
Graciouswarriorprincess @Riveted_Reader_Melissa The audiobooks are great! @BookwormAHN 😊👍🏻📚 4y
48 likes1 stack add3 comments
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TheEllieMo
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jmtrivera
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Pickpick

This was so much fun! In writing this, Doescher not only retells Star Wars creatively, but also references Shakespeare in multiple lines throughout the book that still remain natural to the story. If you're a Star Wars fan (and who isn't?), there are also many in-jokes and inner monologues that elaborate on the story. It was not just fun to read, but also to read aloud/perform for my husband and daughter. And the illustrations were great!

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jmtrivera
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We did a Secret Santa at work. Turns out my co-teacher totally gets me. 😁💜

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Blueberry
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OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚⭐️ 5y
40 likes1 stack add2 comments
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LondElle89
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Pickpick

This was such a fun book to listen to on audiobook! The casting was amazing and just so funny and smart. 5 out of 5.

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MotionChickness
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Next up on the book editions no one asked for, but were absolutely needed. 😂🙌🏻

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SauerPatch
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My #bookhaul from the Friends of the Library book sale! I scored a VARIETY for $13.50! 🤩 I‘m most excited about the tagged book, but also one more Outlander hardcover for my collection, a Cornwall for my husband, a “project piece”, (January Thaw), a few cookbooks, and some picture books and digital media for my kids. 🤗

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Ross
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Happy Star Wars Day!

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ju.ca.no
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May I introduce: Yoda, my new reading companion😻 my roommate decided to get a cat, he arrived last night and loves to cuddle😍 I‘m in love already😍 #catsoflitsy

julesG He's cute! So cute! 6y
BookwormAHN So cute 😻 6y
Moony Ohhh sooo cute and beautiful! 🐈 6y
See All 13 Comments
Crazeedi Lucky you! Yoda is adorable, he will steal your heart!❤😻 6y
Freespirit Hello Yoda😍 6y
8little_paws What a little doll!! 6y
Soubhiville Awwww, sweet! 6y
JoScho So cute! 6y
tournevis Aaaaaaaaaawwwww!!!! 6y
Meaw_catlady Awww!!! Lil Yoda and so adorable! 6y
Tamra 🤗😍 6y
ladym30 Yoda is sweet!❤️ 6y
DGRachel Adorable! 6y
75 likes13 comments
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MotionChickness
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“Nay, these are not the droids you are looking for.”

Couldn‘t find him in the store after he said he was ready to go.... Stumbled upon him in the sci-fi.. reading the Shakespearean Star Wars out loud to himself 😂 I can‘t.

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Daisey
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Pickpick

What a wonderfully fun experience! I wanted something lighter between my other more serious #audiobook listens, and this was perfect. The combination of a full cast and sound effects to complement this mashup of classics was fantastic.

Also a #blameitonLitsy choice thanks to the posts by @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘m so glad you liked it, I‘ve been delighted with these myself. 6y
43 likes1 comment
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SleepyDragon
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1. Yup.
2. Netflix
3. Sci fi (many subgenres)
4. Yup, when the kids are watching educational shows, they are less likely to bug me.
5. Tagged + sequels

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BookmarkTavern
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Pickpick

I just... heh... so much giggling at work.

This was a very quirky, fun ride with a full cast production including sound effects and music. As fun as those aspects were, there were several times where they overwhelmed the dialogue.

I did tear up a bit every time Princess Leia spoke. They had some impressive impersonations going on. R2D2's asides to the audience and the Ewoks speaking in iambic pentameter were particularly delightful. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

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SconsinBookyBadger
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I iz Darth Kitteh. #maythe4thbewithyou #thecutenessisstrongwiththisone

Photo credit: I Iz Cat on Instagram

Ddzmini 😂😂😂😂 7y
AmyG Hahahaha...I just sent this to my daughter who has a black cat and a BF who loves Star Wars. 7y
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SconsinBookyBadger @AmyG my brother sent me this pic too! 😹🖤 7y
BiblioLitten This pic made my day😘 7y
SconsinBookyBadger @BiblioLitten the kitty is so cute regardless of its expression 😹🖤 7y
Eggs 🤣😂😅😹😹 7y
Debiw781 😍😍😍 7y
24 likes10 comments
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TrishTheBibliophile
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When you realize you finally might be willing to learn what all this Star Wars hype is about. 😂

TNbookworm Oh my gosh!! I ❤❤❤ this! 7y
SleepyDragon This is an awesome read. 7y
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Petrichor74
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Pickpick

Wishing you and yours a wonderful, book-filled holiday season❤️❤️

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Ross
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Pickpick

If you haven‘t, but you love Shakespeare and Star Wars, then you absolutely should. This is actually consistently brilliant, in my opinion. A love letter to the Bard‘s work as well as to the Holy Trilogy. I‘m definitely gonna get the other two at some point.

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wingedsnails
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Yes...

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Graciouswarriorprincess
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A Star Wars sonnet. #maythefourthbewirhyou

43 likes1 stack add
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Tanner
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MSzyd
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Day 150: "For certain, I have waited, Obi-Wan, And now at last we meet together here..." #shoes by #irregularchoice from #modcloth

DivineDiana Those shoes are out of this world! 8y
MSzyd Thank you!!!! It was love at first sight. (Also I adore your pun 💚) 8y
Graciouswarriorprincess Love those shoes!! 8y
7 likes3 comments
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Graciouswarriorprincess
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#Maythefourthbewithyou. Happy Star Wars Day!

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SconsinBookyBadger
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In time so long ago begins our play, In star-crossed galaxy far, far away. #maythefourthbewithyou

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Superpower_Loading
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In fair Dagobah, where we lay our scene...
Alas, poor Ani! He was burnt to crisp...
For never was a story of more grit
Than this of X-Wings and of Yoda's wit!
A tale, told by a Jedi, full of woe and sadness, facing his once brother...
May the 4th be with you!

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Shixam

'Tis but the ship that hath the Kessel run
Accomplish'd in twelve parsecs, nothing more.

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Shixam
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This is awesome if you imagine the lines being spoken in the actor's voices. Especially Han's.

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Tanner
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Day 7 #alltheworldsastage #feistyfeb I studied a lot of Shakespeare in university, and also enjoy the original Star Wars trilogy, so of course I had to own these.

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CrowCAH
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#charactersonthenautylist Darth Vader. This is Shakespeare's Star Wars for movies 4, 5, 6, where the story is told in iambic pentameter!!! #seasonsreadings2016

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Gabypen
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Introducing to all litsians, my puppy Mr. P! Even if he has brought his fair share of mischief, he's a huge source of joy in my life, and hopefully he brings some joy to all of you! And although he's not much of a reader, we both recommend this hilarious adventure Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher because hilarious adventure pretty much sums up our time together. #dogsoflitsy #petsoflitsy

LauraBeth Cute boy! He looks like a cross between a GSP and a pittie 🐶 8y
Gabypen @LauraBeth he's definitely a mix, of what we're not sure. I've heard of those and maybe blue heeler, but either way he's unique for sure 8y
Eyelit Adorable! 🐶💚 8y
9 likes3 comments
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LizzyNanney
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"I vengeance bring!"

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Awesome! I loved the audiobook, I bet this is great! 8y
CrowCAH @LizzyNanney my younger sister owns these and I perused one for a couple pages and it's just brilliant! -Shakespeare and Star Wars! 8y
22 likes3 comments
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LauraBrook
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Mehso-so

Book #2 for the #readathon. I confess that I'm not a super fan of Star Wars (I like it just fine) and that I grabbed this ARC years ago simply for the premise and because I 💚Shakespeare. Clever and funny, it would've been a pick if I was more familiar with the dialogue from the movie.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I enjoyed this one, but I love Star Wars and I listened to the audiobook which was wonderful (performed with a full cast). 8y
29 likes1 comment
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Linsy
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I need to try this — just to read Vader Shakespeare-style. #starwars #octphotochallenge #shakespeare

Leniverse That sounds hilarious! 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa These are awesome!!!! I totally loved them and I have to suggest the audiobooks, they are read by a whole cast, with sound effects, etc. it was like a radio drama play. Excellent! 8y
Linsy @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Oooh, that sounds awesome!! I'll have to read them that way for sure. 8y
LibrarianRyan @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I will have to try the audios. I read the first book. I have not had a chance to read the rest of the series yet, but I did buy them for the library. 8y
Bradleygirl I loved this beyond reason, but am magnetized by both Shakespeare and Star Wars. It was too much fun to see them combined so lovingly. 8y
45 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Librarianaut
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#StarWars day!!!

ephemeralwaltz I need to get my hands on a copy of this!! 😍😍😍 How is it?? 8y
Librarianaut @ephemeralwaltz I am doing a slow read to savor the language and nuances. I read all of Shakespeare's works as part of my theatre major in college (a million years ago) and the meter & snark feel Shakespearean, but I'm not reading for critique (and it's been so long) that I couldn't tell you how deep the author went to "get it right". I am just enjoying it ?? 8y
Graciouswarriorprincess I love this series! 8y
22 likes3 comments
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Graciouswarriorprincess
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Happy Star Wars Read Day!

Laura317 😍😍😍 8y
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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kmbezner
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one of these things is not like the others...

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Such a loss, and I'm siting this wonderful play version, that gave R2 a voice in puckish asides....awesome audiobook listen if you like Star Wars and Shakespeare. http://www.starwars.com/news/kenny-baker-the-actor-who-brought-r2-d2-to-life-pas...

55 likes1 stack add
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BookswithTea
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Super geeking out over this!! 🤓😍 going on my wish list for sure!

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Makatma
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I enjoyed this way more than my students. #starwars #shakespeare

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AliceInWonderLibrary
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This is wonderful to see.

SusanInTiburon What fun! 8y
16 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Devyn
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What else is a Shakespeare student to read on May Fourth? May the Fourth be with you and your reading!

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Pickpick

In honor of May the 4th Be With You!
Star Wars done in the style of Shakespeare? Those lines known so well in iambic pentameter? Sounds ridiculous & like something that could never work, but it does, & the result is both hilarious & brilliant! Loved the audiobook, like all plays, best read aloud!

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BaconTheBooks
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QuirkBooks
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Author Ian Doescher imagines a deleted scene from The Tempest on Goodreads:

I bid thee, tell me father, who prevails?
Those who are bound unto the sky walker,
Or those who bow unto the mighty kirk?

https://www.goodreads.com/questions/729121-can-you-a-come-up-with-a-deleted-scen...

cctimby All the world's a stage and we are merely observers. 9y
45 likes7 stack adds1 comment
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QuirkBooks
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Our geeky gift picks include William Shakespeare's Star Wars!

13 likes7 stack adds