“To be or not to be, that is the question, whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Ah, that famous Shakespearean quote.

Learned it from the Classic Illustrated series*. All the heavy hitters in comic book form; proto-graphic novels. No normal kid comics permitted.

I’d do my chores, get my .25 weekly allowance and head to the variety store. Some penny candy (peppermint leaves, licorice twists) and a weekend play date with HG. or RLS.

 

I know, a bit of a cheat seeing as Billy, not me, wrote 26 of the 83 words. But honestly, that phrase pops into my head insistently, based on my memorization of the soliloquy. Any manner of things will set it off.

In school, had to memorize Portia’s “The quality of mercy is not strained, It droppeth as gentle rain” speech. Also, for my own warped reasoning, my “memory piece” for a grade school class was Poe’s “the Raven.”

Might have been the same year when my teacher called my mother to suggest I was a disturbed child. My version of a Hallowe’en story was definitely Poe-ish. And, compared to the rest of the assignments (friendly ghosts, costume parties, trick or treating), mine was the most macabre. And, the ending involved the loss of a body part. (Does this count as a socs post since I mentioned this week’s prompt: body parts?)

I mention this it’s almost howlin’en. Now, do I put the treats out on Saturday or Sunday?

wk 232 question

A click on the graphic will take you to sammi’s home page

The Classics Illustrated comic book series began life in 1941 with its first issue, Alexandre Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers” [sic], and has since included over 200 classic tales released around the world. This new edition is specifically tailored to engage and educate young readers with some of the greatest works ever written, while still thrilling older readers who have loving memories of this series of old. Each book contains dedicated theme iscussions and study questions to further develop the reader’s understanding and enjoyment of the work at hand. Amazon.com

Classics Illustrated is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as Les Misérables, Moby-Dick, Hamlet, and The Iliad. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication in 1941 and finished its first run in 1969, producing 169 issues. Wikipedia