Quill After Midnight

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Night watchman
I must admit that my first impression of the William Shakespeare action figure was - what is all the big deal. I even have a background in Shakespeare acting - though I don't have a job with that training. But if you look at the William Shakespeare action figure - even though he has a scroll and quiil - your first reaction is what is all the fuss for?

Narrator
As the narrator of this podcast episode, my suggestion is to look at the history of the character behind the William Shakespeare action figure, complete with quill. Do you have any comments, Mr. Shakespeare. I would be surprised if you didn't.

English Shakespeare
Yes gentlemen, if you visit the city of Stratford-upon-Avon in England today, the first thing you’ll probably hear is that I was born in 1564. We don’t actually know the exact day, but we do know that I was baptized on April 26th at Holy Trinity Church. Since baptisms usually happened a few days after birth, tradition has settled on April 23rd — St. George’s Day — as my birthday. A fitting coincidence, since St. George is England’s patron saint and many individuals said during an after my life that Iwould become England’s greatest poet.

Night watchmen
Mr. Shakespeare, I am from the State of Mississippi in the United States, and am currently employed as a night watchmen in this toy museum. Could you tell us about YOUR background in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Shakespeare
Certainly. I was the son of John Shakespeare, a glove maker and part-time wool dealer who rose to become an alderman in the town, and Mary Arden, who came from a well-off farming family. My parents gave me a household connected both to trade and to old Warwickshire landowners.

Night watchman
I can't believe I'm talking to a toy - especially such a small toy - but I guess it isn't every day that you get a chance to talk to the world's greatest writer - even if it is an action figure. Well I might as well ask you - you obviously know that you are very small and stature - but what seems to bother you the most?

Shakespeare
Ah, let's view things in perspective one must realize that after midnight, the Toy Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Toys and Childhood Artifacts
is a very opinionated place.
The teddy bear has thoughts about immigration.
The race cars debate who’s the fastest.
And down one quiet aisle,
between a plastic model of the Globe Theatre
and a bucket of foam swords,
stands a small figure in black.
Black doublet.
White ruff.
Quill pen forever poised above a tiny scroll.
And my name tag reads:
“William Shakespeare Action Figure
c. 2010 – Plastic, Paint, and a Suspiciously Confident Smirk.”
Shakespeare
Good even, kind sir.
You may put “suspiciously confident smirk” in the catalogue if you like,
but ’twas crafted by a very cheap mould.

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