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Gallery Star Trek and Shakespeare
Right from its debut in 1966, Star Trek has drawn heavily upon Shakespeare for its stories, characters, titles and actors. William Shatner spent three years at the Stratford Shakepeare Festival, Patrick Stewart was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for twenty-five years, and Christopher Plummer has worked at Stratford and with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Here are a few highlights concerning Star Trek, Shakespeare and Canada.
Video Clip: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The title of the movie is taken from Hamlet (3.1.81). Christopher Plummer plays the Shakespeare-quoting Klingon General Chang.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Video Clip: Shatner's Vision
Video Clip: Caesar Rap
Shatner does a rap version of Mark Antony's "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" speech in Julius Caesar (3.2).
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| Willian Shatner, The Transformed Man |
Audio Clip: William Shatner's "King Henry The Fifth"
William Shatner as King Harry delivers the speech from Henry V 3.1. The opening flurry of music sounds like the music they played during fight sequences during the original Star Trek.
Shatner, William. The Transformed Man. Varese Vintage, 1968.
Audio Clip: William Shatner's "Hamlet"
Shatner performs the "To be, or not to be" speech (Hamlet 3.1) like only he can. The background music also sounds like Star Trek. Ay, there's the rub.
Shatner, William. The Transformed Man. Varese Vintage, 1968.
Audio Clip: "Mr. Tambourine Man"
Shatner's interpretation of this Bob Dylan classic is essential listening. This is a bit of a stretch but in The Tempest (3.2) Ariel plays the tabor (a small drum used to accompany oneself on a pipe or fife) and his music leads Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban off stage. A taborer is one who plays a tabor.
Stephano: Lead monster; we'll follow.--I would I could see this taborer [Tambourine Man?]. He lays it on (3.2.145-46).
Shatner, William. The Transformed Man. Varese Vintage, 1968.
William Shatner's "I Am Canadian" Rant
July 2000
Just For Laughs Festival, Montreal
Links:
Star Trek: The Canadian Generation
Shakespeare Online: "To Bardly Go..."
Surfing with the Bard: The Undiscover'd Country
Acting Advice from Shakespeare and Shatner
The Kingon Language Institute: The Klingon Hamlet
The Klingon Language Institute: Much Ado About Nothing
