Student's Guide To The Bard's Cast Poem by Bill Hammersley

</>Of great and Shakespearian tales past told
We dare not the mysteries to behold
To tell again to students new

Of Othello, the black Venetian Moor
Macbeth the King of Scottish lore
Hamlet and the king he slew

Iago amoral, thieving, killer crook
His wife Emilia’s life he took
To keep concealed, kills Rodrigo too

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern two hired spies of Claudius
Who’s treachery was so pointless and death so outright joyous
And Hamlet’s trust all lost in vain
.
The madness of Lear’s idle bequest
To daughters greedy and obsessed
Did send him wandering on the plain

Rosalind of Forest Arden, disguised as fair lad Ganymede
Who’s love for Orlando she did decree
Learned as a maiden did attain

Macbeth’s fair Lady, witch of Castle Dunsinane
Her nightmares full of unforgiving pain.
She takes her life to pay the price.

The lovely Hermia who’s love of Lysander
Her dad Egeus would rend asunder
To wed Demetrius he would entice

Of Puck the jester of the court
He spreads the magic juice to thwart
The plans the lovers’ own device.

And so my students of the Bard
You have a notion to regard
Of who the creatures in all his plays
Did fare through each his many soirees
How some were low and some were high
And all did finally say goodbye.