Illustrated Menagerie: Shakespeare’s Animals

About

Bears, dogs, foxes, goats, sharks, hawks, cats, toads, stags and rats are just some of many animals the characteristics of which Shakespeare imbues his characters. As part of  the ‘Much Ado about Portsmouth’ festival (maap.port.ac.uk) in April 2016, Portsmouth will be host to a festival marking the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. These animals are just some of the thirty one creatures featured in the group piece which will be on display from 9am – 5pm every weekday and 10am – 2pm on Saturdays in the Freda Swain Business Lounge.

Central to the nature of the project is the research undertaken by the students to get ‘under the skin’ of their animal of choice, to seek to represent it in a wide variety of ways, and explore and test the results against Shakespeare’s literal and figurative use of animals in his writings. The interdisciplinary breadth of research will have students looking at their animal literally from the inside out and involves a thorough understanding of the physiology, behavior and habitat of the creature as well as the history of its representation, its social and cultural meanings and of course how its characteristics are employed within Shakespeare’s plays.

List of students and the art work they created:

Dramatis Personae…………. From top left to bottom right

• Bat Macbeth Act III Scene II Megan Macdonald
• Walrus King Lear Act IV Scene VI Josie Keable
• Bear A Winter’s Tale Act III Scene III Carl Thompson
• Snake Macbeth Act I Scene V Adam Davenport
• Bear Henry VI Part II Act V Scene I Carl Thompson
• Stag Henry VI Part I Act IV Scene II Oliver Theobald
• Shark Hamlet Act II Scene I Emily Browne
• Unicorn The Tempest Act III Scene II Darcie Couch
• Dog King Lear Act III Scene VI Kalem Richardson
• Elephant Troilus and Cressida Act I Scene II Alexandra Farley
• Stag Henry VI Act III Scene I Philip Hogg
• Songbird Venus and Adonis Jack Bruce
• Tiger Henry V Act III Scene I Lucy Page
• Cat Macbeth Act IV Scene I Hannah Waters
• Whale Love’s Labours Lost Act V Scene II Kellymarie Palfrey
• Magpie Hamlet Act III Scene II Georgie Robjant
• Bear King Lear Act I Scene II Ruth Alderton
• Ant King Lear Act II Scene IV Slavena Yacheva
• Rat The Tempest Act II Scene VII Amber Redford
• Cat Romeo and Juliet Act III Scene I Kemani Batt
• Stag As You Like It Act II Scene I Saffron Wain
• Shark The Merchant Of Venice Act III Scene I Alex Sodinca
• Fox Henry VI Part III Act IV Scene II Chloe Wright
• Cat Henry IV Part I Act I Scene II Sophie Harrison
• Hedgehog A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act II Scene II Stephanie Holmes
• Ostrich Henry IV Part I Act IV Scene I Kathryn Hopkins
• Owl Venus and Adonis Kathryn Howard
• Stag The Merry Wives of Windsor Act V Scene IV Charlotte Topcott
• Owl Venus and Adonis Kathryn Howard
• Fox Henry IV Part I Act V Scene II Tamara Phillips
• Leopard Richard II Act I Scene I Carina De Sa
• Goat Othello Act III Scene III Tamara Williams
• Whale Henry IV Part II Act IV Scene III Emilia Royal
• Minotaur Henry VI Act V Scene II Miguel Dominguez
• Squirrel Romeo and Juliet Act I Scene IV Amy Brimmer
• Dragon King Lear Act I Scene I Georgie Underwood
• Rat The Merchant of Venice Act IV Scene I Amber Redford
• Unicorn The Tempest Act III Scene III Lauren Mills
• Dragon A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act III Scene II Martyna Durska
• Hummingbird The Merry Wives of Windsor Act III Scene I Holly Seymour
• Owl Macbeth Act II Scene II Skye Jackson-Smith
• Newt, Frog, Bat, Dog Macbeth Act IV Scene I Megan Macdonald
• Dragon Troilus and Cressida Act V Scene VIII Karen Li
• Dog King Lear Act III Scene IV Candy Smith
• Caliban The Tempest Act II Scene II James Kirby

To see more of the work and for more information about the project please visit the project blog at: www.illustratedmenagerie.blogspot.co.uk