(no subject)

[ricardienne]

So last week, I came accross midsummerfest. It's devoted to a six month Harry Potter fanfiction challenge. You're supposed to take a Shakespeare play and retell it in the Potterverse. The deadline for signups is today. I'm not signing up, incidentally. I considered it briefly (doing Measure for Measure, of course) but I don't really want to a)ruin the play by turning it into a HP fanfic, b)write a giant HP fanfic, or c)spend six months doing either of the above. Also, in spite of all its claims to seriousness, I'm just not getting a very good feeling from what people have posted already.

(click on the cuts and watch me demonstrate my HP geekiness)
Othello:

First and formost- this is an AU. Voldemort is in control of the whole of the British Isles and has instiuted some sweeping reforms inside of the Ministry and British Wizarding Society. Life under his rule is not what it used to be, but it is better than most believed it would be. Still having a Dark Lord in control of all of Britain is making some of their magical neighbors slightly twitchy. To head off a possible uprising/invasion from the rest of Magical Europe, he sends his loyal Head Auror to Azkaban Isle to keep the peace, train up the troops, and fortify the isle against any possible attackers.

Okay, so this is a little odd: I mean, you have the exact same set-up without having to make Voldemort benevolent. Just allow it to be during the war. Due to concerns about a DE raid on Azkaban, the Ministry has sent their top Auror…

But all right. We've assassinated one character (namely, Voldemort) but I'll buy it -- perhaps.

Othello – Kingsley Shacklebolt- Head Auror of the *new* Ministry’s forces
Desdemona- Hermione Granger or Luna Lovegood, his wife and the adopted daughter of Severus Snape
Iago- Percy Weasley, Kingsley’s ensign
Emilia- Penelope Clearwater Weasley, Hermione’s/Luna's lady-in-waiting
Cassio- Remus Lupin, Kingsley’s Lieutenant
Bianca- Nymphadora Tonks, mistress to Remus
Duke of Venice- Voldemort
Brabantio- Severus Snape, father to Hermione/Luna and ranking Inner Circle Death Eater
Gratiano- Lucius Malfoy, another ranking Death Eater and ‘brother’ to Severus
Ludovico- Rodolphus Lestrange-ranking Death Eater and kinsman to Severus
Roderigo- Zacharias Smith, rejected suitor of Desdemona
Montano- Cornelius Fudge, Ministry Official

Is this not ridiculous?

Kinglsey Shacklebolt. Why? He's BARELY EVEN IN THE BOOKS! Oh, but we have to be accurate to the text: we need a black Othello. No, you don't. What you need is an Othello who is marginal to his society. If Voldemort is in power, you need a Muggle-born or a half-blood Othello. Also, Kinglesy was in the Order. Come to think of it: Remus was in the Order, too. So even if Voldemort is really a basically decent dictator (making him which is ridiculous in itself), why the hell would he not only have given general amnesty to the people who fought against him, but given them high ranking positions, as well? Oh, that's just brilliant.

Percy Weasley. As Iago. Percy. Remember, Iago is an experienced veteran soldier. Who's annoyed when Cassio is promoted over him. Exactly the way that Remus is much younger and less experienced than Percy, right? Percy is ambitious, true, but he HAS NEVER shown himself to be vengeful. And come on: how can you pass over Snape for an Iago figure?

But no, Snape is now the father of Hermione/Luna. Who is going to marry Kinglsey. Head, meet Desk.

Twelfth Night:

ORISINO- Draco Malfoy; Of all the characters in HP, I personally think that Draco is the Duke of Illyria more than any other. Maybe it's just I see him as an aristocrat? But also, because I think it would work with who I have cast as Olivia and Viola.

VALENTINE- Blaise Zabini; I chose him simply because I think he would be rather interesting in this position.

CURIO- Theodore Nott; I also think he would be interesting in this position and it would be nice to have 3 rather different characters as 'friends'.

FIRST/SECOND OFFICER- Crabbe/Goyle; because they are the obvious choice, especially as they are Draco's lackies in the books...

VIOLA- Hermione Granger; I think she has Hermione's spunk ^^

SEBASTIAN- Harry Potter; I'm not quite sure why I picked him for this part... but I do think it could work... I hope...

CAPTAIN- Semus Finigan (sp?); Not quite sure why, think because I felt it should be someone known rather than an oc and I think I can see him in this part...

ANTONIO- Neville Longbottom; I was originally going to cast Ron but then I thought nope, got a better place for him. Erm.. I think Neville would be good in this part if not interesting...

OLIVIA- Pansy Parkinson; For obvious reasons, and because of who Orisino and Sebastian are...

MARIA- I don't know who to cast here, possibly Ginny?

SIR TOBY- Am stuck who to cast here also, but have no idea...

SIR ANDREW- ditto here; possibly Snape?

MARVOLO- Ron Weasley; because I am cruel ^.~

FABIAN- don't know here either...

FESTE- George/Fred Weasley; was thinking of getting rid of Fabian and just having the Twins

Granted, this is the first evidence I've seen of someone who 'ships Harry/Pansy. Although I'm not sure if this person has actually read/finished the play, seeing as she thinks Olivia's steward is named MARVOLO. Perhaps she thinks that Viola and Sebastien end up together, or perhaps she's just a Harry-Hater who thinks that Draco and Hermione should be a pair.

But Ron as Malvolio? Why? I can see Ron as Sir Andrew, perhaps, but not Malvolio. PERCY could be Malvolio. And Snape as Sir Andrew? Has she read either the play or the books? And Ginny as Maria? Maybe if Hermione were Olivia. But, you know, Ginny and Pansy are just great friends that way.

So that, in short, is another reason why I'm not participating.

Natty and I talked about it for a while the other night; the fun part is "casting" and figuring out the "mise en scene," and making fun of other people's choices.

Comments

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

Heh. I saw that and was sorely tempted, but decided against it on the grounds that a) I don't like HP enough to do it b) I have a bad track record for finishing things like that and c) I have a dissertation to write, for crying out loud. So I gave it a miss and am no doubt better off for it.

At any rate someone's taken the play I wanted, which means that instead I can raise eyebrows incredulously at whatever ends up being done to it. ;)

[kaskait.livejournal.com]

HP and Will!! Why would someone want to do that to poor Shakespeare? It's too frightening to contemplate.

I don't want any of the HP characters anywhere near my favorite Shakespeare plays.

[arriterre.livejournal.com]

Hermione? o_o I really don't see her as naive enough to be Desdemona.

[achyvi.livejournal.com]

So how many people do you think will purposefully cast Harry or Ron opposite Hermione, no matter how ill-fit they are for the role, to live out their slash fiction fantasies?

I'm betting way over 60%, myself.

[flyinghouse.livejournal.com]

I'll take you up. Snape will be cast opposite Hermione at least 60% of the time.

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

Not to mention Draco. Or is he more often against Ginny? Though I haven't seen one up there, yet.


The latest (and looking to be best as it isn't taking itself seriously) features Fudge and Umbridge as Theseus and Hippolyta…