Which Shakespeare characters are portrayed in Shakespearean Fantasy by James Christensen?

Question

I've recently discovered James Christensen and have acquired a very nice print of "Shakespearean Fantasy" but I'm having trouble identifying all the characters.

I can't find the information anywhere online so I'm hoping someone out there knows enough about Shakespeare to tell me!

Here's a link to an image of the print (although mine doesn't have those weird triangles at the bottom)

http://www.world-wide-art.com/art/gi/lprintjpgs/c/jchristensen/shakespeareanfantasy.jpg

Thanks!!

Answer 1

I don't think I can get them all, it starts to get blurry when I zoom in too much. But -

Hamlet's the dude in black talking to the skull. Othello is...well, the black dude. The old guy at the bottom who's still got his energy and looks like he's whipping up a tempest is Prospero (from The Tempest), while the old guy on his left, cowering with a court jester type of little fellow, is King Lear.



Upper left corner, the guy with the big sword and dark hair is Richard III. Under him the toga-clad gentleman with the knife is most likely Brutus from Julius Caesar.The three witches standing around a cauldron are from Macbeth.



There are two women in balconies, and I can't place the one in the middle with the red hair, but the one on the far right is Juliet (the rose gives it away). To Juliet's left, Shylock the Merchant of Venice is hanging out. Oh, and in the upper right corner the guy dropping off the baby is Antigonus from The Winter's Tale (get it? winter?) He is most famous as the unfortunate gentleman who must "exit, pursued by a bear." Which then eats him.



That's about all I can t get with high enough confidence. There's probably some sort of fairy / Midsummer Night's Dream reference up at the very top, and is the big fat guy supposed to be Falstaff?



That was fun, I hope somebody else can fill in the blanks.

Answer 2

To add to the quest for enlightenment as to the characters so far unidentified. The woman on the balcony in the center ,with red hair is Kate , "The Taming of the Shrew",I also believe The man with staff at edge of water is Prospero, The other old man entering the water is a mystery. King Lear and the jester are located on the left below woman with mask. Behind Hamlet in small niche, "Measure for Measure" possibly Isabella.

Answer 3

I like your Star Trek Holodeck reference, ha ha. I actually am a girl who would love to be Hamlet, he's my favorite character out of literature because his emotions feel so real. And, it would be awesome to deliver the "To be or not to be" soliloquy. I would also like to be Henry from Henry V, I love how he starts off as such a rebel but ends up as a hero. Also, being Romeo or Juliet would be fun (well, you know, up until the tragic death part), because they experience such intense love for each other. Being a really evil person like Iago or Aaron (from Titus Andronicus) might also be interesting. or to be in a comedy like The Taming of the Shrew or A Midsummer Night's Dream would be fun! it's so hard to choose, the characters of Shakespeare can be so dynamic.

Answer 4

Bottom is the donkey at the top of the trees from "Midsummer Night s Dream". Beatrice is the woman with the mask halfway down on the left from "Much Ado About Nothing". Shakespeare is sitting near her feet with quill in hand.