To say that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is highly anticipated is like saying Elizabeth I was a queen of England. There's so much more. And what better way to prepare than to look at the lighter side of this iconic franchise?
It is well known that Shakespeare never used an original story in his life, so what fun it is to imagine what he would have done with Star Wars. Ian Doescher has done more than that: He has rewritten the two trilogies as Shakespeare might have as plays. There's iambic pentameter, a five-act structure and Yoda-isms that now don't sound quite as strange. I'm probably going to make some enemies here, but the dialogue, especially in the prequels, is often better than the original. Doescher borrows language liberally from the Bard, but nothing incomprehensible, and theater geeks like me will have fun spotting the purloined quotes.
If you want more pop culture filtered through the Sweet Swan of Avon, there's Pop Sonnets by Erik Didriksen. Popular songs new and old get the 14-line treatment and often come out the better for it. While remaining true to the theme of these ditties, the sonnet format often distills the sentiments down to something other than empty earworms. Everyone from the Beatles to Selena Gomez gets the business, and it's definitely worth a chuckle.
Want more fun with Star Wars? The series of graphic novels by Jeffrey Brown that begins with Darth Vader and Son and Vader's Little Princess is certainly giggle-inducing. Although he's still in the trademark black suit, these books portray Darth Vader as less a galactic tough guy and more a harried father trying to keep up with his kids, little Luke and Leia. Anyone who has kids will recognize the illustration of Vader falling asleep over a bedtime story while his kids jump energetically on the bed.
What are your favorite Shakespeare mashups? What about Star Wars parodies?
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