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The Shakespeare Code (TV story): Difference between revisions
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==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
[[London]], [[1599]]. A nymph is serenaded from her balcony by a lute-playing swain, Wiggins. She bids him enter, but to his shock he finds it full of [[witchcraft|witching]] artefacts. The woman, [[Lilith]], kisses Wiggins — but, on pulling away, he finds her transformed into a wrinkled hag. She introduces her two "mothers", [[Doomfinger|Mother Doomfinger]] and [[Bloodtide (Carrionite)|Mother Bloodtide]], who cackle and lunge at the screaming youth, apparently devouring him. | [[London]], [[1599]]. A nymph is serenaded from her balcony by a lute-playing swain,[[ Wiggins|Wiggins]]. She bids him enter, but to his shock he finds it full of [[witchcraft|witching]] artefacts. The woman, [[Lilith]], kisses Wiggins — but, on pulling away, he finds her transformed into a wrinkled hag. She introduces her two "mothers", [[Doomfinger|Mother Doomfinger]] and [[Bloodtide (Carrionite)|Mother Bloodtide]], who cackle and lunge at the screaming youth, apparently devouring him. | ||
Meanwhile, the TARDIS has just landed nearby. [[Martha Jones|Martha]] questions whether it is safe to walk around in the past, citing familiar time travel [[Paradox|paradoxes ]] | Meanwhile, the TARDIS has just landed nearby. [[Martha Jones|Martha]] questions whether it is safe to walk around in the past, citing familiar time travel [[Paradox|paradoxes as]] the [[Temporal paradox|Grandfather paradox]] and a reference to the Ray Bradbury short story "A Sound of Thunder" and worries about her reception as a black woman in a time when slavery still exists. The Doctor tells her not to worry. He isn't even human and Elizabethan England is far more tolerant and like the 21st century than she might think. He depones they have arrived in London in [[1599]] and takes her to the [[Globe Theatre]]. At the end of the play, ''[[Love's Labour's Lost]]'', Shakespeare announces there will soon be a sequel, ''[[Love's Labour's Won]]''. Lilith, using a poppet, influences Shakespeare to aver rashly the new play will premiere the following evening. Martha asks why she has never heard of ''Love's Labour's Won''. The Doctor knows of the lost play. He, decides to find out more about why it was never published — and extends Martha's "one trip". | ||
The two go to The Elephant, the inn where William Shakespeare is staying. They chat with the playwright, who intends to finish writing the final scene of ''Love Labour's Won'' that night. An instantly beguiled Shakespeare ("Hey nonny ''nonny!''") tries to woo Martha, describing her as "a queen of [[Africa|Afric]]" or a "Blackamoor lady", which she finds slightly offensive. The Doctor claims she comes from "Freedonia". | The two go to The Elephant, the inn where William Shakespeare is staying. They chat with the playwright, who intends to finish writing the final scene of ''Love Labour's Won'' that night. An instantly beguiled Shakespeare ("Hey nonny ''nonny!''") tries to woo Martha, describing her as "a queen of [[Africa|Afric]]" or a "Blackamoor lady", which she finds slightly offensive. The Doctor claims she comes from "Freedonia". Shakespeare sees past the Doctor's psychic paper, which the Doctor cites as proof of the man's genius. | ||
[[Lynley]], Master of the Revels, demands to see the script before he allows the play to proceed. When Shakespeare offers to show him the finished script in the morning, the official leaves proclaiming that this slight means he will ensure the play will never be performed; the Doctor assumes that this explains why ''Love's Labour's Won'' was never shown. The three 'witches' watch the scene in a cauldron. Lilith, who works at the inn, secretly takes some of Lynley's hair and makes another poppet, which she plunges into a bucket of water. The Doctor, Martha and Shakespeare hear a commotion in the street and run out, where Lynley vomits water. Lilith stabs the doll in the chest, and Lynley collapses, dead. The Doctor calmly announces that Lynley has died of an imbalance of the humours, privately tellling Martha that any other explanation would lead to panic about [[witchcraft]]. When Martha asks what ''did'' kill Lynley, the Doctor responds "Witchcraft". | [[Lynley]], Master of the Revels, demands to see the script before he allows the play to proceed. When Shakespeare offers to show him the finished script in the morning, the official leaves proclaiming that this slight means he will ensure the play will never be performed; the Doctor assumes that this explains why ''Love's Labour's Won'' was never shown. The three 'witches' watch the scene in a cauldron. Lilith, who works at the inn, secretly takes some of Lynley's hair and makes another poppet, which she plunges into a bucket of water. The Doctor, Martha and Shakespeare hear a commotion in the street and run out, where Lynley vomits water. Lilith stabs the doll in the chest, and Lynley collapses, dead. The Doctor calmly announces that Lynley has died of an imbalance of the humours, privately tellling Martha that any other explanation would lead to panic about [[witchcraft]]. When Martha asks what ''did'' kill Lynley, the Doctor responds "Witchcraft". | ||
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The actors have already spoken the last lines of the play, a series of directions and instructions that have opened a portal allowing the Carrionites back into the universe. The Doctor tells Shakespeare that only he can find the words to close the portal. Shakespeare improvises a short rhyming stanza but is stuck for a final word. Martha comes up with "Expelliarmus" (a magic word coined by author [[J.K. Rowling]] in her [[Harry Potter]] books) and the Carrionites — together with all the extant copies of ''Love's Labour's Won'' — are sucked through the closing portal. Martha, Shakespeare and the actors are left to take the applause of the audience who believe it all to be special effects. The Doctor finds the three 'witches' trapped, screaming in their own crystal ball and appropriates it for safekeeping in a "dark attic" of the TARDIS. | The actors have already spoken the last lines of the play, a series of directions and instructions that have opened a portal allowing the Carrionites back into the universe. The Doctor tells Shakespeare that only he can find the words to close the portal. Shakespeare improvises a short rhyming stanza but is stuck for a final word. Martha comes up with "Expelliarmus" (a magic word coined by author [[J.K. Rowling]] in her [[Harry Potter]] books) and the Carrionites — together with all the extant copies of ''Love's Labour's Won'' — are sucked through the closing portal. Martha, Shakespeare and the actors are left to take the applause of the audience who believe it all to be special effects. The Doctor finds the three 'witches' trapped, screaming in their own crystal ball and appropriates it for safekeeping in a "dark attic" of the TARDIS. | ||
In the morning, Shakespeare flirts once more with Martha...and with the Doctor. He reveals his deduction that the Doctor is not of the Earth and that Martha is from the future. For his "Dark Lady", he produces the sonnet, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" in her honour, but is interrupted when two of his actors burst in, heralding the arrival of [[Elizabeth I of England|the Queen]]. | In the morning, Shakespeare flirts once more with Martha...and with the Doctor. He reveals his deduction that the Doctor is not of the Earth and that Martha is from the future. For his "Dark Lady", he produces the sonnet, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" in her honour, but is interrupted when two of his actors burst in, heralding the arrival of [[Elizabeth I of England|the Queen]]. Queen Elizabeth enters, recognises the Doctor as her "sworn enemy" and declares, "Off with his head!" The Doctor is surprised at her outburst, since he says he has not yet met the Queen, but comments that he is looking forward to finding out what he will do to offend her. He and Martha flee to the TARDIS, slamming the door just as an arrow embeds itself in the TARDIS' exterior before dematerialisation. | ||
==Cast== | ==Cast== | ||
