Top Blog Posts of 2012 (I Love Countdowns)

You guys know by now that I'm a geek and that I love geeky things like statistics and countdowns.  When I was young, I would spend every New Year's Eve listening to the Top 100 songs for the year.  Although I don't do that so much these days, I do still love lists and rankings and the like.

So I thought it was only fitting that I provide a few lists pertaining to my blog for the year.  I chose to list the Top 10 blog posts by page views and by comment count, and also include a Top 10 of my favorite (self-written) posts and why they were my favorites.

Now, without the excessive rambling that I'm so prone to do, here's my recap of 2012's popular blog posts.

My Top 10 Posts By Page Views:

1. August is Awesome Because of Angela Ackerman
2. The Authors of Spells: Ten Tales of Magic 
3. Catherine E. McLean: The 9 Kinds of Writers 
4. Nine Ways to Shorten a Long Story by Rayne Hall 
5. August is Awesome Because of Peggy Eddleman 
6. August is Awesome Because of David Powers King 
7. A Bit of Beach Fun (And Zombie Turtles) 
8. The Stages of a Geek's Manuscript 
9. August is Awesome Because of Angela Cothran 
10. Mark Steve Reviews Julius Caesar by Shakespeare 

My Top 10 Posts By Comment Count: (including my replies)

1. AlexFest
2. August is Awesome Because of Alex Cavanaugh
3. (Tie) - August is Awesome Because of Peggy Eddleman
4. (Tie) - Preserving My Dignity (Baby Face Bloghop)
5. August is Awesome Because of Angela Cothran
6. 28 Is a Tough Number
7. August is Awesome Because of Sara Bowers
8. August is Awesome Because of David Powers King
9. How a Review Inspired a Sequel by Cherie Reich
10. (Tie) Spectacular September
11. (Tie) Page Views Mean (Almost) Nothing

My Favorite 10 (Self-Written) Posts:

1. 08/02 - August is Awesome Because of My Wife Myra (Because it's about Myra)
2. 09/17 - A Bit of Beach Fun (And Zombie Turtles) (Because it was fun!)
3. 04/03 - My Muse Tried to Kill Me Today (Because it is so true)
4. 09/07 - My Life as an Adverb (Because Schoolhouse Rock Rocks)
5. 03/02 - Is It the Soap? (Because it was my first post linked by inkPageant)
6. 04/15 - And the Birdie Says (About my introduction to Twitter)
7. 07/03 - Too Woo and Shoo (Because of the excellent debate and feedback)
8. 03/25 - Personal Muse Hotline (My first attempt at writing anything humorous)
9. 03/23 - You Can Run (My first Meme tag)
10. 09/03 - Muse For Hire (Because it's about my muse) 

What about you guys? Which of your posts are your favorites? Do you have a list of favorite sites or posts on other sites? Favorite communities?  Links are welcome. (I'll be sure to check the SPAM folder and release any Blogger catches by mistake.)

Mark Steve Reviews Julius Caesar by Shakespeare

Julius Caesar by Shakespeare

(A Perfect Example of Renaissance Age)

Review by Mark Steve

Renaissance age was the period when people started taking interest in the old classics, and a lot of new literature was written. This was the period of artistic and cultural movement. The renaissance clothing, art and literature, are still popular among a number of people. The name of Williams Shakespeare is the most popular among the literary figures of that period. He provides us various wonderful dramas, which are played in various parts of the world.

He used a number of themes throughout his careers. He also paid attention towards some historical concepts. ‘Julius Caesar’ is one of his most popular treatises. The story of this play focuses on the famous Roman general Julius Caesar. The first part of the story is based on a conspiracy against the general. Caesar’s assassination is the most popular scene in the story.

Julius Caesar is cheated by his friends. Brutus is Caesar’s close friend, who is convinced by the conspirators that they are doing everything for Rome. Cassius writes letters to Brutus in different handwritings to join this conspiracy. Finally, Brutus agrees to be part of the conspiracy. Julius is killed finally, and the conspiracy is successful.

The conspirators convince the crowd that they have performed the assassination for Rome. Brutus addresses the crowd after the death of Caesar to justify his actions. But, after the speech of Brutus, Julius’s other close friend Mark Antony delivers the oration, which turns the public opinion against the killers. This speech has gained huge popularity and can be read through various online sources. The next part of the story talks about the alliance of Caesar’s adopted son Octavius and Mark Antony. In the end, they had a battle with Brutus and Cassius. Both Brutus and Cassius are killed in the end of the story.

The book perfectly reflects the creativity of the renaissance age. Shakespeare belonged to this era, but he described the era of the Roman republic brilliantly, which took place even before the Roman Empire. The influence of old classics can also be witnessed vividly on Shakespeare’s literature. On the other hand, he also used some new innovation in his time.

The play has a lot of things that strike the readers or audiences. Antony’s true friendship is an admirable thing. It adds an inspirational touch to the story. Besides, the ways in which he convinces the people is worth reading. His speech can really be a source of motivation for the orators.

Shakespeare’s plays also provide a glimpse of renaissance clothing styles; however, this drama takes us to the pre-medieval times. Moreover, this play is perfect for reading in the form of the book also, and it gives the novel-like joy to the readers. It has also played a prominent role in increasing the popularity of Julius Caesar.


About Mark Steve:

My name is Mark. I am a Historian, researcher and writer. I regularly write articles, reviews on books and novels on historical topics related to Medieval, Renaissance, Pirate, gothic & Steampunk themes. If you want to know more about me and my blog, then see my blogs Renaissance Outfits, The Goth Code and The middle ages.