Favorite Shakespeare Play (AND WHY)- Page 2

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 6/26/08 at 3:27pm

My favorites are Hamlet, because it's endlessly fascinating and I can spend a lifetime studying it; King Lear, because of its sheer titanic nature and its existential view of the universe; Merchant of Venice, because of Shylock and his cry to humanity; Cymbeline because (and this probably won't be counted as a good reason), it was the first Shakespearean play I ever saw and opened the world of Shakespeare to me for a lifetime; and Troilus and Cressida because it's the only OVERT reference to homosexuality in the canon -- there are many implications of homosexuality in Shakespeare.

Updated On: 6/26/08 at 03:27 PM

[myshikobit]

Posted: 6/26/08 at 4:33pm

My favorite tragedy is "Macbeth", because if you search the text well enough you can always find some internal meaning in it, not to mention it's always entertaining.

My favorite comedy is "Taming of the Shrew" because it was the first Shakespeare play I ever read, and additionally it's still as funny and relevant as it was when it was written (of course, this is true of most of Shakespeare's work). I was in third grade and I had a voracious appetite for reading, so when I ran out of my books I went into storage to find my parents old books. I found "Taming", "Macbeth", "Hamlet" and "Anthony and Cleopatra" and read them all within the first week (I'd stay up til' twelve some nights). After that I begged my dad to get me some more, so we started going out to Wonderbook every month and got more until eventually I had read all of them.

There's always been a special place in my heart for "Timon of Athens". I saw the name in the complete list of Shakespeare's work on the back of each book, and it instantly caught my attention. I got it and read it cover to cover five times. It turned out to start my interest in flops.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/26/08 at 4:36pm

I'll be boring: HAMLET. Because it's bottomless, truly bottomless.

I also have a special fondness for THE WINTER'S TALE.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 6/26/08 at 5:37pm

Favorite comedy: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
I love magic. I love the Lover's Quarrel. I love The Players and Pyramus and Thisbe. And It was the first Shakespeare play I did, every night was a different on-stage goof-up that was classic classic comedy slapstick mayhem.

Favorite tragi/comedy: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
Shakespeare's tasteful response to what it means to be a Minority, but still a Man. And a beautiful Act 5, Scene 1 when Lorenzo is wooing Jessica.

Favorite tragedy: HAMLET
The play is the play is the play.

Favorite in-betweeny: THE TEMPEST
Again, love the magic. And tortured monsters. And the shipwreck is always such a great hook
Updated On: 6/26/08 at 05:37 PM

[b=[^.^]=d]

Posted: 6/26/08 at 10:58pm

My theatre teacher in middle school showed us a filmed version of Othello, and that was the first time that Shakespeare's work just clicked for me. And Iago in the film was fan-fuggin'-tastic.

So that's my answer.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 6/26/08 at 11:27pm

A Midsummer Night's Dream. I love me some romantic comedy's and love...circle? I don't know.

I'm also a big fan of the Yankee Candle scent.

[Antisocialite]

Posted: 6/27/08 at 2:37am

Macbeth, no question. I analyze my literature within an inch of its life, and Macbeth provides endless fodder. Plus...Lady Macbeth. Come on, people. Come. On.

Midsummer's my favorite comedy. 'Cause A: it was the first Shakespeare I ever read and B: I played Demetrius once. It was one of the most enjoyable parts I've ever had.

[cisic]

Posted: 6/27/08 at 12:41pm

Measure for Measure
The four leads are roles an actor can really sink his or her teeth into. It would be wrong to play Angelo, the Duke, Isabella, or Claudio as one-note, or as all bad or all good. The text has so much moral ambiguity. Plus, the language is Shakespeare at his most complex and the "Be absolute for death" speech is amazing.

[scott68]

Posted: 6/27/08 at 1:11pm

For me it has to be Lear. It's just such a colossal play that you can read it over and over again and get something new out of it every time. And I love how, at the end of the day, being good won't save you, because the good guys die just the same as the bad guys, but it's still better to have been Lear or Cordelia than the sisters or husbands (or Edmund, but you know...).


Although there will always be a soft spot in my heart for Twelfth Night, because it was the first play I was ever in, back in fifth grade. I was Antonio, because I wanted to be a pirate (duh), and I had to feed Sebastian nearly half his lines.

[fosca3]

Posted: 6/27/08 at 2:12pm

Hi gustof777

I'm not a Shakespeare expert by any means, so I can only answer with what I remember from seeing it so long ago --

It may depend too on how the specific actors portray their characters. I DID see the Royal National do it a few years later, but I don't remember much about that production at all (except I didn't like it as much)

But to answer your actual question --

I felt that Cressida, once she'd been given to the Greek camp, was in an impossible situation. She was terrified and alone, started off flirting with ALL of them, and ended up sleeping with Diomedes out of sheer survival. She was in a weak position, and needed someone to 'belong' to, to sort of protect her

Troilus, on the other hand, moped around and whined about how wronged he was, rather than doing something constructive (even if I'm not sure what that should have been). With Cressida in the situation she was in, she needed someone strong, and Troilus was not that person. Cressida (I think) was looking for SOME grand gesture, or actual help, from Troilus. And when that was not forthcoming, she did the best she could to take care of herself. The whole mess certainly wouldn't have been her choice

Pandarus left her down, Troilus did (in my opinion), and the Trojan 'upper management' used her as a pawn

I felt sorry for her

Did I mis-read the whole situation entirely?

I'd love to hear your ideas

[fosca3]

Posted: 6/27/08 at 2:13pm

And Barker --

I don't consider this attempt pathetic at ALL

This is the best discussion I've read in awhile, and I'm really loving reading everyone's responses

Thanks for that!

[felineofavenueb]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 12:57am

I love Much Ado About Nothing for the comedies. A smart, hilarious, and extremely touching play from start to finish. I also empathize most strongly with Beatrice out of possibly any woman in literature which may have something to do with it. It's probably my favorite Shakespeare overall.

To be cliched, I think Hamlet is maybe the most brilliant play ever written. I get something new from it every time I read or see it, it is an astonishingly beautiful tragedy that happens to also have some of the funniest lines Shakespeare ever wrote. Every single character in that is perfectly drawn.

To be even more cliched, I have never once not been entertained by A Midsummer Night's Dream. Even when it's bad, it's good.

To be AMAZINGLY cliched, I think Romeo and Juliet is a beautiful play but it is agonizingly cheesy when it is done wrong. When it's done right, however, it's simply gorgeous and heartbreaking.

Honorable mentions (also somewhat obvious picks, despite that I am in fact a huge giant Shakespeare nerd): As You Like It, Macbeth, Richard III, Henry VI Part III, Twelfth Night.

[ASentoni]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 7:13am

What a fantastic thread! This is one of my most favorite subjects to talk about - and sometimes I can go on endlessly about Mr. Shakespeare, so please excuse the length. Now on to my favorites.

I'll start with the Histories, because they are probably my 10 most favorite of his plays.

King John - the role of the Bastard. Specifically, his reflection on when he gets his new title; the speech starting with "A foot of honour better than I was..." delicious speech and delicious role. Also, how he makes such a huge shift in his character from "outsider and commentator" to active participant. Stunning.

Henry VI part 3 - Specifically Margaret's stuff. I sometimes think that for you to really understand Richard III, you have to see Henry VI/3 first. One of my favorite lines is when York calls Margaret "a tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide." Such intense drama!

Henry IV part 1 - This might be obvious, but the scene in the tavern when Falstaff and Hal switch roles. The end of that breaks my heart.

OKAY! Now, to the "Comedies":
I'll admit that I'm not much of a fan of the standard comedy, and though I love Much Ado, Twelfth Night and As You Like It, I think I love the "problem plays" most.

Measure for Measure - one of the most appropriate titles for this play, in my opinion. I don't think that Angelo is widely discussed as being one of Shakespeare's classic "villains" but I really think he is, in a strange and uncomfortable way. When he has his confrontation scene with Isabella (demanding that she sleep with him in order to free his brother) is just harrowing. And the Duke is such a wonderful role too...

All's Well That Ends Well - Helena is a marvelous enigma: strong, strong willed, strong in love, and willing to do anything to be with the man she loves, despite his not loving her. Great role in the Countess as well.

Troilus & Cressida - I've always felt that the love scenes between these two are the more "mature" version of the R&J scenes. When Troilus talks about actually attaining his love and having it reciprocated in Cressida, he says: "I fear it much; and I do fear besides, that I shall lose distinction in my joys." Wow. The broader reason for my love of this play is that it is so wide open with directorial possibilities.

FINALLY! On to the Tragedies.

A combo of Lear and Timon of Athens... they both lose everything (including their minds!...), they both wander into the wild to sort things out in a way, and they both die because of those choices. However, when it comes down to it, how can you not love Timon's speech to the whores (he's giving away all the gold he found buried in the ground) where he admonishes the whores to never give up their profession. He says: "Be whores still. And he whose pious breath seeks to convert you, Be strong in whore, allure him, burn him up; Let your close fire predominate his smoke." Wonderful.

I also love Macbeth... though I'm not entirely sure why... I like the elements of prophecy and how we can be fooled by the "good news" we hear in it without considering the path that we take to reach it.

Other Honorable Mentions:

Berowne's speech in Love's Labour Lost "A lover will gaze an eagle blind..." Beautiful, quiet, respectful and so moving.

All of The Tempest. Probably not an "honorable mention" then, but it is one of the most nearest-and-dearest-to-my-heart plays. Two speeches in particular: "All the infections that the sun sucks up" of Caliban - just because it's fun to do. And of course, "You do look my son in a moved sort..." with the "our revels now are ended..." and "we are such stuff as dreams are made on." I can never hear (or perform...) this speech without getting a choked tear.

Two Noble Kinsmen - has some beautiful male/male "love" scenes and actually some overall VERY beautiful writing. A strange show, and with many, many levels.

Just a quick mention of a case of "what the--?" In Cymbeline, when Jupiter descends and talks to Posthumus in his dream... (what the?) and then Posthumus's dead family appears... (Kind of like the dream in Richard III, but in a non-curse-and-die sort of way! )

Sorry this post is so long, but I just love Our Will!

I leave you now with one of my favorite insults; from Measure for Measure: “Your bum is the greatest thing about you; so that in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the Great.”

Thanks again for starting this thread,
Adam

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 10:39am

Macbeth has long been a favorite of mine. I first read it in my junior year of high school, and I remember loving it because it was so much easier to read and get wrapped up in than Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet. A Shakespeare troupe performed it at my school that same year, and seeing the live elements (particularly the witchcraft and the fight scenes) further cemented my love for it. And then seeing Rupert Goold's fantastic production on Broadway this year, when I'm older and can really appreciate the language and the journey of each character...I think I'll still find new ways to appreciate this play when I'm 70!

I also love Titus Andronicus, and I think the fact that I enjoy Macbeth so much paved the way for that. Yes, Titus is infinitely more bloody, but there's the same elements of revenge, power struggle, madness, and fabulous speeches with double entendres that had me laughing out loud as I read ("Thou hast undone our mother!" "Villain, I have done thy mother."). Oh, and people being baked into pies! Mr. Shakespeare wrote it down 300 years before Sweeney Todd!

But I don't only love the blood! My favorite comedies are The Winter's Tale, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest. Both The Winter's Tale and The Tempest are fairy tales for adults, with the perfect juxtaposition of humanity (Queen Hermione's trial is one of my all time favorite scenes in all of Shakespeare) and fantasy. And there's obviously something about Twelfth Night that's made it so beloved. I think it's identity comedy at its finest, and the unmasking scene is one of my favorites.

[lesmis]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 10:39am

Twelfth Night
Julius Caesar

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/30/08 at 11:40am

MACBETH

I love murder and muderers