Post your favorite Shakespeare play

[jpgray]

I think probably Antony and Cleopatra is my fave.

[Aristus]

1. Tough one.

For me, it's a toss-up between "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Henry V". Although "Hamlet" merits a special mention. It is so layered and complex it almost beggars explanation.

On edit: Cleopatra's line from "A & C", "I have immortal longings in me" is astonishing in its simplicity and its power to move the listener. Yours is a good but unusual Shakespearean fave.

[jpgray]

4. Those are solid choices

As for A&C I know people -exactly- like Antony and Cleo--especially the latter, "Whom everything becomes,--to chide, to laugh, To weep; whose every passion fully strives To make itself in fair and admir'd!" It's always entertaining to know someone who even regarded as the sum of her ugliest vices seems somehow attractive. :D

[Arkham House]

2. Indeed...almost impossible question...

...it depends on my mood, on a lot of things. But on average, my vote is for "Othello"...just gut-wrenching, in its suspense, it's pathos, its sheer majesty...and the greatest villain in leterature...

[Aristus]

3. Ooh! Good one!

I'd love to play Iago some day. Just for the chance to speak the line: "Demand me nothing! What you know, you know. I never will speak more."

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. The Tempest.

[Patiod]

26. that's mine for a lot of reasons

the language is beautiful

[Reverend_Smitty]

6. I can't pick one...

so I'll cheat and say my favorite comedy is Much Ado About Nothing, my favorite tragedy is Othello and my favorite character is Falstaff

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Twelfth Night and Othello

:)

[BrotherBuzz]

8. The Taming of the Shrew (Western style)

I first saw James Dunn's version of The Taming of the Shrew in Scotland back in 1971. It was GREAT and I'm happy to see they are still doing it.

“The Wild West circus that is James Dunn’s sagebrush framed ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ is paying a visit to Forest Meadows Amphitheatre for the next few weeks and if exuberant physical comedy fits your taste, you won’t want to miss it….I’m happy to report that the old gal looks mighty handsome in her dotage, having lost none of the originality, satirical wit, and crowd-pleasing energy that endeared her to previous fans. In fact, I would go so far as to call this cowboy parody one of the most successful ‘concept’ adaptations (and there have been many) of Shakespeare that I have ever seen….there isn’t a weakness in what is an extremely ingratiating cast.”



“Dunn’s ‘Shrew’ is a masterpiece of surprises, stereotypes of the Wild West colliding neatly with stereotypes of essential Shakespeare….The odd contrast reveals Dunn’s genius.”
Olga Azar, Marin Scope

[BigMcLargehuge]

9. Henry the IV part 2

can't go wrong with Prince Hal and Falstaff.

[Reverend_Smitty]

11. Is it wrong of me to like Hal better when he was a drunk?

:shrug:

[BigMcLargehuge]

12. I liked him better as a drunk and part-time briggand too

which sets him up BEAUTIFULLY for his ascention to the throne-

Banish poor Falstaff and banish all the world!

I do. I will.

[WCGreen]

10. You should read Will in the World....

A great biography that explains a lot....

[Bear down under]

13. Cymbeline

I know it's always said to be one of his weaker works, but in a good production it is deeply moving; and the central question of whether true loyalty can require disobedience is as pertinent as ever. (Best on video/DVD is Elijah Moshinsky's for the BBC with Helen Mirren as Imogen and Claire Bloom as the wicked Queen.)

But truly, this is like nominating one's favourite rose or favourite Mozart opera...

[MrScorpio]

14. Henry V

"Once more into the breech dear homies, once more, Or close the wall up with our hood rat dead,"

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

15. MacBeth

what depths will people go to to acquire power... and one of the greatest villainesses of literature.

[bridgit]

16. Titus Andonicus, they are many these plays: good, fun & fair, but then...

it is all like...Enter MARCUS with LAVINIA ~

MARCUS. Titus, prepare thy aged eyes to weep,
Or if not so, thy noble heart to break.
I bring consuming sorrow to thine age.

TITUS. Will it consume me? Let me see it then.

MARCUS. This was thy daughter.

TITUS. Why, Marcus, so she is.

LUCIUS. Ay me! this object kills me.

TITUS. Faint-hearted boy, arise, and look upon her.
Speak, Lavinia, what accursed hand
Hath made thee handless in thy father's sight?
What fool hath added water to the sea,
Or brought a fagot to bright-burning Troy?
My grief was at the height before thou cam'st,
And now like Nilus it disdaineth bounds.
Give me a sword, I'll chop off my hands too,
For they have fought for Rome, and all in vain;
And they have nurs'd this woe in feeding life;
In bootless prayer have they been held up,
And they have serv'd me to effectless use.
Now all the service I require of them
Is that the one will help to cut the other.
'Tis well, Lavinia, that thou hast no hands;
For hands to do Rome service is but vain.

LUCIUS. Speak, gentle sister, who hath martyr'd thee?

MARCUS. O, that delightful engine of her thoughts
That blabb'd them with such pleasing eloquence
Is torn from forth that pretty hollow cage,
Where like a sweet melodious bird it sung
Sweet varied notes, enchanting every ear!

LUCIUS. O, say thou for her, who hath done this deed?

MARCUS. O, thus I found her straying in the park,
Seeking to hide herself as doth the deer
That hath receiv'd some unrecuring wound.

TITUS. It was my dear, and he that wounded her
Hath hurt me more than had he kill'd me dead;
For now I stand as one upon a rock,
Environ'd with a wilderness of sea,
Who marks the waxing tide grow wave by wave,
Expecting ever when some envious surge
Will in his brinish bowels swallow him.
This way to death my wretched sons are gone;
Here stands my other son, a banish'd man,
And here my brother, weeping at my woes.
But that which gives my soul the greatest spurn
Is dear Lavinia, dearer than my soul.
Had I but seen thy picture in this plight,
It would have madded me; what shall I do
Now I behold thy lively body so?
Thou hast no hands to wipe away thy tears,
Nor tongue to tell me who hath martyr'd thee;
Thy husband he is dead, and for his death
Thy brothers are condemn'd, and dead by this.
Look, Marcus! Ah, son Lucius, look on her!
When I did name her brothers, then fresh tears
Stood on her cheeks, as doth the honey dew
Upon a gath'red lily almost withered.

MARCUS. Perchance she weeps because they kill'd her husband;
Perchance because she knows them innocent.

TITUS. If they did kill thy husband, then be joyful,
Because the law hath ta'en revenge on them.
No, no, they would not do so foul a deed;
Witness the sorrow that their sister makes.
Gentle Lavinia, let me kiss thy lips,
Or make some sign how I may do thee ease.
Shall thy good uncle and thy brother Lucius
And thou and I sit round about some fountain,
Looking all downwards to behold our cheeks
How they are stain'd, like meadows yet not dry
With miry slime left on them by a flood?
And in the fountain shall we gaze so long,
Till the fresh taste be taken from that clearness,
And made a brine-pit with our bitter tears?
Or shall we cut away our hands like thine?
Or shall we bite our tongues, and in dumb shows
Pass the remainder of our hateful days?
What shall we do? Let us that have our tongues
Plot some device of further misery
To make us wonder'd at in time to come.

LUCIUS. Sweet father, cease your tears; for at your grief
See how my wretched sister sobs and weeps.

MARCUS. Patience, dear niece. Good Titus, dry thine eyes.

TITUS. Ah, Marcus, Marcus! Brother, well I wot
Thy napkin cannot drink a tear of mine,
For thou, poor man, hast drown'd it with thine own.

LUCIUS. Ah, my Lavinia, I will wipe thy cheeks.

TITUS. Mark, Marcus, mark! I understand her signs.
Had she a tongue to speak, now would she say
That to her brother which I said to thee:
His napkin, with his true tears all bewet,
Can do no service on her sorrowful cheeks.
O, what a sympathy of woe is this
As far from help as Limbo is from bliss!

:headbang:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

27. Titus Andronicus story is more over the top than Quentin Tarantino on meth

[bridgit]

28. "Welcome to Rome"

[Xipe Totec]

31. Titus Andronicus does to Revenge,

what Romeo and Juliet does to Love...

...takes it to the extreme.

"Hark, villains! I will grind your bones to dust
And with your blood and it I'll make a paste,
And of the paste a coffin I will rear
And make two pasties of your shameful heads,
And bid that strumpet, your unhallow'd dam,
Like to the earth swallow her own increase.
This is the feast that I have bid her to,
And this the banquet she shall surfeit on;
For worse than Philomel you used my daughter,
And worse than Progne I will be revenged:
And now prepare your throats. Lavinia, come,"

[miss_american_pie]

17. King Lear

And I have no real reason.

[terrya]

18. Macbeth

My favorite. For a myriad of reasons.

[Richardo]

25. Hey mine too!

We read a lot of his plays in senior English and that was the one I instantly connected with...

:thumbsup: terrya! :pals:

[greatauntoftriplets]

29. Mine too!!!

And I've never seen it performed.

[noonwitch]

19. Twelfth Night

It's silly and fun, and everyone gets what they deserve in the end.

[raccoon]

20. Hard to say--tied between "As You Like It" and "Henry IV Part I". nt

[LanternWaste]

21. Rambo for the rennaisance crowd...

Henry V after I saw the '89 screen production with Kenneth Brannagh.

Rambo for the rennaisance crowd...

[Spider Jerusalem]

32. Especially this part:

Branagh's rendition of the http://enginesofmischief.com/music/crispin.mp3">St Crispin's Day speech (mp3)...when I first saw that part of the film, I would've followed Hal into battle.

[LanternWaste]

37. I'd be right there with ya!

I'd be right there with ya! Wow... his soliloquy was simply the most inspirational thing I've *ever* heard!

[LaraMN]

22. I'll tell you what it's NOT; it's not King Lear!

Before my senior year in high school, I got to go on a trip to the Guthrie to see their production of King Lear, which was in "preview" stage. My drama instructor felt the need to immerse us in the play by having us (of course) thoroughly read and study it, but we also viewed every version of the play known to man, including one with Russian subtitles. I saw that play more times than I care to remember, as it's not one of my favorites, to start with. The Guthrie preview was fun, though. They hadn't worked out all the quirks, and they overfilled a blood pack, leading to one actor spouting a ridiculously profuse amount of blood that just would not quit, during rehearsal.

[windlight]

23. several

I saw 'As You Like It' preformed by the Shakespeare company, and I love Hamlet... but one i really want to see but haven't as of yet is 'A Mid Summers Night's Dream'

[asthmaticeog]

24. '87 division playoff, when it was 3rd & 10 and he totally went for it.

[tuvor]

30. Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Night's Dream

Still waiting for Max Reinhardt's 1935 version of the latter to come out on DVD. Beautiful stuff, even won the only write-in Oscar, for cinematography.

[Glorfindel]

33. I can't pick one...I love them all, even the just silly, fun ones

like "Love's Labour's Lost" and "Much Ado about Nothing." If forced, I'd choose "Macbeth." Every line in the thing is perfect: "A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap, and munch'd, and munch'd, and munch'd".....

[redacted]

34. The Winter's Tale

the best of the romances -- it's much more grown up than earlier works

saw it perfomed at the Goodman abt 15 years ago

[Left Is Write]

35. Macbeth.

[StellaBlue]

36. Julius Caesar.

[Vidar]

38. The Tempest

[El Fuego]

39. Hamlet, mostly because

it dovetails with my favorite play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead."

My guilty pleasure pick is Twelfth Night.