Obviously not quite books or novels, and instead plays but what are some of people's favourites? Not expecting many answers here, but I am curious if anyone out there actually enjoys much of his stuff. I am an English Lit kid, so I had to read a fair few, then went on to read more afterwards out of pure pleasure. I don't find it pretentious like others have said to me, I think they guy really did write some fantastic stuff. King Lear is a favourite of mine. (I know there's like threads here about it, but they are like 5 years old so fuck that)
Macbeth is up there, certainly one to read. I found that was an easy one to start off on more than likely it was a little shorter and the language was a little easier, or maybe that's because everyone knows the story and can decipher it from the old English. The latter I have yet to read, to be honest I haven't heard many people go on about it. That might be my next venture, so good call
I liked most of his plays... just because he was a twisted writer... lol The best Shakespeare related thing I think though is the movie "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" Next would be "Romeo + Juliet"
The Merchant of Venice is good, as it Twelfth Night. I think one of my favourites is Othello. The number of Shakespeare books I have, it just frightening
I thought that was one of the better comedies, I read that one more recently than a few of the others. Romeo and Juliet is a classic, and I haven't read Orthelo I have the complete works of his all in one paperback book, so I will have to dig it out again soon. I look like such a pretentious fool reading it though, it's huge, your talking thousands of pages long
I have the collection as well as individual books, biographies - even one on his wife. I also have another conspiracy theory That Shakespeare was actually Christopher Marlowe.
I just googled that and it was quite interesting, can't believe I missed that. Don't know much about the back history of the two I have read Edward II in an A Level class, and looking at it they were quite similar writers.
Ohh i love Shakespeare! I would have to say my favourite is Macbeth, but i have seen King Lear done by the shakespeare company it was incredibe. I studied othello at school so i loved it the first time i read it but after picking it apart for 6 months it lost abit of its charm still brilliant though. Great thread
As You Like It...The Pirate's favorite play. (It's set in the forest of ARR-den). And the rich folks fall in love, run off to the woods, and hang out with hippies. (A fool! a motley fool!) Gotta love it. I can't feel any sympathy for Lear. He wants to have all the percs of a King, but have none of the responsibility, and ends up getting screwed for his trouble...he was an idiot. Fuck him. Wasn't it Coleridge that said Lear was Shakespeare 's greatest achievement, but Tempest was his greatest play? What's the sonnet, "My lover's eyes are nothing like the sun / Coral is more red than her lips red", # 57? Ends with the couplet "And yet, by Heaven! I deem my love as rare / as any she belied by false compare!" That's my woman.
