Couldn't resist the Telegraph's little exercise today - rating the "best" of Shakespeare's plays. In compiling it, I tried to take into account the writing quality, the issue, the popularity and whether I like it or not. Lear's a great play but I don't like it, so I didn't have it in the top five. So here are my five:
1. Hamlet
2. Romeo and Juliet
3. Twelfth Night
4. The Merchant of Venice
5. Macbeth
Hoping you'll be as opinionated as I was on the Bard, what would your top five be?
I couldn't possibly do a list myself.
ReplyDeleteBut the top one in your list does have a particular memory for me.
I went to see the play fairly locally and in the final scenes where swords are brandished about, an accident occurred. Blood was drawn and dripped onto the stage, but the show went on!
Not sure, but King Lear is definitely in my top three. Love it.
ReplyDeleteIn no particular order -
ReplyDeleteThe Merchant of Venice - the first Shakespeare I saw acted
Julius Caesar - for the conflict between love of one's friends, love of one's country and love of honour and some of (IMHO) the greatest lines written in the English language, not least
"And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
Cry 'havoc' and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial."
The Tempest
Romeo & Juliet
Othello
Ham, Mac, Merch, Othello, Caesar.
ReplyDeleteRomeo and Juliet
ReplyDeleteThe Merchant of Venice.
I always enjoyed Mercutio's character more than Romeo's- and their relationship more touching, actually.
Yes, the ones mentioned here, not on my list, are worthy indeed but the five play limit imposed intolerable constraints.
ReplyDeleteOthello- partly for Othello's speeches about trust and Desdamona and for Iago.
ReplyDeleteTwelfth Night- I saw a superb production of it at the Young Vic about ten years ago and since then have loved it.
Julius Caesar- great play about republicanism and empire.
Macbeth
Lear
I wish I could do more- there are many I've missed- but that's what I think this evening and I'll change my mind by morning I promise!
I think we're all thereabouts with this list - the same sorts of plays are coming up all the time.
ReplyDeleteJulius Caesar
ReplyDeleteMidsummer Night's Dream
Macbeth
Hamlet
The Tempest