3:34 - Julius Ceaser 5:25 - A Midsummer Night's Dream 6:58 - Richard III 10:08 - Richard II 12:38 - The Taming of the Shrew 15:42 - Hamlet 16:33 - Anthony and Cleopatra 17:13 - Macbeth 19:29 - Measure For Measure 23:02 - As You Like It 24:44 - The Merchant of Venice 25:30 - The Tempest 26:13 - Rome and Juliet 27:13 - Twelfth Night 28:01 - King Lear I just read Othello and came to this video thinking you might have read it, but lo and behold, you didn't ahah Anyway, hope the timestamps please other people.
i honestly think the key with the comedies is seeing them performed, i've seen performances of the dream or much ado that made me cry with laughter, but reading the play it just doesnt hit the same.. kind of different for the tragedies, the comedy can really depend on the approach and is physical a lot of the time too
I saw The Merry Wives of Windsor performed at the Globe a couple of years ago and it was SO GOOD, but not sure if I would enjoy it if I were to read it. So yes, definitely agree with this!!
Yes! In high school, a teacher explained to me that even though reading the plays is great, it's such an enhanced experience to see Shakespeare performed. She mentioned how there's a rhythm to his writing that you don't fully appreciate until watching someone perform it. I haven't gotten to see a live Shakespeare before, but it's definitely a dream!
Excellent point. I enjoyed reading A Midsummer Night's Dream but when I caught a video of some college's performance of it that's when it became my favorite. It completely brought everything up a level despite the fact that the acting, God bless them, was not that great. It still delivered the laughs.
This is so important! Performance doesn’t just change how you experience comedies though. A good or bad performance can affect your perception of tragedies too. My opinion of Twelfth Night and Macbeth both went up after seeing better performances after seeing weak performances first.
After two semesters of studying Shakespeare at uni, I can finally see why every scholar is obsessed with him. Shakespeare is every lit student's dream! You can read him for beautiful writing, for extraordinary characters, for captivating plot... You can go through every emotion with him. Personally, I enjoyed equally analysing his plays as well as reading them for fun. I've always loved Shakespeare but now I ADORE him! My favourite plays are Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream
You absolutely have to see Macbeth performed Emma! I had the pleasure to see Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre in London a couple years back with Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle: the setting was adapted to look like the action was taking place during either WWI or WWII. James McArdle was unbelievable as Macbeth 🩷🤌🏻
so sick of seeing shakeapeare adapted with guns... its been done so many times now it feels like a serious lack of creativity. We could have so many amaxzing costumes and all anyone wants to do is use camo gear and suits :(
I haven't read Much Ado but I just saw it live a few weeks ago and it is delightful! The whole theater was cracking up for like 80% of the show, the humor is so amazing. The love story between Benedick and Beatrice is done so well (the og enemies to lovers). Definitely a fun one to see live because the actors added so much through physical comedy but now I can't wait to read the play!
I recently watched a recording of Much Ado with David Tennant and Catherine Tate playing Benedick and Beatrice and read it almost immediately afterwards, I think I’m in love.
My fave shakespeare play would be A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet for sure!! The language from the two plays are just sooooo creatively sublime that I just fall again and again with Shakespeare lol
Hamlet is not just my favourite Shakespeare play, but my favourite play, period. And Much ado about nothing is a brilliant romcom, very witty and funny. I don't know your attitude to David Tennant, but he stared in both of those (not only in those, tho), and his versions are just brilliant. He's my favourite Hamlet, and I've seen A LOT (probably around 10 adaptations, give or take). Shakespeare's language is exquisite, no one'd ever written like he had.
Emma and Shakespeare - excellent pairing! My absolute favourite is King Lear. I agree with your top 3. You'll love Much Ado About Nothing. Act 1 Scene 1 quote: 'I can see he's not in your good books,' said the messenger. 'No, and if he were I would burn my library.' 😁
She really does. Her buddy Carolyn from the channel Carolyn Marie Reads also has a very soothing voice, as well as great taste in books and being a very talented artist. Emma, Carolyn, and Christy Anne Jones are my 3 favourite booktubers, from Canada, the US, and Australia respectively.
@@circleofleaves2676 I love Carolyn's smile, it is so wholesome. Everytime she smiles I get so happy. And Carolyn is the most sweetest person I have ever seen literally
This video spoke to my soul on a level I was not expecting for a Wednesday afternoon. 😂 I am such a Shakespeare girl, and I wholeheartedly agree with your ranking for almost all of these. I would add Othello and Much Ado.. to tier 2, the Henry plays to tier 3 mostly, and swap around The Tempest with Twelfth Night. I haven't read Measure for Measure, but you have totally bumped it up my list after this video! PLEASE update us with your tier ranking for Twelfth Night when you re-read it with Carolyn because I absolutely ADORE that play. The role of gender, the witty female protagonist, the hints to queerness and sexuality, the comedy and dramatic irony, the subtle discussions on how people with mental health issues were treated... It's just so so good! I did have an issue with the conservative ending though. That's the only reason it's not top teir for me! 😋
i've only read macbeth in its entirety (i've read some of a midsummer's night dream and some of romeo and juliet) and i absolutely loved that. i wasn't too invested in either of the other 2 that i've read bits of, but i think that might be partially because that was a few years ago and i wasn't massively into classic literature at all, let alone reading shakespeare. i want to read hamlet next i think. it will be the first time i've read any shakespeare for pleasure rather than school
I was so inspired by your video that I just started a reread of Romeo & Juliet, and I'm loving it! So many great lines and the side characters are awesome. When I read Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth in high school, I just thought it they were both mid, but I knew I just didn't get it yet. I'm so glad I'm giving Shakespeare another go
I never thought i would avidly enjoy Shakespeare but i picked up Romeo and Juliet recently and suddenly found his plays were way wittier and interesting than i had initially assumed! This video makes me very excited to pick up Hamlet as i adored Macbeth :)
My favorite Shakespeare is a tie between Hamlet and Othello. Based on your top three I think you would lovvveeee Othello. Pick it up as soon as you can!!
My buddy ran a Shakespeare company in Philly that put on free plays outdoors in the parks frequently, and I was lucky enough to see about a dozen of them. They did Macbeth once in late October - as night fell it dipped to about 45 degrees, my friend and I were huddled on a picnic blanket freezing to death drinking scotch out of a flask. Absolutely perfect viewing experience for that play.
"To see or not to see???". The DVDs of Shakespeare that I like are the Richard II to Richard III history plays that the BBC produced from 1978 to 1982 and Roman Polanski's Macbeth.
Yes, Polanski's Macbeth is not something to miss, especially after becoming familiar with the tragedy that hit him before starting work on the production. The other Macbeths have good points - Wells' banquet with and without Banquo was particularly good. Otherwise, beside Polanski the best is probably the BBC, where the lead actor brings out better than any others Macbeth's unfitness to be king of Scotland.
Ever since you started talking about your Shakespeare course and after listening your super valuable recs I definitely want to read more of his plays ❤ also I loved the tier names hahah
I'm really looking forward to your opinion on Othello when you read it. Though for me it doesn't reach the heights of Macbeth, it still is a wonderful play. And thank you for the recommendations❤
As a theater major, I surprisingly didn’t read that much Shakespeare, but don’t worry, I’ve had to read “Much Ado” at LEAST 5 TIMES. I’m ready for some new ones 😂
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS ABOUT THE TEMPEST, i absolutely love that play and it is SO underrated. i am such a shakespeare fan, thank you drama school, and cannot wait to see you read more. i would love to hear your thoughts on much ado about nothing, othello, and titus andronicus. i haven't read even close to all of his works but my favourite and least favourite from the bard are macbeth and all's well that ends well (would actually love to hear you slander this one to pieces lol).
The only shakespeare work ive read all the way through is Hamlet, did it for my A level course and I loved it. It was tough because its kind of a hard play to teach, juggling teaching language, explaining things as you go and then having to double back to re-contextualise scenes. Especially since we only had one lesson a fortnight on it, but I did adore it. When I was a GCSE student I was a cynical one who was like "okay I think people are reading too far into this" but I felt the opposite with Hamlet. Everything felt so intentional and put together and so so genius. All the characters felt like they had their place and role and nothing felt overlooked (although the start could be a little boring as there's a lot of setup). Not to mention all the critical interpretations, you could literally study Hamlet for 3 years and not see every angle of it. Glad to see it so highly praised!!!!
Oh you MUST read Othello! It’s my second favourite Shakespeare play (right after Henry V), but I think you’ll love it! Soooo funny and so tragic at the same time it had me gasping the whole time lolol
surprised i’m not seeing any defense of twelfth night in these comments!! it is tied with hamlet as my all-time favorite shakespeare play, and it is actually in conversation with hamlet if you look at shakespeare’s life!! his son, hamnet, a twin boy, died of plague at 11. he wrote hamlet famously swapping it so the father dies instead of the son, but he also wrote twelfth night, a play where twins think they’ve lost each other only to be reunited in the end. it’s hilarious, but also has some of his most beautiful and romantic poetry, and highlights the somber in laughter and the joy in tears.
I’ve read some Shakespeare in high school, and have enjoyed most of it. I’ve always wondered where to go next. Thanks for the help narrowing it down Emma!!!❤️
While I havent read as many of Shakespeares plays as you have, MacBeth is my favourite one so far too!! I was so lucky that I could see a performance of it last year. It was wonderful!! They took some creative liberties due to the small size of the cast and the fact that almost all of them were women, but it was amazing nonetheless. I also read Hamlet in my English class last year and we went to see a performance of it too. Im constantly looking for more performances of Shakespeares plays, but sadly there arent many near me at the moment. If you ever get the chance to see either of those plays, you definitely should!!!
I think Macbeth might be my favourite Shakespeare play out of the ones I read so far. I also really loved Othello when I read it in high school. I had a great English teacher in grade 12 and he really helped me to understand and appreciate Shakespeare. I'm currently reading King Lear for the first time.
My first Shakespeare play that I watched live was Julius Caesar, when I was around 15, and I have loved it ever since, ! It really was captivating and just drew me right in. I've been a fan of Shakespeare ever since. Would love to see A Midsummer Night's dream, and Hamlet, live. Macbeth was good to read, but the performance I saw was poorly done, so would love to see it somewhere else someday
I truly love your way of describing books so much, Emma.🥰It’s just so vivid and passionate! You sort of manage to make me feel good about the amount of books I already read, but also motivate me to read more. I will definitely try to start my first Shakespeare pretty soon. Please stay the way you are!❤️
I was irrationally scared you might for some reason pack Macbeth into a low tier and was more relieved than I like to admit that it also turned out to be your favourite. PHEW. I love this play so much. I've seen some Shakespeare plays at the Globe but never Macbeth. It's definitely on my bucket list.
I also would name those three as my favorites. I'm currently in a production of Much Ado About Nothing, and it's become my favorite of his comedies (although I've not seen/read the majority.)
I’m Macbeth enthusiast, like I remember the feeling “what I’m a reading? So rare yet the way that they speak is wow” And Otelo, I love drama and the villain of the play is naughty, he has no shame 😂
If you have not seen _Slings & Arrows,_ do so immediately. It is a Canadian television series set in the fictional New Burbage Festival in Ontario. Each six-episode season centers around one production at the festival: Hamlet, the Scottish play (the curse plays a part), and Lear. It even has a ghost.
Most enjoyable Shakespeare ranking video I've seen (and I've watched many). When I saw the cleverness & creativity of your tier titles I knew I was in for a treat, and you delivered! You are a smart and insightful reader and I think your literary judgment is sound. BTW, saw Macbeth just last night at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CU campus). Absolutely superb!
I'm more of a philosophy guy (particularly love reading about the medieval/scholastic tradition) and so I am fond of careful, unambiguous, and precise thinking and wording of stuff that I read. I just finished reading my first novel in years a few days ago and the lack of clarity at times and the "mystery" aspect of it all has caught me off guard at lot of times haha. Anyhow, I'm just glad someone like you still exists today, Emmie: someone who can guide me into my journey through other types of literature besides the philosophical and Theological. In a world were people are fond of the easy, efficient, practical, and technological, I am glad there are still humans today that are willing to "struggle" with the wisdom we have received from authors of old by reading their works, and not just accept what is considered as the given or what is new.
I am looking forward to what you think about "Much Ado"! It is probably my favorite Shakespeare comedy, and in a way, it sort of nullifies "Taming of the Shrew" (which I also do not like at ALL); it renders it obsolete. Nice work!
This is so fun! Been reading through Shakespeare 1 play a month for the past couple years, 20 or so in, and just having a delight. I think we agree on almost every damn thing too, your ranking is real close to mine. Ones not here I really loved: Henry IV, Part 1 (I haven't loved most of the histories, I agree they're a little overly convoluted, but this one is incredible), and Love's Labour's Lost - kinda a nothing comedy, but its themes and play-within-a-play work so so much better than many of the other nothing comedies Favorite's definitely Macbeth, though I haven't gotten around to reading it this pass. Least, so far it's been Henry VI, Part 1 - I *struggled* with the Henry VI plays, they're rough as heck. Also! Watch the Coen Bros. Tragedy of Macbeth that came out a year or two ago - it's one of the most striking, memorable production/movie I've seen of a Shakespeare play.
I don't love reading plays generally but you make me want to try out shakespeare plays again ngl Especially since i've been meaning to read Hamlet ever since I saw it performed in the West end in London, and loved it
Much Ado is gorgeous! Genuinely hilarious, a truly wholesome story (which I feel is hard to find for Shakespeare), likeable characters including villains who are funny and relatable in their own ways… I truly think it is one of the most solid, widely enjoyable, objectively good Shakespeare plays.
i kinda disagree because i was very lucky that we read shakespeare (adapted for kids lol) when i was like 10 in school and it was one of the most formative experiences in my life. we had to create our own small productions of the plays that we performed in our schools theater, wearing costumes and everything (just for the class and teacher). my group was assigned midsummer and we had a LOT of fun. it made me obsessed with macbeth bc of how creepy the story and the illustrations were. as i got older i finally read his sonnets, the actual plays and watched some of them performed which just made me fall even more in love with his work. it's not for every kid, but i think it's very important to offer it at an early age.
Great video! I’m just getting into Shakespeare and so far I’ve had such an all or nothing experience lol. I read Merchant of Venice first, for school. (I think our teacher chose that of our various options and idek what she was thinking) Thought it was okay, but a little slow and rough. Plus hated the ending with Shylock being forced to convert. Then I read Hamlet, and I was not okay. I loooooved it so much, and it really changed me as writer, now none of my characters can be happy 😈 Now I’m reading Macbeth for my own pleasure and have been loving it so far! (I’m at the end of Act 3 roughly)
25:06 I am jewish, and actually learned the play in English class in school (in Israel), and we had a lot of discussions about whether or not the play is antisemitic, but I find in the play the greatest call of the value of any human life, in Shylock's speech, that litteraly sent chills down my spine. In the end, I loved the play, and so did my friends in class. b.t.w.: Sorry for any lower way of articulation or grammer errors in my comment, English is my second language
fairest maiden!! Good tidings bequeathed to set my lark abreast!! i love shakespear!!! midsomer night's dream is my favorite! i think. but i havent read that many yet.. 😣😣
I knew you'd love Shakespeare eventually !!! And no to taking it off the high school syllabus. I read Hamlet and Macbeth in high school (in English, my second language no less) and I was HOOKED! Probably the main reason I studied English later on.
Pushkin was also impressed by "Measure for Measure", to such an extent that he wrote a poem called "Angelo". (dedicated to the character in the play) Angelo is bad guy of course, but he is not a one simple straightforward villain. As a middle age man I can even empathize with him for- what if I was in a position of power and someone as charming and intelligent as Isabel (or Emma) came and pleaded with me for life of her brother, how would I be able to resist this temptation?? )
I'm 5 plays into my Shakespeare journey and my favorite so far is Macbeth. ❤ Emma, will you do a "what books would I save in a house fire" video? I would love to know what books you would save if you could only take what you can carry. Time yourself. The race against the clock will really tell.
I recently purchased the excessive Folio Society limited edition of Shakespeare’s complete plays and in my rekindling of my passion for Shakespeare stumbled upon your video. I’m by no means an expert on Shakespeare but having taken a course on him at university and read his plays over the years (not all of them yet)… I have to say that I largely agree with your rankings and sentiments! You makes some poignant critiques and observations. That’s said, I was a little heartbroken when you ranked Twelfth Night so low 😂 I do think you should give it a re-read… I find it funny for being such a simple plot and at least parallel-y relevant to certain themes that are debated today regarding gender. I don’t think a high school me would have appreciated it the same. Also, I’m surprised you haven’t read Othello while I feel like not having read Much Ado About Nothing is fairly common. I suspect you will enjoy both, but perhaps Othello more so. Anyway, thanks for the great video! PS: for those new to Shakespeare and/or wanting an accessible (both financially and in comprehension) but complete collection of his works combined with a compendium… I believe “The Complete Pelican Shakespeare” is your one-stop shop. It’s massive, but all-encompassing and the Penguin (same publisher as Pelican) versions of the text are very useful.
I saw Macbeth performed live about 12 years ago and still remember how awesome it was! Shakespeare at his best. As far as comedies...Much ado about Nothing is sublime. Laugh out loud funny, at least to me. The 1993 film adaption with Emma Thompson is excellent
Thx Emmie, that was nice. There's a lot I would say but after editing my suggestions there's only one left. Cut down to about 90 minutes the adaption of Richard III starring Ian "Gandalf" McKellen is perfect for you. As an honorable mention, likely you'll change your opinion regarding Shrew after you see Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as Kat and Petruchio, respectively.
Ive only read 7 Shakespeare plays so far, this is how Id catagorise them I do love nothing in the world so well as thee: Othello (my favourite), Hamlet, Macbeth Speak again bright angel: Twelfth night I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it: Much ado about nothing, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest Luckily havent read any Id put in the bottom two, but highly recommend Othello!
Regarding the Scottish play (TH-cam is sort of theatrical, and one doesn't want to invoke the curse on this channel), I would recommend reading _Witches and Jesuits,_ by Garry Wills. Wills' thesis is that the play is one of many contemporary plays about the Gunpowder Plot, and the reason so many productions have problems, including the curse itself, is that people don't realize this, and thus emphasize or de-emphasize the wrong parts of the play, even omitting parts of the play that are essential to this interpretation.
Lovely idea for categories! But you MUST see and re- read "Twelfth Night!! It has Malvolio and Sir Toby Belch and Maria and Olivia and Viola in it and has one of the funniest scenes in all Shakespeare .
in my elementary school we put on AMND every year so midsum has a very special place in my heart. I've only ever read 3 shakespear plays and that was AMND, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth (comedy, romance, & tragedy for school) and I didn't hate any of them. I really want to get my hands on Hamlet and Othello but now I might have to include King lear into that mini TBR because you hyped it up so well for me hahahahahahah
I recommend re-reading The Tempest, then reading Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood. It's a retelling/cover version that's part of The Hogarth Shakespeare Series.
My personal favorite is Othello, but followed very closely by MacBeth. I don’t like faeries and disguises so A Midsummer Night’s Dream wasn’t for me. I just know you will love the Henry plays.
was in production of the comedy of errors when I was younger and it had me laughing backstage every time so highly recommend you get to that one. just pure Shakespeare ridiculousness! maybe not his most well known but might be my personal favorite after Macbeth even if it’s partly for nostalgic reasons
I recently read midsummer’s night dream and absolutely loved it and I’m planning on reading Macbeth soon (this video honestly is giving me the motivation to read more Shakespeare)
the movie Throne of Blood by Akira Kurosawa is based on Macbeth, I think you’d love it! Their adaptation of the 3 witches and the ending are amazingggg
There is an amazing performance of Twelfth Night somewhere on youtube starring Helen Hunt (and others) and you should watch it. Twelfth Night is one of my faves but watching that performance was a big reason why. It was pretty hilarious. I actually have read all but 2 of Shakespeare's plays (thank you pandemic lock-down). My other faves are Julius Caesar, Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry V, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet. I think watching adaptations really brings them to life. Oh and Much Ado about nothing, loved that one also. I really wish I'd appreciated Shakespeare in high school when we had a year of Shakespeare in 9th grade. I came to appreciate him late but better late than never.
I love Shakespeare's histories! True they're not accurate I did a comparison paper on Northumberland) but all the death, murder, and the fun. I do love Richard III and Henry IV. I do find the comedies work better acted than read, but that's me, though I really enjoyed Merry Wives. I haven't read Merchant yet but hope you enjoy Othello when you get to it, along with Much Ado.
i read macbeth in january for my hs senior year english class and literally ADORED it, so i’m debating picking up another shakespeare… i’m just scared of it being too difficult or long ig. i’ve heard a lot of good things about much ado about nothing and measure for measure seems rlly interesting
Regarding difficulty, yes, the language is archaic, and many words have significantly changed meaning over the centuries, but any decent modern edition will help enormously with that. I have found that the plays are easier to understand when performed rather then when read. Remember that the original audiences for the plays did not have anywhere near the education you do. As to length, novels are much longer than plays.
For me Shakespeare's historical plays are not my favorite. I really struggled through them in university because they just go on too long. My faves include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing Edit: If you ever do get to read Much Ado and want to see a performance, I recommend the David Tennant and Catherine Tate one from 2011
Emma this is a five star video love it 🥰 and your amazing channel and I am going to have to go back and read all of Shakespeare wonderful and amazing plays ❤❤
you're literally the reason why i started getting more into classics so i'm taking this as a sign to read shakespeare?? and emma, THIS IS YOUR REMINDER TO READ LITTLE WOMEN. PLEASE.
one of the most memorable Shakespeare plays for me is Pericles, prince of tyre, because it is literally wacky. It's one of his least known works and is generally regarded as one of the worst he wrote (or co-wrote), but it's so so enjoyable, and there are still many of Shakespeare's usual themes, commentary and moments of seriousness. I'd love to know your thoughts if you get round to reading it.
I haven't watched a lot of Shakespeare and read even less - I've read and watched both Romeo and Juliet and King Lear, and then I've read Taming of the Shrew, and watched Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Macbeth. I think my favorite is actually King Lear which I know is a very unpopular opinion lol, but I like it because I've found that I read it wrong? I read it focused on the sisters rather than King Lear which apparently is not supposed to be the way it comes across. Weird but I'll take it, I guess Edit: I'm so glad I'm not alone in my love for King Lear!
would love to hear your thoughts on The Winters Tale! some people also categorize it as a problem play because of the jarring shift in tone, but I find it so interesting 🤠
3:34 - Julius Ceaser
5:25 - A Midsummer Night's Dream
6:58 - Richard III
10:08 - Richard II
12:38 - The Taming of the Shrew
15:42 - Hamlet
16:33 - Anthony and Cleopatra
17:13 - Macbeth
19:29 - Measure For Measure
23:02 - As You Like It
24:44 - The Merchant of Venice
25:30 - The Tempest
26:13 - Rome and Juliet
27:13 - Twelfth Night
28:01 - King Lear
I just read Othello and came to this video thinking you might have read it, but lo and behold, you didn't ahah
Anyway, hope the timestamps please other people.
thank you sm🥲
i honestly think the key with the comedies is seeing them performed, i've seen performances of the dream or much ado that made me cry with laughter, but reading the play it just doesnt hit the same.. kind of different for the tragedies, the comedy can really depend on the approach and is physical a lot of the time too
I saw The Merry Wives of Windsor performed at the Globe a couple of years ago and it was SO GOOD, but not sure if I would enjoy it if I were to read it. So yes, definitely agree with this!!
Yes! In high school, a teacher explained to me that even though reading the plays is great, it's such an enhanced experience to see Shakespeare performed. She mentioned how there's a rhythm to his writing that you don't fully appreciate until watching someone perform it. I haven't gotten to see a live Shakespeare before, but it's definitely a dream!
Excellent point. I enjoyed reading A Midsummer Night's Dream but when I caught a video of some college's performance of it that's when it became my favorite. It completely brought everything up a level despite the fact that the acting, God bless them, was not that great. It still delivered the laughs.
This is so important! Performance doesn’t just change how you experience comedies though. A good or bad performance can affect your perception of tragedies too. My opinion of Twelfth Night and Macbeth both went up after seeing better performances after seeing weak performances first.
I hope you do soon. It is wonderful when performed well.@@druidbottles
Emma was the reason i started loving classics. Is this my call to pick Shakespeare?
Yes yes yes!!! ❤
Yes, absolutely. Shakespeare's plays are fantastic
Got king lear cause of her but still didn’t read it yet. Really looking forward to
Yes!!!!
ah yes absolutely!
After two semesters of studying Shakespeare at uni, I can finally see why every scholar is obsessed with him. Shakespeare is every lit student's dream! You can read him for beautiful writing, for extraordinary characters, for captivating plot... You can go through every emotion with him. Personally, I enjoyed equally analysing his plays as well as reading them for fun. I've always loved Shakespeare but now I ADORE him!
My favourite plays are Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream
Love Shakespeare! My city does FREE Shakespeare in the park plays every summer. I'm so lucky to have seen many of these performed live!
You absolutely have to see Macbeth performed Emma! I had the pleasure to see Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre in London a couple years back with Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle: the setting was adapted to look like the action was taking place during either WWI or WWII.
James McArdle was unbelievable as Macbeth 🩷🤌🏻
Oh yeah, that goes for any Shakespeare and indeed any play. The dimensions of staging and acting and direction seem indispensable to enjoying it.
so sick of seeing shakeapeare adapted with guns... its been done so many times now it feels like a serious lack of creativity. We could have so many amaxzing costumes and all anyone wants to do is use camo gear and suits :(
I haven't read Much Ado but I just saw it live a few weeks ago and it is delightful! The whole theater was cracking up for like 80% of the show, the humor is so amazing. The love story between Benedick and Beatrice is done so well (the og enemies to lovers). Definitely a fun one to see live because the actors added so much through physical comedy but now I can't wait to read the play!
I recently watched a recording of Much Ado with David Tennant and Catherine Tate playing Benedick and Beatrice and read it almost immediately afterwards, I think I’m in love.
My favorite
My fave shakespeare play would be A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet for sure!! The language from the two plays are just sooooo creatively sublime that I just fall again and again with Shakespeare lol
Othello is my all time favorite Shakespeare play! Love love LOVE it!! Desdemona and Iago are some of my all time favorite characters!
Hamlet is not just my favourite Shakespeare play, but my favourite play, period. And Much ado about nothing is a brilliant romcom, very witty and funny. I don't know your attitude to David Tennant, but he stared in both of those (not only in those, tho), and his versions are just brilliant. He's my favourite Hamlet, and I've seen A LOT (probably around 10 adaptations, give or take). Shakespeare's language is exquisite, no one'd ever written like he had.
My favourite too. The greatest play ever written - and you will see different meanings the more times you watch it at different seasons of life.
Emma and Shakespeare - excellent pairing!
My absolute favourite is King Lear. I agree with your top 3. You'll love Much Ado About Nothing. Act 1 Scene 1 quote:
'I can see he's not in your good books,' said the messenger. 'No, and if he were I would burn my library.' 😁
Much Ado About Nothing absolutely delivers 🙌 one of my favorites!! Macbeth is on my Fall TBR and I can’t wait!
I guess emma has this kind of charm that makes you listen to her all day and night. She has such soothing voice 😩
She really does. Her buddy Carolyn from the channel Carolyn Marie Reads also has a very soothing voice, as well as great taste in books and being a very talented artist. Emma, Carolyn, and Christy Anne Jones are my 3 favourite booktubers, from Canada, the US, and Australia respectively.
@@circleofleaves2676 I love Carolyn's smile, it is so wholesome. Everytime she smiles I get so happy. And Carolyn is the most sweetest person I have ever seen literally
This video spoke to my soul on a level I was not expecting for a Wednesday afternoon. 😂
I am such a Shakespeare girl, and I wholeheartedly agree with your ranking for almost all of these.
I would add Othello and Much Ado.. to tier 2, the Henry plays to tier 3 mostly, and swap around The Tempest with Twelfth Night.
I haven't read Measure for Measure, but you have totally bumped it up my list after this video!
PLEASE update us with your tier ranking for Twelfth Night when you re-read it with Carolyn because I absolutely ADORE that play. The role of gender, the witty female protagonist, the hints to queerness and sexuality, the comedy and dramatic irony, the subtle discussions on how people with mental health issues were treated... It's just so so good! I did have an issue with the conservative ending though. That's the only reason it's not top teir for me! 😋
i've only read macbeth in its entirety (i've read some of a midsummer's night dream and some of romeo and juliet) and i absolutely loved that. i wasn't too invested in either of the other 2 that i've read bits of, but i think that might be partially because that was a few years ago and i wasn't massively into classic literature at all, let alone reading shakespeare.
i want to read hamlet next i think. it will be the first time i've read any shakespeare for pleasure rather than school
I was so inspired by your video that I just started a reread of Romeo & Juliet, and I'm loving it! So many great lines and the side characters are awesome. When I read Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth in high school, I just thought it they were both mid, but I knew I just didn't get it yet. I'm so glad I'm giving Shakespeare another go
I never thought i would avidly enjoy Shakespeare but i picked up Romeo and Juliet recently and suddenly found his plays were way wittier and interesting than i had initially assumed! This video makes me very excited to pick up Hamlet as i adored Macbeth :)
My favorite Shakespeare is a tie between Hamlet and Othello. Based on your top three I think you would lovvveeee Othello. Pick it up as soon as you can!!
My buddy ran a Shakespeare company in Philly that put on free plays outdoors in the parks frequently, and I was lucky enough to see about a dozen of them. They did Macbeth once in late October - as night fell it dipped to about 45 degrees, my friend and I were huddled on a picnic blanket freezing to death drinking scotch out of a flask. Absolutely perfect viewing experience for that play.
Merchant of Venice is actually my favorite Shakespeare, haha followed by Macbeth and King Lear. It's got two of my favorite monologues ever.
"To see or not to see???". The DVDs of Shakespeare that I like are the Richard II to Richard III history plays that the BBC produced from 1978 to 1982 and Roman Polanski's Macbeth.
Yes, Polanski's Macbeth is not something to miss, especially after becoming familiar with the tragedy that hit him before starting work on the production. The other Macbeths have good points - Wells' banquet with and without Banquo was particularly good. Otherwise, beside Polanski the best is probably the BBC, where the lead actor brings out better than any others Macbeth's unfitness to be king of Scotland.
Ever since you started talking about your Shakespeare course and after listening your super valuable recs I definitely want to read more of his plays ❤ also I loved the tier names hahah
30 minutes of Emma talking about Shakespeare, I am SO EXCITED!!!
Also, I hope you're doing well, Emma! 😊
thank you so much - I hope you're having a lovely week!
@emmiereads question have you done next book in Ann Rice vampire chronicles series book the vampire lestat if not when and if so witch video was it?
I'm really looking forward to your opinion on Othello when you read it. Though for me it doesn't reach the heights of Macbeth, it still is a wonderful play. And thank you for the recommendations❤
Julius Caesar is probably the best Shakespeare play to read as you watch the movie. It stays closer to the text than any other Shakespeare I've seen.
As a theater major, I surprisingly didn’t read that much Shakespeare, but don’t worry, I’ve had to read “Much Ado” at LEAST 5 TIMES. I’m ready for some new ones 😂
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS ABOUT THE TEMPEST, i absolutely love that play and it is SO underrated. i am such a shakespeare fan, thank you drama school, and cannot wait to see you read more. i would love to hear your thoughts on much ado about nothing, othello, and titus andronicus.
i haven't read even close to all of his works but my favourite and least favourite from the bard are macbeth and all's well that ends well (would actually love to hear you slander this one to pieces lol).
The only shakespeare work ive read all the way through is Hamlet, did it for my A level course and I loved it. It was tough because its kind of a hard play to teach, juggling teaching language, explaining things as you go and then having to double back to re-contextualise scenes. Especially since we only had one lesson a fortnight on it, but I did adore it. When I was a GCSE student I was a cynical one who was like "okay I think people are reading too far into this" but I felt the opposite with Hamlet. Everything felt so intentional and put together and so so genius. All the characters felt like they had their place and role and nothing felt overlooked (although the start could be a little boring as there's a lot of setup). Not to mention all the critical interpretations, you could literally study Hamlet for 3 years and not see every angle of it. Glad to see it so highly praised!!!!
Oh you MUST read Othello! It’s my second favourite Shakespeare play (right after Henry V), but I think you’ll love it! Soooo funny and so tragic at the same time it had me gasping the whole time lolol
Juliet is the sun!!! I still remember backstage a page boy!!! 😭😭 great play!! 😔
surprised i’m not seeing any defense of twelfth night in these comments!! it is tied with hamlet as my all-time favorite shakespeare play, and it is actually in conversation with hamlet if you look at shakespeare’s life!! his son, hamnet, a twin boy, died of plague at 11. he wrote hamlet famously swapping it so the father dies instead of the son, but he also wrote twelfth night, a play where twins think they’ve lost each other only to be reunited in the end. it’s hilarious, but also has some of his most beautiful and romantic poetry, and highlights the somber in laughter and the joy in tears.
I have been adoring shakespear more as well! For me macbeth is my favorite so far but i do still have a lot of plays to read
My favorite Shakespeare play has to be King Lear. So unexpected and yet captivating! My least favorite is no surprise to be Titus Andronicus.
I’ve read some Shakespeare in high school, and have enjoyed most of it. I’ve always wondered where to go next. Thanks for the help narrowing it down Emma!!!❤️
While I havent read as many of Shakespeares plays as you have, MacBeth is my favourite one so far too!! I was so lucky that I could see a performance of it last year. It was wonderful!! They took some creative liberties due to the small size of the cast and the fact that almost all of them were women, but it was amazing nonetheless.
I also read Hamlet in my English class last year and we went to see a performance of it too.
Im constantly looking for more performances of Shakespeares plays, but sadly there arent many near me at the moment.
If you ever get the chance to see either of those plays, you definitely should!!!
I think Macbeth might be my favourite Shakespeare play out of the ones I read so far.
I also really loved Othello when I read it in high school. I had a great English teacher in grade 12 and he really helped me to understand and appreciate Shakespeare.
I'm currently reading King Lear for the first time.
My first Shakespeare play that I watched live was Julius Caesar, when I was around 15, and I have loved it ever since,
! It really was captivating and just drew me right in. I've been a fan of Shakespeare ever since. Would love to see A Midsummer Night's dream, and Hamlet, live. Macbeth was good to read, but the performance I saw was poorly done, so would love to see it somewhere else someday
I truly love your way of describing books so much, Emma.🥰It’s just so vivid and passionate! You sort of manage to make me feel good about the amount of books I already read, but also motivate me to read more. I will definitely try to start my first Shakespeare pretty soon. Please stay the way you are!❤️
I was irrationally scared you might for some reason pack Macbeth into a low tier and was more relieved than I like to admit that it also turned out to be your favourite. PHEW. I love this play so much. I've seen some Shakespeare plays at the Globe but never Macbeth. It's definitely on my bucket list.
ahh love this so much. would love to hear your thoughts on coriolanus because the enemies who may be infatuated with one another is soo good 😍
Coriolanus does not get the love it deserves.
@@jamesduggan7200 Agreed! Coriolanus is probably my favourite (although there is a lot of competition for that title haha)
yes! Coriolanus is such a great play and it doesn’t get enough love
I also would name those three as my favorites. I'm currently in a production of Much Ado About Nothing, and it's become my favorite of his comedies (although I've not seen/read the majority.)
I’m Macbeth enthusiast, like I remember the feeling “what I’m a reading? So rare yet the way that they speak is wow”
And Otelo, I love drama and the villain of the play is naughty, he has no shame 😂
If you have not seen _Slings & Arrows,_ do so immediately. It is a Canadian television series set in the fictional New Burbage Festival in Ontario. Each six-episode season centers around one production at the festival: Hamlet, the Scottish play (the curse plays a part), and Lear. It even has a ghost.
A very good pick to review these plays. I believe I will reread Julius Caesar for starters after a long absence. Good form!
Hamlet and Macbeth love these and I love Much Ado About Nothing, if you want fun and games this one has it and tragedy, too.
Most enjoyable Shakespeare ranking video I've seen (and I've watched many). When I saw the cleverness & creativity of your tier titles I knew I was in for a treat, and you delivered! You are a smart and insightful reader and I think your literary judgment is sound. BTW, saw Macbeth just last night at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CU campus). Absolutely superb!
You need to read Othelo!! My favorite tied with Macbeth and Midsummer’s nights dream😍. My least favorite so far has been The tempest (sorry)
I'm more of a philosophy guy (particularly love reading about the medieval/scholastic tradition) and so I am fond of careful, unambiguous, and precise thinking and wording of stuff that I read. I just finished reading my first novel in years a few days ago and the lack of clarity at times and the "mystery" aspect of it all has caught me off guard at lot of times haha. Anyhow, I'm just glad someone like you still exists today, Emmie: someone who can guide me into my journey through other types of literature besides the philosophical and Theological. In a world were people are fond of the easy, efficient, practical, and technological, I am glad there are still humans today that are willing to "struggle" with the wisdom we have received from authors of old by reading their works, and not just accept what is considered as the given or what is new.
I am looking forward to what you think about "Much Ado"! It is probably my favorite Shakespeare comedy, and in a way, it sort of nullifies "Taming of the Shrew" (which I also do not like at ALL); it renders it obsolete. Nice work!
This is so fun! Been reading through Shakespeare 1 play a month for the past couple years, 20 or so in, and just having a delight. I think we agree on almost every damn thing too, your ranking is real close to mine. Ones not here I really loved: Henry IV, Part 1 (I haven't loved most of the histories, I agree they're a little overly convoluted, but this one is incredible), and Love's Labour's Lost - kinda a nothing comedy, but its themes and play-within-a-play work so so much better than many of the other nothing comedies
Favorite's definitely Macbeth, though I haven't gotten around to reading it this pass. Least, so far it's been Henry VI, Part 1 - I *struggled* with the Henry VI plays, they're rough as heck.
Also! Watch the Coen Bros. Tragedy of Macbeth that came out a year or two ago - it's one of the most striking, memorable production/movie I've seen of a Shakespeare play.
I don't love reading plays generally but you make me want to try out shakespeare plays again ngl
Especially since i've been meaning to read Hamlet ever since I saw it performed in the West end in London, and loved it
I’ve just bought all the BBC adaptations of ALL the Shakespeare and I’m so excited to watch them all.
This is the best Shakespeare ranking video on TH-cam. This video helped inspire me to start my own Shakespeare journey.
Happy belated birthday, Emma!!
I'm wholly in love with shakespeare. King Lear was the first ever play I performed in and I have Shakespeare since.
My favourite Shakespeare play is Julius Caesar and i read it with you, Carolyn, Ciara, Mary and Lucy for the DA book club 😊
I missed you this past week! I know you did 4 videos in a row the week before, but I’m happy to have a new one today! 😊
Much Ado is gorgeous! Genuinely hilarious, a truly wholesome story (which I feel is hard to find for Shakespeare), likeable characters including villains who are funny and relatable in their own ways… I truly think it is one of the most solid, widely enjoyable, objectively good Shakespeare plays.
Macbeth is my favourite Shakespeare play 🎉
Loved this ranking
i kinda disagree because i was very lucky that we read shakespeare (adapted for kids lol) when i was like 10 in school and it was one of the most formative experiences in my life. we had to create our own small productions of the plays that we performed in our schools theater, wearing costumes and everything (just for the class and teacher). my group was assigned midsummer and we had a LOT of fun. it made me obsessed with macbeth bc of how creepy the story and the illustrations were. as i got older i finally read his sonnets, the actual plays and watched some of them performed which just made me fall even more in love with his work. it's not for every kid, but i think it's very important to offer it at an early age.
Great video! I’m just getting into Shakespeare and so far I’ve had such an all or nothing experience lol. I read Merchant of Venice first, for school. (I think our teacher chose that of our various options and idek what she was thinking) Thought it was okay, but a little slow and rough. Plus hated the ending with Shylock being forced to convert. Then I read Hamlet, and I was not okay. I loooooved it so much, and it really changed me as writer, now none of my characters can be happy 😈 Now I’m reading Macbeth for my own pleasure and have been loving it so far! (I’m at the end of Act 3 roughly)
25:06 I am jewish, and actually learned the play in English class in school (in Israel), and we had a lot of discussions about whether or not the play is antisemitic, but I find in the play the greatest call of the value of any human life, in Shylock's speech, that litteraly sent chills down my spine. In the end, I loved the play, and so did my friends in class.
b.t.w.: Sorry for any lower way of articulation or grammer errors in my comment, English is my second language
Shylock is made to convert at the end so as far as the audience at the time was concerned, it was a happy ending for him. It has to be see in context.
fairest maiden!! Good tidings bequeathed to set my lark abreast!! i love shakespear!!! midsomer night's dream is my favorite! i think. but i havent read that many yet.. 😣😣
Good ranking. You’ll love Othello. 👍
A midsummer nights dream is so fun to see performed if you ever have the opportunity!!
I knew you'd love Shakespeare eventually !!! And no to taking it off the high school syllabus. I read Hamlet and Macbeth in high school (in English, my second language no less) and I was HOOKED! Probably the main reason I studied English later on.
Pushkin was also impressed by "Measure for Measure", to such an extent that he wrote a poem called "Angelo". (dedicated to the character in the play) Angelo is bad guy of course, but he is not a one simple straightforward villain. As a middle age man I can even empathize with him for- what if I was in a position of power and someone as charming and intelligent as Isabel (or Emma) came and pleaded with me for life of her brother, how would I be able to resist this temptation?? )
love your classic literature videos!! 💌 would love to see more
I'm 5 plays into my Shakespeare journey and my favorite so far is Macbeth. ❤
Emma, will you do a "what books would I save in a house fire" video? I would love to know what books you would save if you could only take what you can carry. Time yourself. The race against the clock will really tell.
I recently purchased the excessive Folio Society limited edition of Shakespeare’s complete plays and in my rekindling of my passion for Shakespeare stumbled upon your video. I’m by no means an expert on Shakespeare but having taken a course on him at university and read his plays over the years (not all of them yet)… I have to say that I largely agree with your rankings and sentiments! You makes some poignant critiques and observations. That’s said, I was a little heartbroken when you ranked Twelfth Night so low 😂 I do think you should give it a re-read… I find it funny for being such a simple plot and at least parallel-y relevant to certain themes that are debated today regarding gender. I don’t think a high school me would have appreciated it the same. Also, I’m surprised you haven’t read Othello while I feel like not having read Much Ado About Nothing is fairly common. I suspect you will enjoy both, but perhaps Othello more so. Anyway, thanks for the great video! PS: for those new to Shakespeare and/or wanting an accessible (both financially and in comprehension) but complete collection of his works combined with a compendium… I believe “The Complete Pelican Shakespeare” is your one-stop shop. It’s massive, but all-encompassing and the Penguin (same publisher as Pelican) versions of the text are very useful.
I saw Macbeth performed live about 12 years ago and still remember how awesome it was! Shakespeare at his best. As far as comedies...Much ado about Nothing is sublime. Laugh out loud funny, at least to me. The 1993 film adaption with Emma Thompson is excellent
Thx Emmie, that was nice. There's a lot I would say but after editing my suggestions there's only one left. Cut down to about 90 minutes the adaption of Richard III starring Ian "Gandalf" McKellen is perfect for you. As an honorable mention, likely you'll change your opinion regarding Shrew after you see Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as Kat and Petruchio, respectively.
Ive only read 7 Shakespeare plays so far, this is how Id catagorise them
I do love nothing in the world so well as thee:
Othello (my favourite), Hamlet, Macbeth
Speak again bright angel: Twelfth night
I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it: Much ado about nothing, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest
Luckily havent read any Id put in the bottom two, but highly recommend Othello!
Regarding the Scottish play (TH-cam is sort of theatrical, and one doesn't want to invoke the curse on this channel), I would recommend reading _Witches and Jesuits,_ by Garry Wills. Wills' thesis is that the play is one of many contemporary plays about the Gunpowder Plot, and the reason so many productions have problems, including the curse itself, is that people don't realize this, and thus emphasize or de-emphasize the wrong parts of the play, even omitting parts of the play that are essential to this interpretation.
Lovely idea for categories! But you MUST see and re- read "Twelfth Night!!
It has Malvolio and Sir Toby Belch and Maria and Olivia and Viola in it and has one of the funniest scenes in all Shakespeare .
i'm not really a shakespeare girlie but i LOVE listening to you talk about shakespeare plays
in my elementary school we put on AMND every year so midsum has a very special place in my heart. I've only ever read 3 shakespear plays and that was AMND, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth (comedy, romance, & tragedy for school) and I didn't hate any of them. I really want to get my hands on Hamlet and Othello but now I might have to include King lear into that mini TBR because you hyped it up so well for me hahahahahahah
I recommend re-reading The Tempest, then reading Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood. It's a retelling/cover version that's part of The Hogarth Shakespeare Series.
My personal favorite is Othello, but followed very closely by MacBeth. I don’t like faeries and disguises so A Midsummer Night’s Dream wasn’t for me. I just know you will love the Henry plays.
was in production of the comedy of errors when I was younger and it had me laughing backstage every time so highly recommend you get to that one. just pure Shakespeare ridiculousness! maybe not his most well known but might be my personal favorite after Macbeth even if it’s partly for nostalgic reasons
You should see the Rodgers and Hart musical _The Boys from Syracuse,_ made into a movie in 1940.
I recently read midsummer’s night dream and absolutely loved it and I’m planning on reading Macbeth soon (this video honestly is giving me the motivation to read more Shakespeare)
the movie Throne of Blood by Akira Kurosawa is based on Macbeth, I think you’d love it! Their adaptation of the 3 witches and the ending are amazingggg
Lear deserves its own category just called "Lear". Nuf said.
There is an amazing performance of Twelfth Night somewhere on youtube starring Helen Hunt (and others) and you should watch it. Twelfth Night is one of my faves but watching that performance was a big reason why. It was pretty hilarious. I actually have read all but 2 of Shakespeare's plays (thank you pandemic lock-down). My other faves are Julius Caesar, Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry V, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet. I think watching adaptations really brings them to life. Oh and Much Ado about nothing, loved that one also. I really wish I'd appreciated Shakespeare in high school when we had a year of Shakespeare in 9th grade. I came to appreciate him late but better late than never.
I was really hoping they’d put Titus Andronicus on your syllabus because that one destroyed me.
Wonderful video!
Your enthusiasm is infectious!
I love Shakespeare's histories! True they're not accurate I did a comparison paper on Northumberland) but all the death, murder, and the fun. I do love Richard III and Henry IV. I do find the comedies work better acted than read, but that's me, though I really enjoyed Merry Wives. I haven't read Merchant yet but hope you enjoy Othello when you get to it, along with Much Ado.
i read macbeth in january for my hs senior year english class and literally ADORED it, so i’m debating picking up another shakespeare… i’m just scared of it being too difficult or long ig. i’ve heard a lot of good things about much ado about nothing and measure for measure seems rlly interesting
Regarding difficulty, yes, the language is archaic, and many words have significantly changed meaning over the centuries, but any decent modern edition will help enormously with that. I have found that the plays are easier to understand when performed rather then when read. Remember that the original audiences for the plays did not have anywhere near the education you do.
As to length, novels are much longer than plays.
For me Shakespeare's historical plays are not my favorite. I really struggled through them in university because they just go on too long. My faves include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing
Edit: If you ever do get to read Much Ado and want to see a performance, I recommend the David Tennant and Catherine Tate one from 2011
Emma this is a five star video love it 🥰 and your amazing channel and I am going to have to go back and read all of Shakespeare wonderful and amazing plays ❤❤
omg emmie I loved this sooo much! And I think you should read Othello!
you're literally the reason why i started getting more into classics so i'm taking this as a sign to read shakespeare?? and emma, THIS IS YOUR REMINDER TO READ LITTLE WOMEN. PLEASE.
that's so amazing:') and haha thank you!!
Not me obsessively checking all week if Emmie posted a new upload😂❤
That is so useful when you want to get started with Shakespeare stuff
It's 2.06 A.M. in Rio de Janeiro, i should be sleeping, but i'm watching this amazing Emma's video about Shakespeare!!!! 😍😍
one of the most memorable Shakespeare plays for me is Pericles, prince of tyre, because it is literally wacky. It's one of his least known works and is generally regarded as one of the worst he wrote (or co-wrote), but it's so so enjoyable, and there are still many of Shakespeare's usual themes, commentary and moments of seriousness. I'd love to know your thoughts if you get round to reading it.
I haven't watched a lot of Shakespeare and read even less - I've read and watched both Romeo and Juliet and King Lear, and then I've read Taming of the Shrew, and watched Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Macbeth. I think my favorite is actually King Lear which I know is a very unpopular opinion lol, but I like it because I've found that I read it wrong? I read it focused on the sisters rather than King Lear which apparently is not supposed to be the way it comes across. Weird but I'll take it, I guess
Edit: I'm so glad I'm not alone in my love for King Lear!
would love to hear your thoughts on The Winters Tale! some people also categorize it as a problem play because of the jarring shift in tone, but I find it so interesting 🤠
It's a Romance! Supernatural themes, Father/Daughter relationship etc
“It is….MACBETH..Macbeth! It’s Macbeth!” 😂😂😂❤️
Just visited London and the Globe Theater and saved your review here to watch. Very timely and exciting
I'm very on board with these rankings, with the exception that I'm not a huge fan of R+J