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glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 27, 2004 07:24
hmmm... I **like** shakespeare's work! I voted "Other" for Merchant of Venice, because that was the first I read, and also the first I saw on stage, and it made an impression. "If you prick us, do we not bleed?"
The thing with his work though, is that you HAVE to see it on stage, performed live, for it to really get the right effect. Movie works pretty well, but it usually seems.. faker. And reading the actual text is tedious, and hard, and really tough to figure out... at least imho. I told my teacher, after we saw MoV ((the Denver Center Theater group is REALLY good. and a couple of the actors (Gratiano and... Salarino, I think) were perfect merry/pip! lol)) that it was like, when you're reading it on the page, it feels like, "I can see how this would be funny..." or "This might be sad.." but you need to see it for it to be really funny or sad or whatever.

Oh, and my other favorite is Much Ado About Nothing. "I would rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace..." and Beatrice/Hero together kept reminding me of Eowyn. LOL
Macbeth
22% (1)
Hamlet
15% (1)
Romeo & Juliet
14% (1)
Much Ado About Nothing
18% (1)
Richard III
1% (1)
Winters Tale
1% (1)
Twelth Night
5% (4)
Tempest
5% (4)
Comedy of Errors
0% (0)
Other 9specify)
17% (1)
Luthien_Telperien
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 28, 2004 10:27
I posted other, as my first thought was King Lear, but it's so hard to pick a favourite -- even harder if I start thinking of productions I've seen (hence King Lear, of which I've seen some brilliant ones). (Oh yes -- then there's the Nahum Tate adaptation of King Lear, with it's happy ending!) I also have a soft spot for Hamlet, which has the most interesting blend of humour and tragedy. I enjoy the wit of All's Well That Ends Well and the play on concepts of theatre in The Tempest. My favourite of the histories is Henry IV, parts I and II. In the long run, it's always some combination of language and thought that gets me; I tend to pay less attention to the plot.

I agree wholeheartedly that drama is meant to be seen, not read. Plays weren't published for reading in Shakespeare's time (that changed in the decades after Shakespeare); they were simply scripts for the actors to follow -- and deviate from -- on stage. It's like reading the script for PJ's LOTR. We'd all do it (how many people here won't buy the scripts when they're published?), but it's a pale substitute for the real thing.

Of course, Shakespeare wasn't perfect either. I once was "privileged" to see a production of Titus Andronicus. I'm not sure that any director or cast could save that one!
MarilleTheMadElf
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: July 20, 2004 02:37
My favorite is Much Ado. I just like that kind of love story, you know where the two people can't stand each other and then end up falling in love. I've seen two different versions of the movies and would love to see the play in full.
ArFeiniel
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 19, 2005 07:22
I know that this is a pretty old thread, but I was thinking of starting one about Shakespeare. Good thing I looked first. I had to say something about him - even if no one else answers this.

I REALLY enjoy Shakespeare. Favorites:
Comedy - Much Ado About Nothing
Tragedy - Macbeth (Hamlet is a really close second)
Other - don't know really

And I just have to say - Romeo and Juliet made me laugh. Pretty sad that I was cracking up throughout the entire book.
GrimaWormtongue
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 20, 2005 08:18
I decided to choose 'Hamlet'. I LOVED studying that in school!
I'm kind of sick to death of 'Romeo & Juliet' though. In school, we studied it twice, and acted it out, and in my drama class we had to perform it for our exam. And now I'm in college, we'll be doing it again next month!

~ Grima
Lúthien_ArFeiniel
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 20, 2005 10:55
Most of my favorite quotes come from Hamlet.
"What do you read, my lord?" "Words."

But I enjoy Romeo and Juliet becasue it shows off the craziness of passion. I am of the opinion that if they had not committed suicide, the would have hated each other inside of a year. Thier "love" was all based on false pretences and they never even got to know each other.

But my favorite works of his are his sonnets. I love to read poetry and a lot of his is very deep.

[Edited on 20/1/2005 by Lúthien_ArFeiniel]
ArFeiniel
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 20, 2005 02:56
Oh! How could I forget Hamlet and the Sonnets?! I agree that most of the best quotes are from Hamlet. "To sleep..perchance to dream!" That whole scene really got me the first couple of times. And the sonnets are always perfect for the romantically inclined.:love:
Iauron_Arandorian
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 20, 2005 07:57
Such a tough question! I've been involved with Shakespeare a lot as a director, but also as an actor, and I've ready probably 95% of what Shakespeare wrote. But I would actually have to say that Twelfth Night is probably my favourite play of Shakespeare's. That was the last play that I directed, and I won some serious awards for set, costumes, my cast's performance and directing. I found it was a real joy to work on; it's funny, it's dramatic, it's romantic and yet it feels cohesive. So for me its a very finely balance and watchable play. I still love my Hamlet, Richard III, R&J, etc, but I've come to see Twelfth Night as the perfect combination of comedy, romance and drama.
Child_of_Lúthien
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 21, 2005 08:15
My favorite is A Midsummernight's Dream, but that wasn't on the poll, so I chose Romeo and Juliet.
Grey_Pilgrim
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 25, 2005 05:46
at school i hate shakespere, i didnt understand the language, it was long, not very exciting and we had to spend hours poring over tiny bits for symbolism and rubbish like that. so i gave that one up as soon as possible.

then years later... i was looking at quotes on the net and found a hamlet one. instead of skipping it i decided to read it and try and make sense of it... and i did and i really enjoyed it too. so i thought i had nothing to loose in buying one of those cheap £1 classics books and having a go at reading it. andi really enjoyed the book! i didnt read symbolism into it, or spend hours working out why one word was used instead of another, i just enjoyed it as a story.

so i guess i do like shakespere- but on my terms not some english literature teachers


k, that about sums me up as regards Shakespeare too. Even though I did quite well at English in school what stopped me actually enjoying most of it was all the symbolism stuff/why certain words were used, etc. I studied Henry IV Part 1 (I think) for my junior cert, (roughly same as o-levels? I was 15 years old anyway) and Macbeth for my leaving cert (a-levels? 2 years later & final year in school). I've been promising myself for a long time to go & buy Macbeth but not got round to it yet. Thing is, I actually kept my school copy for a good few years after I finished but I reckon it ended up in a recycling bin somewhere. I'd love to read it again, without instructions on "how to" from a teacher & compare a new copy to my school one; what I do remember clearly is that the text in my school copy was almost un-readable with all the hand-written notes in it. To our English teacher this was perfection, the sign of a well-studied book.

So anyway, Macbeth gets my vote because of all of Shakespeare's plays that I've read (both of them!) it's the one I remember best. And I did actually enjoy it, as far as school work went.

[Edited on 26/1/2005 by Grey_Pilgrim]
RiverWoman
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 26, 2005 03:32
McBeth and King Lear for tragedies, Richard 2 for history, 12th Night and Measure for Measure for comedy. Ther Shakespeare I read in school was not a good experience - we had to read it out loud in class but most of the people had no clue how to read out loud even in modern English, let alone in metric verse, so it was really painful. A few years later Public Television ran a series of BBC versions of all the plays which were really outstanding and got me hooked. I am fortunate to live near Washington DC where we have the Folger theater that puts on excellent Shakespeare productions and exhibits.

Someone made an excellent point that Shakespeare was the Steven King of his day, not some great hoghy literary dude. Part of his genious is that there is something for everyone in his plays, and its OK to relax and laugh at all the dirty jokes.

Oh, and I love Chaucer, too!
Don_Palantir
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 29, 2005 11:02
I have read a few, not all so far.
But my favs plays are
HAMLET
MACBETH

(By the way, i have heard Macbeth play is cursed. Interesting XDDDDDD)
Grey_Pilgrim
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 29, 2005 12:27
What's the story about Macbeth being cursed? Is it the one where actors appearing in it will not refer to it by name, but as "the Scottish play" instead?
Don_Palantir
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 30, 2005 07:05
Ehh,nop, is not cursed for Scotish or something XDD

It´s because, they say, of frecuent accidents on stage playing Macbeth.
The thing started coz one actor was killed playing Macbeth.
Grey_Pilgrim
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: January 30, 2005 10:24
Thanks for the info. I suppose what I referred to in my post would be more a superstition than anything to do with a curse really, wouldn't it?
Unebriwen_Lómónduil
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: February 03, 2005 02:09
Here's an interesting News story for Macbeth fans!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4232221.stm
Don_Palantir
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: February 03, 2005 05:25
Ah, and by the way, the link says something about the curse of Macbeth.
No curse as Macbeth goes home

But not exactly the curse of accidents I was saying, started with the murder of the actor playing Macbeth during the last sword fight. I saw that on TV, it was famous the curse of playing Macbeth in the same theater were the actor dyed on stage.

Superstitions, curses, whatever. Me, I believe coz I´m a believer
Arwen_Firanor_Estilamir
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: February 03, 2005 10:37
i had to vote for 'other' in the poll, as my favourite Shakespeare play is King Lear. i studied this play for my last year of Alevel; during which i played the role of Gloucester. (i had my eyes gouged out) i was stuck with that identity for the rest of sixth form, being referred to as 'The White Lady of Gloucester' by the English department!
Shadowfax319
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: February 12, 2005 06:45
It's such a hard choice! I have to say my favorite is definatly Much Ado About Nothing. I also really enjoy Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer's Nights Dream. When I first heard Shakespeare's plays, I thought they were really boring. I was the only one in my family that didn't like them. But then I saw the Kenneth Branaugh version of Much Ado, and I fell in love with it! That's probably why it's my favorite.
Bealocwealm
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: March 20, 2005 09:31
Well the only Shakespearian play that i have read is Romeo and Juliet (My friend and i would read it on the bus rides to field hockey games, and laughed the whole way through) and i enjoyed it.
I have seen a few of the movie versions, and the newer adaptations (such as Baz Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet, 10 Things i Hate About You, and "O" - IMO the WORST adaptation of Shakespeare ever to exist)
Also i have seen the play of "As You Like It" and will be seeing a modern version of the play in April.
For my favourite, i'll stick with the classics. Romeo and Juliet gets my vote.
RachieAchie
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 08, 2005 02:38
I've read "Romeo and Juliet", "Macbeth", "Twelfth Night" and "Much Ado About Nothing", and I liked them all very much. I think I enjoyed Much Ado About Nothing best. I just :heart: the story, and it has some great lines in it. I've also seen the Kenneth Branagh version, which I think is absolutely great. Weren't he and Emma Thompson married at the time he made that? How cool would that be! To play the role of romantic female lead against your husband.

Anyway, I've also seen 2 versions of Romeo and Juliet, the Baz Luhrmann one and the Franco Zeffirelli (sp?) one. I enjoyed the Baz Luhrmann one more, I thought it was more original, and I found the Zeffirelli one was way too focused on the battles, between Mercutio and Tybalt, and Tybalt and Romeo etc, whereas the Baz Luhrmann one, I thought, was more based on how the characters were feeling. I thought it was very cleverly done, but I'm open to contradiction on that... :feedback:

[Edited on 8/5/2005 by RachieAchie]
Kathlyn
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 08, 2005 07:16

My favourite Shakespeare play at the moment is As You like It-
it's very funny, and I love all of the plays where girls disguise themselves as boys. And I love Rosalind. She is very witty, graceful and clever - my favourite Shakespearean character. I also really love the plays of Macbeth - i love my action, supernatural stuff and anything scottisch. macbeth is really exciting. Much Ado About Nothing is very funny, and of course Hamlet is very good - in a disturbed kinda way! I love Shakespeare's imagery. I know most people have trouble understanding him, but I haven't had any trouble at all really. At the moment we're studying Othello in English, we did Macbeth last year. I've read The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream as well.. haven't got round to the history plays yet... Have seen a good version of King Lear. Anyone interested in discussing one of Shakespeare's plays? that would be awesome! Ciao, KAT
Ilfa
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 08, 2005 11:29
ooh, i'll definitely choose HAMLET! :love::love::love:

I like the way it goes, and it goes with my rhythms when writing poems...
Mara_Jade
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 09, 2005 04:24
My favorite of all of Shakespeare's works (that I am familiar with) is Much Ado About Nothing. It's just so, so, witty. Yes, Hero is really annoying, and yes, the villain has no apparent reason to be evil, but hey! Beatrice is my favorite Shakespeare character, hands down.
Sam_Gamgee
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 09, 2005 06:52
Shakespeare amazes me with how much meaning he could put into so few words. There are so many films and books based in some way on his works. Recently in my English class we watched Hamlet (2000) with Ethan Hawke, Denmark was a corporation and it was all set in the city. It was a pretty good adaptation, spurred on by Baz's modern version of Romeo and Juliet. I actually wrote a paper on the anti-hero elements of Hamlet and Nameless, of Hero, how they both used deception to achieve their goals, and the symbolic imagery and position of said elements in the respective films. College english can be so much fun! Especially if you get a teacher who show movies in class.
Ilfa
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 18, 2005 07:45
Yes, Shakespeare's "writing" has alot of meaning eventhough he only expresses it in few words! :heart: Anyway, I never look somberly in every thing that he writes!
Rochwyn
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 19, 2005 08:44
I voted for other because my favorite Shakespeare play is currently "Two Gentlemen of Verona". I got to see it live at an outdoor theatre in 40 degree (F) weather (or less, brrrrrr and we were sitting in the shade...) It was VERY well acted and I enjoyed it immensely. Another reason why I like it, is because it's a comedy, and I like happy endings.
Adunedhwen
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 21, 2005 09:58
My absolute all-time favorite play written by Shakespeare is Hamlet. I love the tragedies. They are the best! The thing I love about Hamlet is its depth. In a single play Shakespeare addresses the whol human condition which is very impressive. It also was one of those what-not-to-do plays. Hamlet was constantly torn between the decision to act and the decision to wait. All very complex. Ophelia is a relaly cool character. She was really unstable. She is an example of what happens when you despair. Think what could have happened if she hadn't killed herself! Hamlet would probably have settled down and married her and deposed his uncle.

I also love Romeo and Juliet. I quite agree with you, Luthien ArFeiniul! I think they would have hated each other within a year if they had lived. Such strongheaded lustful teenagers. I do wish Brother Lawrence had spanked them and had done with it. Then perhaps Romeo would have come to his senses and married Rosalind. I enjoyed the Franco Zeffirelli version. It was so beautiful. Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting are among the most goodlooking teen actors I've ever seen. The movie soundtrack did much to enhance the beauty of that kind of love and its terrible destruction.
Silivrentolwen
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 25, 2005 05:38
I voted for MacBeth.

We read that in class, with a dramatization tape accompanying it. It was pretty funny because I went to a Christain school, and there were certain passages that were cut out, in the textbook, but the tape didn't take them out. We lauged for ten minutes straight!

But I liked the story. Scary, but it teaches a good lesson.

I heard that Tolkien, when he was a boy, saw a performance of Macbeth and was terribly dissapointed with Birnham wood coming to Dunsinaine, and it turning out to be men with leaves in their hats. Hence, Ents were born in LOTR.
running_wingfoot
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 26, 2005 12:47
Macbeth is good, but that's my humble oppinion. I like Henry V a lot too.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

That speech is so good. Ottello and King Lear are good plays too.
running_wingfoot
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Post RE: Shakespeare discusion and poll
on: May 26, 2005 07:55
By the way, now I think of it, I was at Julliet's house this summer in Verona. Yes, Julliet of Romeo. It was an old but big building. On the wall where thousands of loveletters. And of course there was the balcony which we all know from the famous scene.
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