All Time Favorite Shakespeare Plays

[jasmine_tarkheena]

There's no doubt that William Shakespeare was a great play writer of the 15th or 16th century. I'm sure we've read them or at least seen a live performance. I thought we would have a discussion about our favorite Shakespeare plays.

Hamlet is perhaps the best known. Prince Caspian in the Narnia series has often been viewed as re-telling of Hamlet. The difference, well, there isn't a ghost of Caspian IX appearing before Caspian X and Prince Caspian doesn't have the tragic ending like Hamlet does. Even Disney's The Lion King has often been view as retelling of Hamlet. Though Nala doesn't drown herself like Ophelia does, and there's not the tragic ending once again. I mean, Disney wouldn't do that.

Romeo and Juliet is another well-known Shakespeare play. It's the story of star-crossed lovers. Every year on Valentine's Day, people in Verona, Italy, leave notes at where it says to be Juliet's balcony. You can almost imagine Romeo and Juliet being an opera, since most operas are tragic love stories.

Measure For Measure is an unique play because it's both a tragedy and comedy. It's really rare because they're usually one or the other. Some could argue it's Shakespeare's most religious play, though we are not certain of his religious beliefs. While the play isn't necessarily going after the church, it does tackle on issues like good and evil, oppression, abuse of power, lust. Angelo claims to be a religious person and but as time went on, he turns out to be a hypocrite.

My favorite is perhaps Othello. Much like the Calormenes in Narnia, there's been debate about if the portrayal of Othello was racist. Othello is a moor in Venice, and his right hand man Iago (not the parrot), has become increasingly jealous and manipulative. The phrase "green eyed monster" actually all came from Othello.

What are your all-time favorite Shakespeare plays?

[hobbit_of_narnia]

Hamlet is my favorite. Watched it for the first time when I was 11 and was very taken by it for quite a while, and I still prefer it.

[jasmine_tarkheena]

Hamlet is my favorite. Watched it for the first time when I was 11 and was very taken by it for quite a while, and I still prefer it.

Nice! Hamlet is perhaps the best known of Shakespeare's plays.

[knightofnarnia]

I was reading Shakespeare Plays in the original english at one time maybe I should start that again. Also Merchant of Venice is said to be anti Semetic. Although the ligne, "If we are cut will we not bleed?" sounds more like an answer to the ligne of Pocahontas, "I wonder if they even bleed?"

[jasmine_tarkheena]

Oh, the song Savages. Some could argue that it raises the issue of racism.

Speaking of which, some have argue that the depiction of Othello was racist. Well, no one could no for sure what Shakespeare was trying to get at. Some might say that a marriage between a black Moor and a white Venetian wouldn't work out (talk about an interracial couple in media). Perhaps the villainous Iago would have to try harder to be successful. So I don't think we can know for sure what Shakespeare was trying to get at with Othello.

[Ariel.of.Narnia]

And thus we don’t need to belabour the conjecture.

The only Shakespeare play I’ve read in full is The Winter’s Tale, which was unique in that it was both tragedy and comedy. Also, it has the best Shakespeare death of all: “Exit, pursued by bear.”

[jasmine_tarkheena]

There's a video on Youtube where Stash Kirkbride, who voiced Rishda Tarkaan in the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre adaption of The Last Battle, portrays Angelo in Measure for Measure. I guess you could almost say that he was born to play villains.