Ariel, I think it counts, but what you say explains why I felt it was a bit too sad for a Shakespear comedy proper. I might make a second try at it.

Ajnos, I read the Tempest more than once. As for Othello, well, I tried to read both Othello and The Merry Wives of Windsor after seeing the corresponding Verdi Operas. Which I liked better than the original. I think Verdi did better with these than Peter Jackson with LotR.

Well, even with the happy ending of "A Winter's Tale", I felt it was still a bit bittersweet. So yeah, there's a higher concentration of sadness for sure. 🙂

I read the beginning of A Midsummer Night's Dream forever ago, but I have so much reading for school I haven't had time to continue. My favorite part so far has been when Hermia's dad was all, "Demetrius, you are the only one I'll allow my daughter to marry cuz you're cool and stuff," and then he leaves and Lysander's just like, "Yo, Demetrius, Hermia's dad likes you so much...how 'bout I marry Hermia and you can marry her dad? *probably moonwalks out or some other coolness*" I seriously love the amount of sass in Shakespeare.

Other than that, I've only read the Lamb's and a couple other children's version of the plays. Although I don't suppose I'll have to feel that guilty about it until I start high school. 😛

Berry, can I just say that I love your summary and can you please do some more 🙂

I saw The Tempest performed over the summer and really liked it - probably because it was more fantastical than most Shakespeare plays (bearing in mind that I haven't read/seen A Midsummer Night's Dream at all).
*can't remember character names*
The version I saw genderswapped Prospero and Ariel. I had no idea they were initially guys?? I thought it was kinda more fitting that the two characters who terrorize everyone and control elements were female, given the generalization that women are more devious and crafty than men.

@Shield: More summaries are in Original Works.

A Merchant of Venice.

Who agrees that:
1) Shylock is acting and losing basically as Satan in Irenaeus and as White Witch in LWW? Up to when he agrees to convert that is.
2) That he despite being technically a Jew (thus in Middle Ages' typology a representative of Satan) is not there to lampoon the Jews of England, there were hardly any (the Marrano Medic of "Queen" Bess was of Jewish origin and perhaps a crypto-Jew, but technically not a Jew), but rather the Puritans?
3) That Jessica is a celebration of Jews and Jewesses converting to Christianity (for other motives than avoiding Spanish expulsion of 1492), and since the name means "light" in Hebrew is also a word play on Christ's word at Sychar, John 4:22 "salvation is of the Jews" if any translation has "light" (as I recall I read somewhere).
4) That the play avoids being an allegory by the fact that the characters change the roles they allegorically hold at some point. Shylock starts as Satan and ends like a convert and penant. Antonio starts out like Christ in giving himself as a sacrifice, but ends up like a sinner needing defence from Satan, which is where Portia is portrayed as "advocata nostra" - which is not the role she plays in the last Belmont scene, of course.

I'm starting to read through all of Shakespeare's works for English Lit. So far I've only finished The Tempest.

Not a bad one.

I've only ever read two Shakespeares the whole way through: The Tempest and Hamlet. Let me say, The Tempest was a breeze after Hamlet. 😛

me some more, but agreed The Tempest has more fresh air and Hamlet more rotten air of the two.

I've read King Lear and it was amazing. I'm starting to realize that maybe I am drawn to traitors named Edmund...

So I have a couple questions. One, should I read Shakespeare? It is highly recommended, and I have seen a few plays, but that is all. I personally have though the guy was quite loony. Some of my friends, however, think I need to read it, and my mom would like it if I read it. Is it really that good? (Thinking, I realize my mom is right about a lot of reading suggestions. Try Black Stallion, for instance. My top favorite series probably, and that was her idea).

Shakespeare is a must read for anyone who loves literature. There is a certain brilliance in his works and I would highly suggest taking on the shorter plays before delving into the longer, more complex ones. Most times younger readers are offered Romeo and Juliet for a first look, I did in junior high, but I think a better one might be the comedy Twelfth Night or maybe the tragedy Julius Caesar. Up to you, really, but I do think he should be read at least once if only for the purpose of his influence in the sphere of English literature.

Alright, all I know is that I am NOT planning on reading Romeo and Juliet. 😛 A friend posted something on google+ a while back that was basically...
Romeo: Juliet
Juliet: Romeo
Romeo: Juliet
Juliet: Romeo
Romeo: Juliet
Juliet: *dies*
Romeo Juliet!

And from everything else I have heard....... yeah. That fits. XD
And I am not into romances.
However.... a comedy sounds great! I shall see about reading that one.

BTW there would be no hindrances as for length. Short stories were never my type. (I read Les Miserables....... nothing short there!) 😛

If you're looking for length, read Hamlet. It's awfully hard to follow the first couple times through, but it was always my favorite. But then, tragedies might not be your thing.