Review: Henry VIII by William Shakespeare

Henry VIII by William Shakespeare
My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The last play by Shakespeare, in association with John Fletcher, features the court drama of Henry VIII and the individuals that vied for power in Tudor government. The drama of the Buckingham's fall, the divorce, Wolsey's fall, and the veiled intrigue surrounding the Reformation are all there, but pains are kept to make Henry virtuous and imply the innocence of Anne Bullen so that her daughter the future Queen Elizabeth be seen in a positive light. Not long after the Tudor dynasty ended did that drama of the period be given over to popular entertainment.

Review: The Tempest by William Shakespeare

The Tempest by William Shakespeare
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The romantic tragicomedy is a playful delight that uses illusion and magic that begins, drives, and completes the three plots featured in this play. The interplay between all the characters whether involving magic or not is engaging and kept me looking forward to seeing what would happen next. Although the at the end Prospero says the whole timeframe occurs in three hours, even with the magic I thought it was more like a few days given Prospero's desire to see Ferdinand earn Miranda's hand. However, this is just a personal aside. This is one of the plays that I've read in my reading of Shakespeare that I'd really like to see on stage rather than an adaptation.

Review: Cymbeline by William Shakespeare

Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Given that no "good" characters die during this play, upon finishing this play I decided that this fits the mold of a romance more than a tragedy. The titular character Cymbeline is at best a minor character compared to those who do most of the action throughout the play, although his decrees are what spurs the narrative of the play. The near tragedy of Imogen and Posthumus is the major arc throughout the play with Pisanio, the Queen, her son Cloten, and Iachimo figuring into the arc. The second and third arcs are is the conflict with Rome and the kidnapping of Cymbeline's sons years before. Within Act V all three of these arcs interact with one another until resolved in the final scene. This play is one of those that I would enjoy see on stage or an adaptation of on screen.

Review: The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare
My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

As I finished the last two Acts of this play, I was wondering if this was two plays in one because it went from being a tragic psychological drama to a comedy. The huge shift between the two types essentially at the beginning of Act IV changed my perception of the play from being very good to just plain alright. I guess this is considered one of the 'problem' plays for a reason.

Review: A Lover's Complaint by William Shakespeare

A Lover's Complaint by William Shakespeare
My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Although in the same metre and structure as The Rape of Lucrece, this poem both shorter and more compact in it's plot. A Lover's Complaint is the story of a young woman who is wooed, seduced, and then abandoned by a lover while lamenting the fact that she'd fall for his charms again if given the chance. The short length of the poem while also having a compact plot makes this a better product by Shakespeare, though the quality is not with his other poetry.

Review: Sonnets by William Shakespeare

Sonnets by William Shakespeare
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The 154 sonnets by Shakespeare are the height of his poetic effort. The use of language to keep the rhyming so crisp and at such a high level is masterful. To single out one poem as the best would be impossible given the complexity and subject matter that many of them have. But for me personally, the "Dark Lady" sequence was the best.

Review: Coriolanus by William Shakespeare

Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The tragedy of Coriolanus was a play by Shakespeare that I had heard of and upon finishing it was surprised at how good it was. The titular character is a prideful Roman patrician showing only disdain towards the common folk, who likewise resent him even though he is a military hero. Coriolanus gains his 'official nickname' in a war against Corioli and his rival Tullus Aufidius. After his military success, Coriolanus stands up for election as consul and seemingly gets consent from both patrician and plebeians for the office only for the tribunes to conspire against him leading to his banishment. Coriolanus goes to Corioli to die at the hands of his rival, only to be embraced to lead a campaign against Rome. The only thing that stops Coriolanus is bowing to the pleadings of his mother, on his return to Corioli his pride leads to his murder by Aufidius and his conspirators.

Throughout the play, Coriolanus' pride and resentment of the common people mirrored by the common people in their resentment of him is a strong theme throughout the play. In the end this prideful behavior is his undoing, but Coriolanus doesn't explain his reasons for his disdain which is a plus as the audience knows from the beginning he likes to isolate himself from his fellow Romans. Coriolanus' downfall is tied to his mother who encouraged him to stand for consul leading to his banishment and giving in to her to spare Roman leading to his death in Corioli, though his mother is spared this knowledge at the end of the play. Overall this tragedy stands up better than Hamlet with a titular character the audience understands from the beginning and remains himself throughout.

Review: Pericles by William Shakespeare

Pericles by William Shakespeare
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The collaboration between Shakespeare and George Wilkins, isn't bad but it isn't really good either. Overall the journeys and misfortunes that follow Pericles are interesting, but frankly a little too long to get to the point or frankly the plot. Gower's narration could have just been the story telling by itself to be honest. If I ever have the chance to see a stage performance or an adaptation on screen then I might change my mind.

Review: All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare

All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

This play is hard to have a strong feeling about. The main plot is that of Helena winning the honor a noble-born husband by curing the French King, but her selection of Bertram whom she had grown up with as a ward to his widowed mother rejects her to go to Italy for war and whores. Helena follows his wayward husband and enlists other women to bed her own husband and force him to honor her. The comedic element of Parolles provides an interesting subplot, but the comedy went a little too much at times. Overall the play is jumble of things that really must depend on a stage performance or adaptation.

Review: Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I am going to be honest from the start, I found this play completely lacking in both coherent plot and characterizations of the titular roles. After seeing Shakespeare's portrayal of Antony in Julius Caesar, I looked forward to seeing the character again only to find it someone completely different. Secondly Cleopatra seems a bit bipolar or schizophrenic as she both calculating and love sick, but the two don't mess in the same character. The plot is all over the place and less than halfway through the play I was hoping Octavian would do everyone a favor and beat the two of them quickly to end the pain. I don't think I want to see this play on stage or an adaptation.

Review: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

"The Scottish Play", the shortest of Shakespeare's plays but one of the best known of all his tragedies. Obviously not close to history, but nonetheless a great play. The titular character is front and center throughout the play, but has strong secondary characters like his wife Lady Macbeth and Banquo followed by Macduff. Although the tragic theme could be considered ambition or corruption of the moral order or giving away one's free will in the case of adhering to the weird sisters' prophecy, in any case the heroic Macbeth of Act I is turned into a corrupt, paranoid tyrant by the end of the play. However until like Richard III, he is not given the benefit of a death scene. This along with the short changing of Malcolm and absence of Fleance (though in the 1983 BBC production his is the last image before the credits) does hurt the play, but not by much.

Review: Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare

Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This problematic tragedy of the noble Timon who gives too lavishly to false friends, who abandon him when his wealth is spent is an interesting but only okay play. The dramatic change in character for Timon throughout the play was a fascinating arc, but the subplot of Alcibiades' banishment then war on Athens through the last two Acts of the play derails the overall work. When Timon dies off-stage, the ending of the play limps to the finish after a very promising start.

Review: King Lear by William Shakespeare

King Lear by William Shakespeare
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The tragedy of King Lear is one considered one of Shakespeare's greatest plays and after finishing it, I understand why. The great King decides to divide his realm between his daughters, but in his hubris asks how much they love him and the results sow the seeds of the destruction not only of himself but his family. Within the context of the interplay between Lear and his daughters is also of the Earl of Gloucester and his two sons, Edgar and Edmund. Like Lear, Gloucester allows himself to be fooled starting a chain of events that results in his own downfall and despair. The two story arcs intertwine along with the banished, yet disguised Kent who attempts to help the King his loyal regain his sanity and bring to justice those who have done himself and others to evil. However, Kent's story comes to unsatisfying end and Cordelia's French connection doesn't make any sense save getting her out of the play for two Acts. Despite these personal criticisms, King Lear was a fantastic read and a must see on stage or adaption.

Review: Othello by William Shakespeare

Othello by William Shakespeare
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

If I had to boil this review down to one word it would be: envy. Although Othello is the titular character, Iago is the play's central character. Iago's enviousness towards his Moorish commander results in him destroying numerous lives to get revenge for his lot in life. Through Iago's enviousness other character's enviousness comes is exposed to the audience and manipulated by Iago for his own ends like Roderigo whose purpose is used up Iago "vengeance" kills for attempting to murder Cassio.

Iago's interactions with Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio, and Othello continue his grand manipulations, through Act III sees the him at his best. In fact Act III is truly one of the best Acts I've personally read during my Shakespeare read-through and if anything I would see a production or adaptation of this play just for Act III alone.

Review: Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This Shakespearean play is considered either a comedy or a "problem play" by well learned authorities, upon finishing this play I side with the latter. There are three main arcs throughout the play: the Duke disguising himself to view his dominion with another perspective, the upright Angelo using his authority for dishonorable behavior, and Lucio. Overall the first two arc intertwined pretty well, though I can't remember if Angelo and the disguised Duke had an interaction before Act V but I think it didn't; if an interaction had taken place it would have made Act V that much better. Lucio could be argued as being a comedic element, but he was just an annoyance throughout most of the play especially Act V.

Given how the play finishes, it isn't a comedy. Because Claudio doesn't die (though others supposedly do/will at play's end), it can't be a tragedy. Thus the label "problem play", maybe in the end it was just a morality play and nothing more or less.

Review: Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare

Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare
My rating: 1 out of 5 stars

After finishing reading this play, I did some research about it and learned it is considered one of Shakespeare's "problem plays." Thank goodness I am not the only one who thinks so because this piece was a chore to get through starting with Greek and Trojan characters uttering the names of Roman deities then the love story that made no sense and various characters who couldn't decide to be honorable or comedic. I never want to see this on stage or adapted in any way; like the Brad Pitt film Troy I consider this a travesty to the ancient classic of Homer.

Review: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This Shakespearean comedy is full of misunderstandings, both intentional and unintentional, that quickly lead to hilarious results. The boy-playing girl-playing a boy trope is wonderfully used in the personage of Viola/"Cesario" is in someway the main cause of most the hilarious happenings from the audience's point-of-view. The troika of Sir Toby, Fabian, and Maria's prank upon Malvolio while funny, does seem to take away from the overall flow of the play at times instead of potentially other hilarious happenings related to Sebastian being mistaken for Cesario more often. Overall it was a fun read and I wouldn't mind seeing it on stage or an adaptation.

Review: The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare

The Phoenix and the Turtle by William Shakespeare
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This Shakespearean poem, although short in length, is full of potential meaning. The most obvious meaning is the death of ideals embodied by the two birds, however through symbolism the mean could take on religious overtones or even by the embodiment of humans. Of course Shakespeare could have just written a poem following an ABBA rhyme that transitions to a ABA rhyme that appears to have a meaning but in fact as no meaning at all. In any case, it is a wonderful poem.

Review: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Hamlet by William Shakespeare
My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

This is considered on of the greatest pieces of literature, but after finishing it I can only as one thing; What is the point of this play? Since Horatio and the guards saw the Ghost, Hamlet didn't imagine it however it could be his descent into madness as a result of seeing the Ghost of his father. It could be that the Ghost conformed Hamlet's suspicions, but he couldn't trust it until the 'play within the play'. Or it could be a tragic spiral of various plots of revenge circling one another and harming others before reaching the intended target. Whatever it is, I'll have to see this play on stage or via adaptation because frankly what?

Review: As You Like It by William Shakespeare

As You Like It by William Shakespeare
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The pastoral comedy of love that is the play As You Like It, was overall alright. The intermix of songs, mostly for comedic effect, are for the most part alright. There are various couplings that happen throughout the play, though most are in someway connected with Rosalind who by far is the best character in the play. This is the best example (so far) of Shakespeare's use of the English bar on actresses by having a young man play a woman who plays a young man, thus bringing about the fabulous character of Rosalind. Even with the oft-quoted, "All the world's a stage" and the following monologue by Jaques, the language in the play doesn't really stand out compared to previous plays. I'd be interested in seeing this play on stage or an onscreen adaptation.