Here’s my list:
11) Hamlet
22) Macbeth
33) Julius Caesar
44) Antony & Cleopatra
55) The Tempest
66) Much Ado About Nothing
77) Coriolanus
88) Richard III
99) Romeo & Juliet
110) The Merchant of
Venice
This is David Tennant playing Hamlet.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark or simply Hamlet
Written between 1599
and 1602 when Shakespeare’s creativity was at its height. It’s the longest and
most performed Shakespeare play and, no wonder, too.
The
Plot in brief (in case there are some people out
there unfamiliar with it):
Hamlet’s father King Hamlet dies and his
brother Claudius takes over the throne and marries the queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s
mother. Hamlet is in mourning and suspects something’s amiss when he encounters
his father’s ghost, which reveals that Claudius had murdered him. The ghost
also exhorts Hamlet to avenge his death. This throws the young prince into a
quandary: can he take such an extreme step based on the testimony of a ghost?
And how can he come to terms with his own mother’s betrayal? The dilemma leads
to chaos all round and there’s plenty of collateral damage notably Ophelia,
Hamlet’s betrothed, who commits suicide by drowning. By the end of the play all
the major characters suffer mostly violent deaths. Only Hamlet’s friend Horatio
lives to tell the tale. With the entire Danish royal family wiped out
Fortinbras, a Norwegian Prince takes the throne of Denmark.
What
makes it a great play:
Where does one begin?
It’s the characters, the unforgettable soliloquies and the poignant struggle at
the heart of the play. Is Hamlet mad? Does he have repressed desires? Is he an
existentialist? Is he simply a sensitive young man thrown into an unfortunate
circumstance? It’s one of the most quoted plays replete with memorable lines
such as:
“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”
“To be, or not to be; that is the question...”
“For in that sleep of death
what dreams may come...”
“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all...”
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
“I must be cruel only to be kind.”
The list goes on and
on. I can never tire of Hamlet.
Poster of the movie Macbeth with Michael Fassbender playing the title role.
The Tragedy of Macbeth or simply Macbeth
Was probably first
performed in 1606 during King James I’s reign. It’s Shakespeare’s shortest
tragedy and one of my absolute favourites.
The
Plot in brief:
Macbeth is a valiant
Scottish general, who receives a prophesy from three witches that one day he
will be king. Spurred on by his ‘vaulting ambition’ and encouraged by his wife,
he murders the good King Duncan and usurps the throne of Scotland. But guilt
and fear over the consequences of his action drives him and his wife to madness
and then death, but not before they take down a number of other victims. Lots
of blood and gore presented with the kind of poetic beauty that only
Shakespeare could master.
What
makes it a great play:
Not just the fast paced
action and the audacious violence but the heart wrenching angst of Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth. All this, expressed
beautifully in lines such as:
“Stars, hide your fires; Let not Light see my black and deep desires.”
“Life...is a tale told my an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying
nothing.”
“To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow.
Creeps
in this pretty pace from day to day;
To
the last syllable of recorded time;
And
all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The
way to dusty death.”
“To beguile the time, look like the time...
Look
like the innocent flower,
But
be the serpent under it.”
“Nothing in his life became him like leaving it.”
A poster of the movie of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar with Marlon Brando in the title role.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Probably written in
1599. It was the first play to be performed at The Globe theatre where
Shakespeare and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men enacted several plays. One of three
Roman plays based on true events that Shakespeare dramatized. The other two, Antony & Cleopatra and Coriolanus, are also on this list.
The
Plot in brief:
Julius Caesar has just
returned to Rome after defeating Pompey’s sons and the people are celebrating
his triumph. But a section of the nobility led by Cassius want him dead because
they fear he will become a dictator and a tyrant. Mark Antony is his close
friend and Brutus, a friend who gets influenced by Cassius and plots to have
Caesar killed. A soothsayer predicts Caesar’s death and Caesar’s wife, too, has
terrible premonitions but Caesar dismisses them both and visits the senate,
where he is stabbed by Cassius, other noblemen and, finally by Brutus. At this
point he utters the famous line: “Et tu, Brute?” (And you, Brutus?), before
falling dead. The assassins do not flee the scene but stay and try and justify
their actions to the crowd. They seem to win the public over. But then with a
clever speech over Caesar’s body, Mark Antony turns the public opinion against
them. In the end, the conspirators are killed and Mark Antony pays tribute to
Brutus, calling him ‘the noblest Roman of them all’ because he acted (in his
opinion) for the good of Rome.
Why
the Play is great:
Because Shakespeare
takes a historical event- the assassination of Julius Caesar- and presents it
like a morality play, dealing with subjects of loyalty, ambition, republicanism
and monarchism. Mark Antony’s masterly speech is replete with sarcasm and
satire of a high quality. As usual, the verse is awesome.
Here
are some of its best and most famous lines:
“Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The
valiant never taste of death but once.”
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”
“Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!”
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I
come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”
“O judgement! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And
men have lost their reason...”
“Beware the ides of March.”
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but I loved Rome more.”
“What a terrible era in which idiots govern the blind.”
“But, for my own part, it was Greek to me.”
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor playing Antony and Cleopatra
The Tragedy of Antony & Cleopatra
First performed in 1607
by Shakespeare’s company the King’s Men (formerly the Chamberlain’s Men). The
second Roman play in the Bard’s repertoire, a kind of sequel to Julius Caesar.
The
Plot in brief:
Roman general Mark
Antony is besotted with the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and neglects his duties in
Rome. Emperor Octavius Caesar asked him to return and help him subdue the
pirates of the Mediterranean. Cleopatra begs him not to go but he leaves after
affirming his undying love for her. This episode sets the tone for the play,
most of which depicts Antony’s dilemma of choosing between duty and love.
Cleopatra is seen as a prize catch for the Romans and they keep trying to
entrap her one way or the other. After several battles and conspiracies,
Cleopatra pretends to be dead. Antony wounds himself mortally and dies in her
arms. She is captured by Octavius and commits suicide by getting bitten by an
asp. They are buried side by side.
What
makes this play great:
Shakespeare’s complex
characterization of the two lead protagonists. Both of them are flawed but full
of passion. The play is beautiful and lyrical, full of twists and turns, never
boring.
Here
are some of its best lines:
“But she makes hungry where she most satisfies.”
“Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.”
“My salad days/ when I was green in judgement, cold in blood,
To
say as I said then!”
“Egypt, thou knews’t too well,
My
heart was to thy rudder tied by th’ strings,
And
thou shoulds’t tow me after.”
“I am fire and air; my other
elements I give to baser life.”
“...`Tis paltry to be Caesar;
Not
being Fortune, he’s but Fortune’s knave.”
“I dreamed there was an Emperor Antony...
His
legs bestrid the ocean; his rear’d arm
Crested
the world.”
The Tempest
The Tempest
Fantasy, romance,
adventure- The Tempest is
Shakespeare’s genre-defying masterpiece. Written probably around 1610-11, it’s
one of the Bard’s last plays and most mature ones.
The
plot in brief:
Prospero, the Duke of
Milan, is shipwrecked on an island along with his young daughter Miranda. His
Dukedom is usurped by his brother Antonio, who is supported by Alonso, the King
of Naples. Prospero acquires magical powers with his great learning and lives
on the island for twelve years with Ariel, a good spirit who does his bidding,
and Caliban, the wicked son of a witch. When Antonio and Alonso set out to sea
with their sons, Prospero causes a great tempest, which shipwrecks them and
brings them to the same island. In a complex plot involving twists and turns,
Prospero gets his revenge but pardons his enemies; gets his position back and
marries off Miranda to Alonso’s son Ferdinand.
What
makes the play great:
The
Tempest is an awesome fun ride involving fantasy, sorcery
and the age-old theme of revenge. Some critics have also seen Prospero as a
reflection of Shakespeare himself and they’ve called the play one of the Bard’s
last treatises on the condition of the soul. The intricate plot is amazing and,
yes, magical, too.
Here
are some of its best lines, some of which you’ve definitely
heard before:
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded
with a sleep.”
“Me, poor man, my library
Was
Dukedom large enough.”
“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”
“Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.”
A poster of the ensemble cast of Much Ado About Nothing. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also played the lead role of Benedick (later he became famous in the TV show Wallander)
Much Ado About Nothing
A clever comedy written
around 1588-89, Much Ado About Nothing
is out and out fun and contains some of the best dialogues in all of
Shakespeare.
The
plot in brief:
Shakespeare relies upon
gossip, overhearing and misunderstanding to create a chaotic comedy. The action
takes place in Messina, where a nobleman Leonato entertains Prince Don Pedro
and his entourage, which includes Benedick and Claudio. Benedick is Leonato’s niece
Beatrice’s former lover, while Claudio seeks to woo Leonato’s daughter Hero.
Stirring the pot is Don Pedro’s estranged brother Don John, who describes
himself as ‘a plain-dealing villain.’ Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into
confessing their love for each other; Claudio is tricked into believing Hero is
false and he rejects her at the altar but then the confusion is cleared up and
the play ends with a grand ball to celebrate both couples’ wedding.
What
makes the play great:
Much
Ado
does not rely on slapstick comedy. Laughs arise from clever plotting and great
dialogue, especially between Benedick and Beatrice. And since it’s a comedy,
although there are some heart-stopping moments, you know everything will turn
out fine in the end.
Some
of the best lines from the play:
“Let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.”
“I wish my horse had the speed of your tongue.”
“If her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no
living near her, she would infect to the North Star!”
“She speaks poniards and every word stabs.”
A poster of the movie version of Coriolanus directed by Ralph Fiennes.
Coriolanus
A tragedy believed to
have been written between 1605 and 1608. It’s Shakespeare’s third great Roman
tragedy after Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra. A passionate and
riveting portrait of the fall of a hero.
The
plot in brief:
Caius Marcius
Coriolanus is a Roman general who returns after victory in battle to find
unrest at home. He’s drawn into politics and tries to become a leader but is
quickly deposed due to his forthright nature and inability to play false. He
tries to forge an alliance with his bitter enemy Tullus Aufidius but events
spiral out of control and he is betrayed and killed.
What
makes the play great:
Strong
characterization; the rivalry between Coriolanus and Aufidius; Coriolanus’ overbearing,
scheming mother and, as always, wonderful lines. The plot is simple but the
action is fast-paced and not to be missed.
Some
of its best lines:
“They lie deadly that tell you have good faces.”
“Why did you wish me milder? Would you have me
False
to my nature? Rather say I play
The
man I am.”
“If e’er I meet him beard to beard, he’s mine or I am his.”
“Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.”
“...he is a lion/ That I am proud to hunt.”
“O, me alone! Make you a sword of me?”
Richard III
The second longest
Shakespeare play (Hamlet is the
longest, in case you’ve forgotten), one of his early works, written in 1592. It
describes the rise of Gloucester (Richard III) to the throne of England and his
subsequent decline. The only history play in my first ten list, although the
rest are lovely, too.
The
plot in brief:
Richard is an ugly,
deformed hunchback with a grouse against the world in general and filled with
greedy ambition. His brother Edward IV has just ascended the throne of England
and Richard is determined to oust him. He murders, marries and schemes to usurp
the throne only to have events spiralling out of control. In the end he’s
haunted by his own evil deeds and dies in the Battle of Bosworth Field.
What
makes the play great:
Richard III was hugely
popular in Shakespeare’s time with the great Richard Burbage usually reprising
the lead role. It’s the lure of the anti-hero, whose ugliness and evil
character is strangely riveting. Besides this, there’s plenty of gore and
action to keep the audience glued. Great poetry, as usual.
Some
of my favourite lines:
“Now is the winter of our discontent
Made
glorious by this sun of York.”
“I am determined to prove a villain
And
hate the idle pleasures of these days.”
“So wise so young, they say, do never live long.”
“My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,
And
every tongue brings in a several tale,
And
every tongue condemns me for a villain.”
“Conscience is but a word that cowards use, devised at first to keep the
strong in awe.”
“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
“Tis better, sir, to be brief than tedious.”
“I am in/ So far in blood that sin with pluck on sin.”
Romeo & Juliet
One of Shakespeare’s
oldest and most famous plays, probably written between 1591 and 1595. It’s his
most performed play along with Hamlet.
Filled with wonderful verse and a tight plot that has action and romance at
every turn.
The
plot in brief:
The action is set in
Verona, Italy and it revolves round the rivalry between two young lovers Romeo
and Juliet, whose families are bitter enemies. The purity of the lovers’
affections is constantly juxtaposed with the hatred all round them. Romeo and
Juliet marry in secret and the attending priest hopes this will serve to reconcile
their families but in a tragic twist of fate that turns of a terrible
misunderstanding, Romeo kills himself when he discovers Juliet is dead (by
drinking poison, or so he thinks). She wakes up, sees him dead and stabs
herself. The warring families meet at the tomb but it’s too late.
Why
the play is great:
What can one say about
a play like this, which is so entrenched in popular culture that the names
Romeo and Juliet have become synonymous with star-crossed lovers? It’s
beautifully written and interesting even though the plot is so well-known.
The
best lines:
“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
“Don’t waste your love on somebody, who doesn’t value it.”
“Good night, goodnight! Parting is such sweet sorrow,
That
I shall say good night till it be morrow.”
“Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs.”
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By
any other name would smell as sweet.”
“For never was a story of more woe
Than
this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
A poster of the movie version of The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino playing Shylock.
The Merchant of Venice
Probably written
between 1596 and 1599, a comedy with serious themes. It’s one of the most read
plays in India since it is part of the school curriculum.
The
plot in brief:
Although it’s a well
known play, I’m summing up the plot in case there are some people out there
unfamiliar with it. Young Venetian noblemen Antonio and Bassanio fall into the
clutches of ruthless moneylender Shylock when Antonio stands guarantor for Bassanio’s
loan of three thousand ducats. When Bassanio fails to pay up, Shylock demands
his pound of flesh- literally (as per their agreement). Bassanio’s wife the
beautiful and intelligent Portia saves the day by disguising as a male lawyer
and outwitting Shylock by highlighting to the court that a Jew may not shed
Christian blood. So Shylock cannot have his pound of flesh since he cannot cut
Antonio.
What
makes this play great:
The anti semitic theme
in the play is a problem and it’s certainly distasteful but if one were to see
it merely as part of Shylock’s villainous nature then the play is great fun.
Besides, Shakespeare gives Shylock an elegant and touching speech in which he
asks famously: “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew...healed by the same means,
warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is?” Such a
sympathetic portrait of a greedy moneylender is unusual for Shakespeare’s time.
The play has great dramatic scenes and we wait for the ending with glee even
though we know it so well. That’s the power of Shakespeare.
Some
of its wonderful lines:
“All that glitters is not gold.”
“You speak an infinite deal of nothing.”
“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”
“The devil can cite scripture for his purpose.”
“The quality of mercy is not strain’d
It
droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon
the place beneath...”
“I hold the world but as a world, Gratiano, A stage where every man must
play a part,
And
mine a sad one.”
“Love is blind.”
This post is in celebration of the release of my novel, The Shakespeare Murders!
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