The Tempest - William Shakespeare

Title: The Tempest
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages: 92
Published: 1610
Genre: Drama
Edition: E-book
Source: Serial Reader

Description: Prospero—a magician on an enchanted island—punishes his enemies, brings happiness to his daughter, and comes to terms with human use of supernatural power. The Tempest embodies both seemingly timeless romance and the historically specific moment in which Europe begins to explore and conquer the New World. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Not my favourite Shakespeare play.  Thought it was okay; probably would have thought better of it if I had read it more regularly or had taken the time to read it along Sparknotes.

Bottom line: It's a preferential taste as to what play you like.

Rating: 2.75/5

Twelfth Night - William Shakespeare

Title: Twelfth Night
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages: 208
Published: 2010 (originally published 1601)
Challenges: The Classics Club
Genre: Drama
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: A pair of twins are separated by a shipwreck, each believing the other has drowned. A lovesick duke woos a countess deep in mourning for her brother, while her rowdy household plots the downfall of her puritanical steward. Disguise, confusion, and mistaken identity follow in Shakespeare’s great comedy of love in all its manifestations.

Thoughts: Besides Romeo & Juliet, this has to be one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.  I think part of it has to do with the fact that it was one of the first plays that I did read and seeing it performed through a video in my English 12 class made the story come alive and made me realize how relatable his plays are.  I think it also speaks to how his plays have never really lost their popularity and why they are visited over and over again.  

One thing I liked about the play is that the pacing is fairly even and one can see the maturity of Shakespeare's writing and you can also see how his writing is slowly becoming a bit darker (most of his plays after this one are mainly tragedies and histories).  I also saw the play performed recently and the ambiguity that lies within the play speaks to what makes us who we are and makes us question if things like gender or class are set in stone. 

Bottom line: It is a play that while it is funny and full of humour, it is also a play that allows one to think about who we are and makes us wonder if we can change who we are.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pages for 2013: 9068

The Taming of the Shrew - William Shakespeare

Title: The Taming of the Shrew
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages: 304
Published: 2003 (originally published 1590)
Genre: Drama, Classics
Challenges: Support Your Library, The Classics Club
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Lucentio falls in love with Bianca, the apparently ideal younger daughter of the wealthy Baptista Minola. But before they can marry, Bianca's formidable elder sister, Katherine, must be wed. Petruchio, interested only in the huge dowry, arranges to marry Katherine -against her will- and enters into a battle of the sexes that has endured as one of Shakespeare's most enjoyable works. (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts: I saw this play in September and quite honestly this play reaffirmed my belief that Shakespeare's plays are better watched than they are read, but there are some where I could read and see them and they would be effective both ways and this isn't one of them.  It should be noted that I am writing this when I am really tired and am unable to concentrate really well and quite honestly all I can remember is that while it was a quick read, it wasn't exactly a memorable one, as the play has a lot of innuendo that is put to better use on the stage.  If you are of a certain age, you may remember a movie called 10 Things I Hate About You; this is the play that it is based.

Bottom line: I would haven't read the play but because I was going to a production of the play, I was reading it. Its probably not one of Shakespeare's greatest plays and its a play that can easily be forgotten in the midst of the various other plays that Shakespeare is more well known for.

Rating:  3/5

Pages for 2012:  21356

Henry V - William Shakespeare

Title: Henry V
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages: 352
Published: 2004 (first published 1599)
Challenges: The Classics Club, Reading Shakespeare
Genre: Drama, Classic
Edition: E-book
Source: Free download from Kobo

Description: After the turmoil and uncertainty of Henry IV a new era appears to dawn for England with the accession of the eponymous Henry V. In this sunny pageant, the Chorus guides us along Henry's glittering carpet ride of success as the new king completes his transformation from rebellious wastrel to a truly regal potentate. Of course, there is an underlying feeling that the good times won't last, and this is all the more reason to enjoy the Indian summer before the protracted and bitter fall of the house of Lancaster. (via LibriVox)

Thoughts: I put this one off for quite sometime and probably should have read this one pretty much right away, as I could have read the play in a few hours and for some reason, this one just kept being pushed to back of the ever increasing book pile, so my thoughts are pretty much muddled and honestly I really don't know what to think of the play, except that probably a bit of a read on Wikipedia on Henry V or even reading the summary of the play on Sparknotes would have helped with my understanding of the play.  Basically I don't know what to think of the play and maybe a re-read should be in order for this play.

Bottom line:  Probably would recommend this play for those that are diehard Shakespeare fans rather than those of us who are fans of his comedies and tragedies; the history plays are more dense and do require a bit more background reading before you do actually go ahead and read them.

Rating: 3/5

Pages for 2012: 15815

A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare

Title: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Author: William Shakespeare
Size: 66 KB (copy used on Goodreads had 256 pages)
Published: 2009 (First published 1595)
Challenges: Reading Shakespeare: a play a month in 2012
Genre: Drama, Classics, Shakespeare
Edition: ebook
Source: Free download
Rating: 3/5

Shakespeare's intertwined love polygons begin to get complicated from the start--Demetrius and Lysander both want Hermia but she only has eyes for Lysander. Bad news is, Hermia's father wants Demetrius for a son-in-law. On the outside is Helena, whose unreturned love burns hot for Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander plan to flee from the city under cover of darkness but are pursued by an enraged Demetrius (who is himself pursued by an enraptured Helena). In the forest, unbeknownst to the mortals, Oberon and Titania (King and Queen of the faeries) are having a spat over a servant boy. The plot twists up when Oberon's head mischief-maker, Puck, runs loose with a flower which causes people to fall in love with the first thing they see upon waking. Throw in a group of labourers preparing a play for the Duke's wedding (one of whom is given a donkey's head and Titania for a lover by Puck) and the complications become fantastically funny. (via Goodreads)


Thoughts: Its been a couple of days since I last read the play, as I read it in one sitting, but overall I felt that the book flew me by pretty quick to form a complete opinion.  Certainly not one of my favourite plays by Shakespeare, but even then the play is pretty good.  Reading a play by Shakespeare does not do it justice and one really has to see the play in order to get a better sense of the play and quite honestly I can see why.  The language, especially in regards to this particular play, is action oriented.  What I basically mean is that the language indicates the action and is predicated on somebody on seeing what is going on, not somebody just hearing the action or reading it on a page.


Bottom line: Not one of my favourites, but definitely worth the read.    I will have more to say on the play in the next couple of weeks.


Page total for 2012: 608