Please vote for the Shakespeare play in winter of '09.
All plays are available online on our site:
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/
Please vote for the play you would like to read by November 30th.
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Please vote for the Shakespeare play in winter of '09.
All plays are available online on our site:
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/
Please vote for the play you would like to read by November 30th.
How about Antony and Cleopatra??
Any thing u want, I will just be glad to try it ..
I voted for "Richard III", because it is one of my favorite plays. It is like a good thriller and things are always happening in the intricate plot; it is an exciting play, in my mind, not just a dull history, but one with a lot of twists and turns. It fascinates me as does the character of the sinister, power-hungry, Richard.
Is it that time again? I've just begun reading the first act of Merry Wives. I'll have to think about it for now.
Same here ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Virgil
Yeah, Richard III is winning...well, so far. I tell you all, that is one wild ride. I love this play so much. It is very exciting and so much like a good thriller. I don't think anyone will fall asleep during this discussion.
Yeah, maybe it is too soon, Virgil and lugdunum, we are still plodding along with MWOW. Maybe Scher could postpone this one a bit. When is the winter discussion due to begin?
I voted for Richard the second. In my opinion a finer play than Richard III.
Yes I still need to read MWOW. If Richard II doesn't win I will finish MWOW. I've just been way too busy.
I voted for the second - the second doesn't seem to get enough discussion time, whereas it is almost, if not as good as the third.
Yay!! :banana:Quote:
Originally Posted by JBI
Oh hell, I should have kept my big mouth shut!
oh no!!! a tie.... makes it even more difficult to decide....:confused:
Can I sway you lugdunum? hahaaha....did you vote yet?....I am pinning my hopes on Richard III.
Here are my three personal reasons: I have read it several times and therefore, I might actually be up to date with the discussion on this one. Also, I have heard the video recording of the play several times and it gets better everytime. Third, I studied it on another video; very informative. It is a play that continues to fascinate me.
But more importantly and to my defense of the play, I have read both plays and they both are very good, but I think that Richard III will keep the interest of the forum members longer; I can't help, but think back to our last discussion of MWOW; 7 people voted for it and about 3 or 4 stuck around, if that many; I know I too have been at fault; I really found the play difficult to understand and someone else (I know this unnamed person is capable of reading deep literature/very intelligent) wrote a post, saying they felt confused by MWOW, first act; later I noticed they dropped out. So many on this forum seem to get discouraged the first act of the play if it does not grab your attention right off. Many of the forum members seem to prefer pyscholgical thrillers, over history and in my opinion Richard III is both, a good history and a great thriller, and it is not a difficult play to understand, starting with the first line. A play that starts with these lines has to draw someone right in:
Now is the winter of our discontent.
Made glorious summer by this sun of York...
This line can be easily explained, and sets the whole tone of the play, taken from Richard's disgruntled point of view.
Ok, Virgil,...we are at odds again;)...what else is new lately...:lol:.. this may be true, as far as being 'finer', but I think the majority here would prefer Richard III more so because, for some reason I have noticed that many members perfer twisted characters and the unusual to the normal. Richard II is the nobler play perhaps, but Richard III is the more psychological one in my opinion; perhaps why it is so often discussed. I read the the histories back a few years ago, this being my goal, and I understand where you are coming from on this one; but if you recall, when we tried to discuss King John, which starts them off (if I am correct) no one showed up much for the discussion. In my opinion the play King John is the dullest of the histories.Quote:
I voted for Richard the second. In my opinion a finer play than Richard III.
Anyway, to me, Richard III is the most dramatic and dynamic of the the histories, besides Henry V, which will remain my all-time favorite of the histories.
Luckily, I have been getting some good help on text for TMWOW from lugdunum. Had to add this because I wanted to thank you again. I am still muddling through that one and will not give up on it, even though I am way far behind...
I'm sorry to say I haven't had time to read The Merry Wives of Windsor, but I think if you go for either Richards, you're onto a winner. I love R111, it's one of my all-time favourites, it's brilliant. But I love R11 too, and studied it for my degree, whereas R111 is just one I loved off my own bat, so to speak. They're both excellent, and I would love to read along with either. Which to choose?
I love HV too Janine, I've just watched the Branagh version on tv today, it's sooooo good.
Hi Wessexgirl, It is true that both plays are good ones. I like them both. I just thought that - bottomline - more people would stay with Richard III because it is suspenseful. I will discuss either one, although I only read Richard II once and will have to review the actual text.Quote:
Originally Posted by wessexgirl
Branagh's best film ever is Henry V - to me, it is a perfect film. He excelled in his first production, in my opinion; it is brilliant. I have seen it so many times now and never tire of that film. I liked the way he tied in Henry's early role in Richard II by flashback, in this way giving us some insight into the background of King Hal as a young man. Also, the way he showed us Falstaff is just great, another flashback device that works so well. I still feel like crying when Hal has to give the order to have Bartoff hung. To me that is a pivatol moment in the play. I own the film and I love it! There are some stunning scenes in the film, ones that just take my breath away - the moment the tear roles down Henry's cheek, and he lowers his head, after his lone silouquey in the nightcamp and following his prayer about building the chantry to Richard's memory; another is when Henry enters the chamber with the torches lighted on each side of him, he being in silouette and flowing robe, the way the doorway is awash with light....a thrilling moment. The soundtrack also is just perfect. I think it was Patrick Doyle's very first - amazing? Doyle appears in all of Branagh's films, did you know that. He plays bit parts mostly and sometimes sings or plays an instrument.