#21: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

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100 books, book review, books, classics, drama, literature, Shakespeare

Nearly a week ago I finished reading Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream but have only now found the time to sit down and write my review.  I picked this play for several reasons.  First, I love Shakespeare and am slowly working my way through all of his plays.  Second, this is one of the most frequently performed of his plays and I wanted to correct this gap in my literary knowledge.  Third, I wanted something short, quick, and entertaining.  A Midsummer Night’s Dream definitely met the last requirement.

To say that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is about relationships would be a bit of an understatement.  There are relationships piled on top of relationships in this particular play.  There is Theseus, Duke of Athens, who is engaged to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.  There is Hermia, and Athenian maiden whose father has pledged her to marry Demetrius but who loves Lysander.  There is Helena, who loves Demetrius but cannot sway him from his desire for Hermia.  There is Oberon, King of the Fairies and his queen, Titania.  Finally, there is Pyramus and Thisbe, the main characters in a (supposedly) tragic play-within-the-play acted out by some humble Athenian craftsmen.  These relationships frame the action throughout the play and offer many opportunities for comic misunderstanding.

These relationships form three plotlines that are woven together.  The first plotline revolves around the Athenian lovers.  Hermia wants to marry Lysander but has been pledged to Demetrius by her father.  Her father uses an ancient Athenian law to force his daughter to choose between marrying Demetrius or death.  Theseus, as duke, is forced to resolve the issue.  He gives Hermia the choice between marrying Demetrius or becoming a nun in the service of Diana.  Lysander and Hermia plot to flee Athens and get married in the woods outside of Theseus’ jurisdiction.  Helena, in a fit of jealousy, informs Demetrius of the plans of his supposed bride in the hopes that he will be so grateful that he abandons Hermia in favor of Helena.  Demetrius and Helena prepare to pursue Hermia and Lysander.  While all of this is occurring, a group of simple Athenian craftsmen makes plans to rehearse a play in honor of the impending nuptials between Theseus and Hippolyta.  Their chosen rehearsal location is the very same clearing in the woods at which Hermia and Lysander plan to wed (and Helena and Demetrius plan to confront them).  Confused yet?

The action then moves to the woods, where we encounter Oberon, King of the Fairies.  Oberon is in the middle of a dispute with Titania, Queen of the Fairies.  Oberon is angry with Titania because she refuses to give an Indian changeling who was the son of one of her followers to Oberon to act as his knight.  Oberon plots a bit of trickery to punish Titania for her obstinacy and sends his servant Puck to retrieve a magical flower whose juice can be applied to a person’s eyelids while they sleep, causing them to fall in love with whatever they see first upon awakening.  His plan is to make Titania fall in love with a woodland creature and then shame her back into obedience.  While plotting this revenge, he overhears Helena’s struggle to win Demtrius’ favor.  He tells Puck to apply the juice to Demetrius’ eyes as well so that he will return Helena’s love.  Puck accidentally applies the magic juice to Lysander’s eyes instead, who sees Helena when he awakes.  When Oberon learns of the mistake, he charms Demetrius’ eyes and sends Puck to retrieve Helena.  Demetrius falls for Helena and challenges Lysander to a duel to determine whose love is greater.  Fortunately, Puck distracts the two men until all of the lovers fall asleep and Oberon removes the charm from Lysander.  That leaves Lysander and Hermia paired, and Helena and Demetrius together. 

While all of this is happening, the six craftsmen are practicing their play.  Puck changes Bottom, a weaver playing the part of Pyramus, into a man with the head of an ass (my older brother has sported that look for years).  Titania, under the influence of the magic flower, falls in love with the transformed Bottom (that would make a great name for an exercise program).  While she is thus distracted, Oberon steals the changeling.  He then transforms Bottom back to his natural state and lifts the spell from Titania.  Puck arranges for the Athenian lovers to believe that everything was only a dream. 

The action then returns to Athens, where the happy couples of Theseus and Hippolyta, Lysander and Hermia, and Demetrius and Helena are all married.  The craftsmen act out their play, the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe.  The lack of skill and rehearsal, and hypersensitivity to the women in the audience render the tragic play laughable.  The newlyweds watch the play with glee and then retire to bed.   Oberon and Titania, now reconciled, visit the house of the duke and bless the weddings.  The play concludes with Puck apologizing to the audience for any offence and reminding them it all may have been just a dream.

I loved this play.  Shakespeare is always a pleasure to read by virtue of his language, but this play was enjoyable because it is just plain fun.  The plotline borders on the absurd and the characters are somewhat ridiculous, resulting in a play that is lighthearted and farcical.  That said, it still explores the complex nature of relationships and the importance of love.  The final act, in which the newlyweds laugh at the ridiculous tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe, is a wonderful bit of irony.  I would definitely recommend this play for anyone looking for a pleasant afternoon read.

The Current Count

21 Read, 79 To Go

#49: Richard III by William Shakespeare

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100 books, book review, books, drama, literature, Shakespeare

Tonight I wrapped up Shakespeare’s War of the Roses tetralogy with Richard III.  This is the play that inspired me to read the entire saga.  I read an article a few weeks ago that described Kevin Spacey’s recent performance as the titular Richard III.  I am a huge fan of Kevin Spacey.  The guy is amazingly versatile, and the picture of him as Richard had me hooked.  When I discovered that this was the last in a series of four plays, I decided to tackle the entire group.  I enjoyed them all, but Richard III is definitely my favorite.

Kevin Spacey as Richard III

I have previously discussed Shakespeare’s amazing psychological insight and masterful depiction of politics. I won’t revisit those themes.  Instead, I will focus on the title character.  Richard is easily one of my favorite Shakespearean villains.  This guy is like Darth Vader and Michael Corleone combined.  Machiavellian doesn’t even begin to describe him.  Richard is the bad guy who you can’t help but like.  The only thing I would change about the play was the ending.  I wish Richard had won in the end.  This isn’t Shakespeare’s fault, as he was restrained by historical events.  Despite the ending, this was an outstanding play and well worth the effort.  Take the time to read all three parts of Henry VI first in order to get the entire back story.

The Current Count:

49 Read, 51 To Go

#48: Henry VI, Part 3 by William Shakespeare

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100 books, book review, books, drama, literature, Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 3 continues the War of the Roses saga where Part 2 left off.  The forces of the house of Lancaster, nominally led by Henry VI, have been defeated by the forces of Plantagenet, led by Richard, Duke of York.  York pursues Henry and Queen Margaret to London, where he forces the king to adopt him as heir.  Henry will be allowed to rule for the duration of his life.  After that the regal power will pass to Richard and his sons.  Needless to say, Henry’s wife and son are less than thrilled.

What follows is a series of battles between the two sides, with each faction trading victories.  Richard is killed in battle and his title passes to his eldest son Edward, who assumes the titles of both king and Duke of York.  Together with his brothers, he continues the struggle against Henry and the forces of Lancaster.  After several vacillations of fortune, the Plantagenets emerge victorious.  Henry is killed and Edward appears secure on the throne.

I loved this play.  Shakespeare is a master of portraying political intrigue.  The various motivations that drive the actions of every character are expertly presented.  These motivations set the stage perfectly for the final part of the tetralogy.  I look forward to finishing the saga with Richard III.

The Current Count:

48 Read, 52 To Go

#42: Henry VI, Part 2 by William Shakespeare

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100 books, book review, books, classics, Shakespeare

I finished the second play in Shakespeare’s War of the Roses tetralogy today, Henry VI, Part 2.  Where Henry VI, Part 1 dealt with the dwindling fortunes of the English in the Hundred Years’ War, Part 2 deals with the disputes plaguing the English court under Henry VI.  Henry is a young and pious ruler, but is too weak to put a stop to the various machinations going on around him.  As the intrigues come to a head in the final two acts, England is torn apart by civil war.  The Duke of York raises an army and defeats the forces loyal to Henry at the Battle of St. Alban’s.  I enjoyed this play even more than Part 1.  Shakespeare is a master at building suspense and weaving together the various plots of the nobles into a unified storyline.  Add to that his mastery of the English language, and you have a winner.

The Current Count:

42 Read, 58 To Go

#40: Henry VI, Part 1 by William Shakespeare

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100 books, book review, books, classics, Shakespeare

As part of both my quest to read 100 books and my quest to read all of Shakespeare’s plays, I have decided to read the War of the Roses tetralogy.  Henry VI, Part 1 begins the cycle and introduces the waning fortunes of the English in the 100 Years’ War.  It also sets the stage for the political machinations that will ultimately lead to the crowning of Richard III.  This play is often criticized for its reliance on battle scenes to advance the action, rather than subtlety and dialogue.  I disagree with this criticism.  I understand the notion that a talented playwright can describe action better than it can be shown, but description can sometimes make the action seem too remote.  At this particular point in English history, war was the central feature of all aspects of life.  The only way to communicate the absolute dominance of the martial sphere over all other elements of society is to put the action front and center.  Shakespeare does so wonderfully in Henry VI, Part 1.  I look forward to reading the rest of the cycle.

On another note, I will be using these plays as relief from longer works when I need a break.  I don’t want Shakespeare to dominate the blog too much, but occasionally I need some time off from 500+ page books.  Shakespeare seemed like a good choice.

The Current Count:

40 Read, 60 To Go

#24: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

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100 books, book review, books, Shakespeare

I returned to Shakespeare for my twenty-fourth book with Hamlet.  Despite being his most famous tragedy, I had not read it prior to the past two days.  The play tells the story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, following the death of his father and the subsequent marriage of his mother to his uncle.  This makes his uncle, Claudius, the new king.  Hamlet learns from the ghost of his dead father that he was murdered by Claudius, and that the queen, Gertrude, was privy to the plot.  Hamlet vows revenge on his uncle and proceeds to plot the best course of action.  He decides that a feigned madness will cover any suspicions the new king might have regarding his loyalty, and assumes the role of madman.  Tragedy ensues as intentions are misunderstood and innocent lives are taken by mistake.  Hamlet and his entire family are eventually killed, leaving only one friend to relate his sad tale.

As is evident in all of his plays, Shakespeare is an expert at characterization.  In that regard, Hamlet is his masterpiece.  The line between real and feigned madness is blurred as the depths of Hamlet’s rage and grief are explored.  The play poses a number of major questions, including how to distinguish between legitimate revenge and simple murder.  This play is a must for all fans of Shakespeare.  I am glad to no longer be ashamed for not having read it.

The Current Count:

24 Read, 76 To Go

#14: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

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100 books, book review, books, drama, Shakespeare

Over the next six weeks, my students will be reading and studying my favorite of Shakespeare‘s plays, Julius Caesar.  I decided to read it again yesterday to refresh my memory before making my lesson plans.  If you have not read Julius Caesar, you should be ashamed!  It is the classic version of the assassination of Caesar by Marcus Junius Brutus and his co-conspirators.  The play features some of Shakespeare’s most memorable lines and has influenced countless later works of literature.  Antony’s funeral oration is a study in the use of propaganda (and will make for some great lessons).  The examination of what makes power legitimate and how far men are entitled to go in defense of their liberties is as relevant today as it was in Caesar’s Rome or Shakespeare’s England.  I am extremely excited about teaching this play for the next few weeks!

The Current Count:

14 Read, 86 To Go

#9: The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare

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100 books, book review, books, classics, drama, literature, Shakespeare

After trudging part of the way through both Homer’s Iliad and Nietzsche’s Human, All Too Human, I decided to take a break and read something a bit more lighthearted.  Shakespeare is the obvious choice, right?  I am an English teacher, and as you might suspect, I love Shakespeare.  He and Milton are the two authors that make the English language sound the best it possibly can.  One of my eventual goals is to read every one of Shakespeare’s plays.  Before yesterday, I had read 14 out of roughly 38 (a few are disputed).  Most of those 14 are either tragedies or histories.  Yesterday I decided to kill two birds with one stone.  I would read another Shakespeare play, but I would read a comedy to lighten things up after several days with Homer and Nietzsche.

I settled on The Comedy of Errors.  This is definitely one of Shakespeare’s lighter plays.  It features two sets of twin brothers separated at birth.  One set of twins are wealthy, and the other set are poor.  The parents of the wealthy twins purchase the poor twins shortly after birth to be lifelong servants for their two sons.  A shipwreck on the way home separates the family.  The father is rescued by one boat with a twin from each set, and the mother is rescued by another boat with the other two twins.  Twenty years later, the two sets of twins wind up in the same city and an amusing sequence of events follows.  Each twin has the same name as his brother, though none of them know it.  Repeatedly mistaken identities, marital strife exacerbated by the mix-ups, beatings, arrests, and accusations of demonic possession make this play an extremely enjoyable farce. 

Many critics have dismissed The Comedy of Errors as simple comedic fluff.  I strongly disagree.  Beyond his linguistic skill, I believe that one of Shakespeare’s greatest gifts is his perception of relationship dynamics.  All of his plays read as studies in interpersonal relations.  The Comedy of Errors showcases a multitude of relationships in a very insightful way.  I also thought that the confusion regarding the identity of the twins can offer an interesting perspective on the world we currently inhabit, with identity theft such an enormous problem.  I would recommend The Comedy of Errors to any Shakespeare fan looking for a change of pace from the histories and tragedies.  I should have another post or two in the next few days, so please check back soon!

The Current Count:

9 Read, 91 To Go