Shakespeare?

October 11, 2007, 4:57 AM

We all know him, but that doesn't mean we necessarily love him...
What do you think of his numerous plays?

I think they're all great pieces of literature and I only discovered that recently since I got a copy of Hamlet with a little modern translation on one side with the original text compared on the other so it was an easier read that those other ones like Julius Caesar that we had to read unassisted.

Oh...parodies:

http://www.angelfire.com/oh/Pretzel/

October 11, 2007, 5:03 AM

I love Shakespeare with a burning, fiery, and slightly unhealthy passion. If he were alive, I would most definitely be one of his groupies (assuming he was straight...). The man was a literary genius and his plays are completely unrivaled. Hamlet is one of my favorite pieces of literature ever. Much Ado About Nothing is hilarious, even today-- now that says something. He was so funny that his wit is still fresh 400 years later. His plays not only have amazing plots, they are written brilliantly, and have so many hidden meanings and puns that I wonder how one man could be so intelligent. God, I love him XD

</end scary obsessive fangirling over Shakespeare>

October 11, 2007, 7:38 AM

I love Shakespeare! He is one of the writers who truly takes writing to the level of high art. His use of language smacks of wild innovation and one can't doubt the enormous influence his works have had in Anglophone pop culture (it certainly goes farther than awful high school renditions of Romeo and Juliet).

My favorite of his comedies is Much Ado About Nothing - I honestly felt like the love between Benedick and Beatrice is much more plausible and ironically more star-crossed than Romeo and Juliet ever seemed. Frankly, I always considered Romeo and Juliet to be one of the Bard's worst. But perhaps it's just that hermeneutic gap that makes me balk at Renaissance concepts of love.

In most cases, however, Shakespeare's works go beyond the context of his time into the true realm of classics. And if one is intimidated by his plays, at the very least read some of his love sonnets - they're amazing as well.

October 11, 2007, 8:26 AM

Ive only read Romeo & Juliet and a Midsummer Nights Dream. Im not crazy on Shakespeare.

October 11, 2007, 2:23 PM

Yeah, I can't really say I have much of passion of readin Shakespeare as much as eisprinz and Erythritol up here, but he's still a great writer.

Do you guys think that The Lion King is the Disney version of Hamlet? Think about it.

October 11, 2007, 2:27 PM

Hates his plays but I love the movie adaptations.

October 11, 2007, 5:56 PM

Same with SapphireStar. I've read several works from him, and I did enjoy some, but I'm definitely not a huge fan. Stuff like that usually bores me to death.

October 11, 2007, 6:05 PM

I'm quite fond of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Othello. I only have done them in school and haven't really thought of reading them at home. I did enjoy them though and am very fond od Shakespere

October 12, 2007, 5:38 AM

Lion King is such a blatant rip-off of Hamlet D: That's why I don't really like it. After reading Hamlet and then seeing the Lion King again I was like "wait a minute....this is Hamlet....with lions! Disney, you thieving bastards!!" *Shakes fist*

October 14, 2007, 10:23 AM

I take Lit but I'm not really a fan of Shakespeare. Some of his plays tell good stories, and I'm really enjoying Measure for Measure at the moment in class, but he's not my favourite writer. He's over-rated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erythritol

Lion King is such a blatant rip-off of Hamlet D: That's why I don't really like it. After reading Hamlet and then seeing the Lion King again I was like "wait a minute....this is Hamlet....with lions! Disney, you thieving bastards!!" *Shakes fist*

Wow, what an observation, and very true too! Disney! And they're so selfish in terms of money, too. ¬_¬ But, sorry to say, Lion King > Hamlet.