What is your favorite play by Shakespeare?

[rachellinn]

Hamlet gets a bum deal from a lot of people, but he's my favorite character in all of Shakespeare, and, not surprisingly, that's my favorite play, too. I think his complexity goes far beyond any other character, because sometimes you can't tell what he's thinking compared to other characters, if he's mad or faking it, how much remorse he feels or is driven by pure revenge. Ahh, it's such a great play. I know more lines from Hamlet than any other plan. (Although I'm trying to remedy that.)

If I had to break it down, further, I would go with Much Ado About Nothing for my favorite Shakespearean comedy. The wordplay there is just fantastic, and the entire play just reeks of sarcasm and wit. It's quite funny.

[Carla Hurst-Chandler]

The Taming of the Shrew. Saw it in an open air theater in Garfield Park one night. Outstanding!

[Danni Krue]

Macbeth is definitely my favorite. Filled with kings, witches, betrayal, and vengeance, this play is an incredible thing to witness.

[MeganebuKris22]

I'd definitely have to say that Romeo & Juliet is by far my favorite I'm just a sucker for tragic love stories and it doesn't get more tragic than the story if Juliet and her Romeo Though I've seen quite a few Shakespeare plays live I'd have to say that my second favorite is Twelth Night The story is very entertaining and pretty funny at times I highly recommend seeing the play performed live in person

[Nathrad Sheare]

I simply believe that Shakespeare was one of the best things ever to happen to literature, if not the greatest. If he'd written a novel, I can only imagine what it would have looked like. He probably would have defined the form! Alas, he only left us some of the greatest poetry known to man and I'll have to be content with that fact. If only the novel had been heavily popularized in the late 1500s...

My life has been filled with words since I was little, and I really wish they were as beautiful now as they were in Shakespeare's day. Beauty thrives within the soul, but not the soul of the technological age... Oh, well. I enjoy what extraordinariness comes my way, wherever from, in whatever form. I have a big book of Shakespeare's extraordinariness on a table in my room. That's some of what will have to do for now, I guess.

[Books+anime+Beatles]

I have read all of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets and I would still have to go with that old favourite 'Romeo and Juliet'. Probably because I am an old Romantic, but I also find it humorous and filled with action. It has it all. Love, comedy and action.

Well, that's what happens here. The difference is that I haven't read all plays. I read lots of sonnets and Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Measure for Measure and As you like it. And because of the reasons you gave, I would have to choose Romeo and Juliet. But it is immediately followed by Othello, which I think is brilliant.

[Jasper]

Mine is always tied between Macbeth and Hamlet. I like Macbeth's story, but Hamlet's character.

[haines_drew]

Hamlet. I have read it many times and I find new things I love about it with every re-reading. I love the way Hamlet flips back and forth from being this incredibly intelligent man and a complete lunatic. It amazes me that someone could do that and maintain sanity. I know it's debatable that he has gone insane but I don't believe that to be true. Another great work by Shakespeare is King Lear. I actually had to act out this play when I was in 8th grade and it was a wonderful experience.

[soccerstar95]

Definitely Taming of the Shrew because it's a lot funnier than Shakespeare's other plays.

[GliddenBooks]

A Midsummer Nights Dream and of course, the original love story, Romeo and Juliet - both unfortunately murdered in modern movie form.

[arapier]

Hamlet is probably my favorite of Shakespeare's work. It's very amusing to me, even though it's tragedy, and it's held this status for several years. But I recently saw Coriolanus performed, and loved it. It's less known than Hamlet or Macbeth, but it is also a tragedy. Coriolanus is basically the Jason Bourne of Roman soldiers, he slaughters everyone who comes against him in battle, so everyone at home loves him for that. He's kind of a jerk though, he is an elitist, and despises the common people. Some of the things he says are hard to take if you're pro-democracy, but you can't help but like him because he is incredibly true to himself. He never minces words or just says what you want to hear. His lack of Brain-to-mouth filter is what gets him in trouble, but is what makes you at least respect him, if not like him. And, I give him the benefit of the doubt because his mom is a psycho. Though I think I would've liked it less if it hadn't been performed so well. So to read, I think I still prefer Hamlet, but performed, Coriolanus takes the cake.

[Fran]

@arapier
I had to study Coriolanus as a required text in school & I absolutely hated it. But a few months ago my OH arrived with the DVD - the version with Ralph Fiennes & Vanessa Redgrave and I was rivetted to it. Thought it was truly awesome & Redgrave was spectacular. My favourites are probably still The Merchant or Hamlet but Coriolanus is up there too.

[arapier]

Exactly, if I had to read it, I would feel different. But my first exposure to it was a live broadcast of the Donmar's performance with Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss. They're so good at what they do, I couldn't not like it. And I've been meaning to read the Merchant, especially if it's as good as Hamlet.

[shayna]

This is a very tough question, as his plays are so diverse. I feel as though I will stick with the classic Romeo and Juliet, due to the sheer poetry. However, I always loved Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, and Macbeth.

[LadyErynn10]

I'm split between A Midsummer's Night Dream and Othello.

Those are my favorites, although I also enjoyed Hamlet, Comedy of Errors, and Much Ado About Nothing.