A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Summary:

This drama is one of the great comedy plays by William Shakespeare. The play revolves around the adventures of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors and their interactions with the fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The story takes place in Midsummer and is a complex farce featuring Hermia & Lysander and Helena & Demetrius. Their romantic intrigues are confused and complicated still further by entering the forest where Oberon, the King of the Fairies and his Queen, Titania, preside. Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) is a major character who is full of mischief and tricks. Other visitors to the enchanted forest include Bottom the weaver and his friends Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute the amateur dramatists who want to rehearse their terrible but hilarious version of the play Pyramus and Thisbe. (from globe-theatre.org.uk)

Review:

I've read a few of Shakespeare's plays at this point, and I must say that A Midsummer Night's Dream is up there as one of my favorites (and is probably my favorite comedy). It was actually pretty funny as a play. You might think that something written in the 17th century wouldn't appeal to people of today, but it still does, even after all this time. It really demonstrates the timelessness of Shakespeare and his work.

I had to read this play for my theater class and now we are in the midst of a group project on it, which includes acting out a scene. It's really cool to read the play, research it, discuss it, and then watch others act it out. I feel like I learned more about the play this way.

As for the story, I think it has a brilliant plot. There's a lot going on, as well as a lot of characters, but it all ties together wonderfully. You have the lovers, Hermia and Lysander, and then Demetrius, who is in love with Hermia and Hermia's friend Helena, who is in love with Demetrius. Hilarity and disaster ensues when Puck (a fairy) matchmakes the couples and messes everything up. There's also Oberon and Titania, the fairy king and queen, and group of workers who are putting on a play. These workers are hilarious because they aren't the smartest characters and are always using the wrong words to describe things and just all around not very bright.

I feel like I'm not doing the best to explain this play, but just know that it's really funny and well worth a read if you need a good book for English class or something. I also read the Spark Notes No Fear Shakespeare version, with modern English on one side and Shakespeare on the other, which was really helpful. Though I do insist you still read the Shakespeare side because his writing is beautiful.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

FTC: borrowed from a friend.

King Lear by William Shakespeare

Lear is an old and aging king who is ready to give up his throne, and decides to split the kingdom between his three daughters: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. All the girls have to do to receive their inheritance is to profess their love of their father. Goneril and Regan have no problems lying about their love, but Cordelia, the only daughter who actually loves Lear, refuses. She is subsequently banished and Lear foolishly splits the country between Goneril and Regan. Along with some other manipulative characters, the two daughters start planning and scheming, and the country may very well end in ruin.

This is the fourth Shakespeare play I've read (along with Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Twelfth Night) and compared to those I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't my favorite, but it was definitely enjoyable and not too bad of a read for being written in the early 1600s. There was a lot of intrigue and manipulation, which made the story interesting. There were a lot of different characters, some good and some pretty shady, and you never knew what was going to happen next. The ending was sad, but you have to remember that this was a tragedy. So if you have to read a Shakespeare play, this one wasn't too bad.

7 out of 10.