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What Shakespeare Play Should I Read? An Infographic
Happy birthday, William Shakespeare! In his honor, try our helpful infographic to find out what celebrated play you should read next.
Where did you end up—comedy, history, or tragedy?
Where did you end up—comedy, history, or tragedy?
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I've always found "Midsummer" to be a great entry play, but "Much Ado about Nothing" can work wonders as well, because so much of that one just feels so modern. It's one of those that, when the theatre I work for puts it on, we get asked how much of the language we changed -- when it isn't a word!As much as I do love reading, seeing Shakespeare's plays performed isn't just "a good start" -- it's the *best* way to experience them. (Well... maybe second-best, behind actually performing them!). These are plays, after all -- Shakespeare wrote them for a stage and voices and bodies, not to mention that most crucial of elements: an audience. See them if you can; you're missing out on the real delight if you don't. This is a great and quite well-thought-out flow-chart, though!
Wish I could get this poster for my English classroom.
I love love love this, almost as much I love the Bard himself!
I ended up with 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' - tickets for which I have unfortunately just failed to get.
Great chart. I think my first Shakespeare play was Macbeth.
Very clever! I just finished a take off on 'Taming of the Shrew'. It was Leslie Gould's 'Courting Cate'. Kind of like Shakespeare meets Amish. Very amusing!
It would've been great if you could click on the book you ended up with and it took you to the review.
Comedy of Errors for me, and this is a great chart!
I loved all I read, but got really impressed by Richard III
Kudos. Any chance you might market this? I'd love to have it as a poster in my classroom.
Working on my 2nd Hamlet now. When you have actors that can speak it like they're thinking it, and tragedians who don't mind also playing the foolish knave (and don't 'saw the air too much like thus') it's a wonderful experience. Also have done the ballet of Midsummer and did the play in college. My scenic design choice was a la Salvadore Dali.
As a Shakespeare scholar, I much prefer the tragedies, but as a starting point I would highly recommend A Midsummer Night's Dream. Simplistic language in comparison to say Hamlet, and genuinely funny. A great introduction!
Can we teachers have permission to print this as a poster in our classroom? It's fantastic!! :)
This is great infographic. I love Hamlet, but it took me to As You Like It. I should probably look for a reliable source for e-scripts and read more Shakespeare's plays.
great chart, now I want to abandon everything that I'm reading at the moment and indulge in some Shakespeare!
Great chart, bookmarked for future reference. A preliminary stroll brings me out to As You Like It. Guess I'll give it a try, and add it to the never-ending list.
Awesome chart. Going to try and read 2 books by Shakespeare this summer. Wonderful info graphic.
As a reader of Shakespeare (and sharing a birthday with the date traditionally presumed to be his, woot) I don't think there's anything wrong with watching them performed instead of reading them.. they are PLAYS. Written to be played and watched. I love when I see them updated. I think that if Shakespeare's true sense of humor and personality is anything like what we gather of him through is plays, he would approve of a lot of them. Not Gnomeo and Juliet, but I liked it. :)
Me faltan las palabras para definir este impresionante trabajo!!
I wish I could have had this infographic back when I was teaching high school English. Very clever!
Ok. I'm going to challenge myself to read one play a month until I've read them all. I've read about 8 throughout the years, but never really got into a Shakespearean play. One a month (in addition to the other major work of fiction I will be reading at that time) is a good length of time to deeply contemplate what the bard is telling us.
I'm starting with "The Merchant of Venice" and then reading a bunch of other works I've never read. The thing is that Shakespeare was obviously meant to be watched on a stage, with actors and props. I'd like to see a movie version of all the plays that I read.
Where can we purchase this poster? It is "da bomb"!
Jessica, this is lovely! I, too, would like to purchase your graphic as a poster for my classroom. Is that possible?I've been attending the Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C. this past two years and marveling over the versatility of Shakespeare (Taming of the Shrew set on a Western stage?!?! Yet, it totally worked!) I teach Hamlet and Macbeth in the classroom and they never grow old.
Ok, right off the bat I don't like this. It starts off with "First time reading the Bard?" And all it gives you is "Yes", "Um, I've seen some performed. Does that count?" or "No, I speak in Iambic pentameter". So basically the options are Yes, Yes, and Expert Level. There is no middle ground.
This infographic starts with the false premise that Shakespeare should be read. Shakespeare's plays were meant to be seen and performed, not read. Or at least, not read silently and privately but aloud and in groups.
Great Infographic! I will check it out and start reading. Thanks a lot!
My first play by the Bard was Twelfth Night. Enjoyed it so much. I've been doing the tragedies lately, so I guess I'll go for a comedy this time.
is there a way to get a printable copy of this for my AP Literature classroom?
Done most of the rest as Film/TV stuff
Infographic is super, btw :)