Adrian Bryant’s Reviews > The Oxford Shakespeare. The Complete Works > Status Update

KING RICHARD II

what is there to say? just a true masterpiece. not a line is wasted, Richard is as contemptible as he is pitiful. it's incredibly funny! really amazing. i've read this several times before, but i can't imagine any other play reaching the heights of RICHARD II. 10/10

LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST

boring. snooze. the comedies aren't my thing. don't need to spend 50+ lines expanding on one bad pun. not for me! 5/10

COMEDY OF ERRORS

sure? pretty forgettable, but it's a hella quick read so i can't be too mad. 5.5/10

TITUS ANDRONICUS

nope! it's too pointlessly brutal for my taste -- i've heard some people say it's a satire of bloody plays of the time, and maybe so. but still am uncomfy with it! a ton of violence in the beginning, nothing in the middle, and then violence! not my fave. 4/10

KING RICHARD III

i had high expectations because it seems the consensus is that this is Shakespeare's first *great* play. and it is great! so many incredible monologue, Margaret as a haunting spectre rules. but the ending is so frustrating and Richard is... complicated in ways i didn't expect. i think i need to see how various actors play him. overall it is awesome. 8/10

HENRY VI PT. THREE

awesome! splendid! i've been waiting for dramatic, gory usurpation and this delivered. the first play i've read so far where every line is a banger. the fourth act is messy, but overall it moves fast and hard.

8/10

HENRY VI PART TWO

ugh! what a bore! a true, complete fucking mess. it should be so exciting being the lead up to a violent usurpation, but it just moves so sluggishly. none of the fun pettiness of part one, just aimless monologues. 4.5/10

KING HENRY VI PT. 1

a good time! maybe it's the histories i love. Shakespeare is so good at capturing the pettiness of people in power -- greed destroys! there are a *lot* of plates spinning and it can be hard to keep track. full of great insults.

7.5/10

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, Shakespeare's (probably) second play

very mean-spirited and ends with a wild monologue about wifely duties that i am not into. this and TWO GENTLEMEN before it are not kind toward women!! also so many characters and a needless play-within-a-play device. but... it's a big step forward from TWO GENTLEMEN, i'd be lying if i said it was awful.

6/10

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

certainly checks out that this is his first play. a hot mess, tries too hard to be funny, rushed ending that is incredibly troubling and problematic. BUT there is a scene containing middle-class outlaws that is a lot of fun and brings me joy; probably one of two good scenes in the whole play.