I believe my favorite Shakespeare play is A Winter’s Tale: Paulina, redemption, quirky weirdness and magical resurrection. Paulina is, arguably, the best character in all of his plays.

So I started reading Shakespeare's plays in chronological order. Big mistake. Should have just started with the good stuff. Now I'm stuck in the dnf purgatory.

The two gentlemen of Verona; worst ending in the history of literature. But at least it had some comedic gems like this:

"- So, by your circumstance, you call me fool.
- So, by your circumstance, I fear you'll prove."

Golden.

Or this:

"Love is your master, for he masters you:
And he that is so yoked by a fool,
Methinks, should not be chronicled for wise."

The Taming of the Shrew came next. It bored me to death. It took me a whole week to read it, an exercise in intellectual suffering. And if anyone mentions the term "gender roles" in a comment, be warned, I will block you. Not in the mood for your woke bullshit.

It took a year - it's good

As if I couldn't get any more pretentious, I've decided to mark my place using a goose feather. This becomes a narrative throughout my notes lol
I got this edition sometime around when it was first published in 2006. Borders bookstores were still a thing. I was in the 6th or 7th grade. My full name is haphazardly scrawled across the bottom: I ran out of space and my surname is squished. Much like with my edition of Moby Dick, at the time of purchase, I couldn't read this. I'm now 28 (26 when I started). I can read it without any trouble.
When I'd tell people that this is what I'd do in my free time, they'd seem bewildered. They ask for clarification. "All of it?" or "Which translation?" It wouldn't be unusual to get an "I can't understand any of that." I have my preferences but I'm not a snob. I'd tell them how I didn't get it either when I first tried and that I've spent lots of time in the dictionary because of it. And hey, if you WANT to read Shakespeare, get an edition that is easy for you to understand.
My main goals here were:
t1. Read all of Shakespeare with this translation
t2. Extract words I like
t3. Learn about structuring figurative language
I still have to work on #2. I was doing this by hand, but it was slowing down my reading progress. I'll write a python script when I get around to it.
My main complaint is how these stories have brought along with them beliefs that negatively affect our societies. There's no shortage of racism, sexism, anti-semitism, and pro-capitalist language that remains with us today. The "good guys" still remain immoral or constrained products of their author's time.
A question I obviously get a lot is whether I like Shakespeare. I usually groan and shrug. The stories can be engaging but they're not "good". Characters are nonsensical stereotypes (ugly people are villains) and the plots/conclusions are unrealistic for their respective genres (villains confess and/or die). These traits are exactly what made them work. The dialogue is witty and the rest is mostly the popular opinions of the time period, even when Shakespeare was being risqué.
My notes are over every story and poem and are too long to post here. Below is a OneDrive link you may visit to read the PDF. Be wary of my crude language and I apologize for any spelling/grammatical mistakes.
Enjoy your meal.

089-The Complete Works of Shakespeare-William Shakespeare-Drama-1590
Barack

"Survival“ or destruction is a question worth considering."

William Shakespeare, born in Stratford, England, in 1564, died in 1616. He attended King Edward VI School and dropped out of school to earn a living after his father went bankrupt. From 1590 to 1600, it was the golden age of Shakespeare's creation. His early plays, mainly comedy and historical dramas, reached a peak of depth and artistic character at the end of the 16th century.

From 1601 to 1608, he mainly wrote tragedies. In the final stages of his life, he began to write sad comedies, also known as legendary dramas. Shakespeare's works include 37 plays, 154 fourteen poems, and two narrative poems. Reps: Hamlet, Romeo, and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, etc.

Shakespeare's Book, a playbook, covers works ranging from 1590 to 1612. It contains Shakespeare's main plays and poems. Among them, "Four Comedies" are "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "The Merchant of Venice," "Happy" and "Gynophore." The "Four Tragedies" are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. "Romeo and Juliet" is the main play.

Part of the directory.
1. Volume 1: The Comedy of mistakes.
2. Volume II: Nothing happens.
3. Volume III: Henry VI.
4. Volume IV: Henry IV.
5. Volume 5: Titus Anderonix.
6. Volume 6: King Lear.
7. Volume 7: Prince Thiel with Chris.
8. Volume 8: Venus and Adonis.

The devil, to frame us, often deliberately tells us the truth, gains our trust in small things, and then falls into his trap at important moments. "The horror of imagination is far more than the actual horror; the occasional thought of killing in my mind has shaken my whole body, and my mind has lost its role in the wildest thoughts, and the illusion of nothingness is true. ."

Probably most people experience such emotion. That is, when we come up with an idea, although we don't care about it at first, it gets stronger and stronger over time. and finally prompted us to put it into action.

To deceive the world, you must pretend to be as good as the world, to make your eyes, your hands, your tongue tip, everywhere welcome, let people see you as a pure flower, but under the petals, there is a poisonous snake lurking. ."

No force can spur me to realize my intentions, but my eager ambition, but desperate to drive me to risk. "Ambition can lead people to both progress and depravity. In this world, ， there are probably two sides to every quality. When the positive side plays out to attract good, when the negative side works, it leads people into the abyss.

A man should dare to do something, but a man if you dare to be a greater man than you. At that time, no matter the time and place did not give you the convenience to start, but you are determined to achieve your wishes; I once breastfed a baby and knew how a mother loved the child who sucked her milk, but I would take my nipples from its soft, tender mouth and smash it if, like you, I had sworn such a poisoned hand. ."

There is no way for people to choose who their parents are, and no way to choose who their children are, but they can choose who their spouses are. So it's not too much to be careful about choosing a spouse. Because the impact of a spouse on a person is too far-reaching. Love may be blind, but if marriage is also blind, then choose a moral and morally inferior person as a partner, which brings their pain, far greater than love brings their joy.

Evil and good ideas are like a seed. When it's planted, it's unobtrusive. If a lifetime has not encountered a suitable time for it to take root and germinate, it will forever fall. But once the right time is met, it will grow rapidly. A long-sleeping good or evil will translate into rapid action at this point.

"When people make a mistake, they have to cover it up with more mistakes. The so-called one-step wrong step is such. Power flows through the hands of different people. The new master of the throne, to obtain the throne, will certainly use many conspiracy tricks. But in the future, there will be others who will take power from his children and grandchildren. This chair-grabbing game is repeated from generation to generation.

For my good, I had to leave everything behind. I have been deep in a pool of blood if no longer involved in blood forward, then the way back is equally boring. I thought of some very deliberate schemes that had to be implemented expedited without any discretion. ."

There is usually a period of white terror after a change of dynasty. The old forces were purged and the new forces were supported. On the one hand, because the old forces cannot be willing to obey the new monarch, on the other hand, the new monarch himself is also suspicious.

Unusual behavior causes abnormal ups and downs; people with guilty consciences tend to reveal their secrets to the silent pillow; she needs the teachings of a priest more than a doctor's visit. "Probably only those who truly destroy their conscience can do the most hurtful things and have no waves in their hearts. More or less ordinary people, who are divided between good and evil, suffer from conscience for their crimes. This sense of guilt, day and night, is more severe than the punishment of the law.

Because the people under him, regardless of their status, had to abandon him as ever they found the opportunity, they accepted his orders only out of force, not out of their desire. "There's a lot of help to be lost, " he said. Without the support of the people, it is not far from a failure.

"Life is but a walking shadow, a poor sloppy man on the stage, on stage for a moment, quietly retreated in silence."

May the tongue that tells me such words be cursed forever, for it makes me lose the courage of a man! May these bullied devils never be believed again, and they fool us with ambiguous words that sound promising, but the results are completely contrary to our original expectations. ."

Prophecy Sometimes with its superficial ambiguousness, we misunderstand the outcome of the culprit. If the prophecy looks good on the surface, we will lose our caution because of the good prophecy and end up with a bad ending. If the prophecy looks bad on the surface, we may end up like thin ice in the abyss. I think the best way to deal with prophecy is never to hear the prophecy. Whether you believe him or not, the moment you hear the prophecy, he has an impact on us.

In Macbeth, the witch predicts both Macbeth's ending and Bangor's. The witch mentioned that Bangor's descendants would become monarchs, but why didn't he mention Bangor's runaway son in this tragedy?

"Fragile, your name is a woman! Just a month ago, she cried like a tearful man and buried my poor father; An irrational animal would have to grieve for a long time - she would marry my uncle, my father's brother, but he was nothing like my father, just as I was not like Heracles.

Only a month, her eyes with tears of hypocrisy have not yet dissipated redness, she married someone. Ah, the haste of sin, so can't wait to get into the be! It's not a good thing, it won't have a good result, but it's broken, my heart because I have to hold my mouth."

"To Hamlet and his flirtation, you must recognize it as a young man's momentary emotional impulse, an early spring violet precocious and easy to carve, lush and not lasting, a minute of fragrance and joy, and so on." ."

Because the process of a person's growth is not only the strengthening of muscles and Phi’s body but also the development of the body, the spirit and mind also expand at the same time. Perhaps he loves you now, his sincere will is pure and not fraudulent, but you must be careful that he has such a high status, his will does not belong to himself, because he is also subject to his lineage, he can not be like the general people for their own choice, because his decision is enough to affect the safety of the whole country, he is the head of the whole body, his choice must be agreed by all parts of the body.

So if he says that he loves you, you can't believe it, you should understand: as far as he is, if he wants to put his words into practice, he must not go beyond what is generally agreed among public opinion in Denmark. Think again, if you listen to his songs with too despicable ears, let him grab your heart, in his arrogant malfeasance, open up your precious virginity, then your reputation will suffer how much damage. Watch out, Ophelia, watch out, my dear sister, don't indulge your love, don't let the arrow of desire shoot you.

A self-loved woman, if the moon to reveal her beauty is even extreme debauchery; sages can not escape the wounds of mouths; spring grass and wood often have not vomited their buds, by the moth's erosion; as clear as the dew of youth, often by the wind blowing. So watch out, fear is the safest way to do it, and even without the temptation of others, the young man's blood will defect to himself. ."

There are a few lessons to be learned, and I hope you are etched in your memory: don't think about what you say, you must think twice about everything. Be good to people, but don't be too snouted at. Know each other well-known friends, should use steel hoops on your soul, but do not give every general new knowledge of your friendship. Be careful not to quarrel with others, but in case a dispute has started, let the other person know that you can not be lightly insulted. Listen to everyone, but speak your opinion only to a very small number of people;

Do your best to buy expensive clothes, but do not dazzle new, must be beautiful and not flamboyant, because clothing can often show personality; Don't tell people, don't lend money to people, because the debt money out, often not only lost money but also lost friends;

Especially important, you must be faithful to yourself, just as there is day and night, faithful to yourself, so as not to cheat others. May my blessing make this statement work in your actions!"

"These are all traps that capture stupid mountain dragonflies. I know that when passion burns, a person will say the exit no matter what the pledge; these flames, daughters, are more light than hot, just said that the exit will be extinguished, you can not treat them as a real fire. From now on, you will still show less of your daughter's face; you should raise your price and not let others think you are free to call. As for His Highness Hamlet, you should think that he is a young prince who has more freedom of movement than you do.

All in all, Ophelia, don't believe his vows, they are nothing more than sex, the color of the heart and clothing are completely different, only know that the seductive to do some sloppy business, just like the way the mother-in-law, only to achieve the purpose of deception. ."

This is often the case on the personal side because there are some ugly slurs in character: either innately - it cannot be blamed on me, because nature cannot be chosen by itself;

These people just carry the imprint of one of these shortcomings - a natural mark or chance of chance - no matter how holy they are in the rest, how they possess the infinite virtues that one can have, because of that particular problem, will also fester in the world's deliberations."

In The Stories, it is said that "the evils of a gentleman are the underdrive, and the evils of the world are all returned." A person who has a stain is prone to losing people's permanent trust. We must avoid everything that might damage our reputation, just as we do to avoid the plague.

"A man can be a murderer in his bones, even though he can smile all over his face." "You can lure the truth of the truth into your hook with a lie bait; we have intelligent, knowledgeable people, often using this side-knocking method to indirectly achieve our purposes; and you can follow what I said above and see my son's behavior." ."

This practice is also mentioned in Cold Reading. Instead of asking a person directly about the actual situation, it's better to describe the situation yourself first. Can be described correctly, or errors can be described. Then see how the other person reacts when they hear their description.

You can doubt that the stars are torches; you can doubt that the sun will move; you can doubt that truth is a lie, but my love never changes. Dear Ophelia! My poem is too badly written. I will not use verses to express my sorrow, but believe me, the best people ah! What I love most is you. Goodbye! Dearest lady, as long as I live, I will always be yours, Hamlet. ."

Crazy people tend to be able to say things that sane people can't say. There are too many examples of people using sincere appearances and reverent actions to disguise a devilish heart. "Shakespeare's plays have a powerful power not because of how bizarre the story itself is. Instead, he used the character's words to say many insights that resonated with the reader.

"Survival or destruction is a question worth considering; which of these two acts is nobler, either to endure the tyrannical poison arrow of fate or to stand up to the endless suffering of the world and to clear them through the struggle?" Dead; asleep; done with everything; if in this kind of sleep, the pain in our hearts, and the inevitable blows of countless other flesh and blood, can disappear from it, that is the end of what we seek. Dead; asleep; asleep and perhaps dreaming; well, obstruction is here.

2016/10/01
2020/04/12

FINALYYYYYYYYY IT S BEEN 84 YEARS

Well, what can I say? I decided to begin the year by reading the complete works of the Bard. I spent nearly every day for the past two months with the Immortal Bard, tangled in the deep richness of his verse, reading all of his 37 plays (I am not counting here “The Two Noble Kinsmen,” which has only recently and contentiously been added to the Shakespearean cannon) and the entire poetry (the sonnets and minor epics). Now that I am finished I feel a plethora of emotions. First and foremost, I feel very accomplished. I also feel somewhat relieved, as I can now move on to other works (though I did read many other books in between). I am also a bit melancholy; it is like bidding adieu to a dear friend. But I also know that this is not a goodbye, but rather a “see you later,” as I will certainly revisit many (though perhaps not all) of these works in the future.

Shakespeare’s verse is probably the most beautiful in the English language. His poesy is rich, deep and multi-dimensional, his prose, flowery and magical. It has been an influence to nearly every writer, and not just those in the Western tradition. For me, I had read only a few of the sonnets before and some of the plays. I had previously read both “Macbeth” and “Richard III” twice, and “Romeo and Juliet” four times. I enjoyed each of these before, and they are still among my very favorites. Though this was my first time reading many of the works, it will certainly not be my last, and due to their cultural significance, I already had a good familiarity with many of the characters (Lear and Cordelia, Hamlet and Ophelia, Prospero and Miranda, Othello, Desdemona and Iago) and themes (the madness of Hamlet, the jealousy of Othello, the forgiveness of Prospero). I learned that I like best the tragedies, then the histories, then the comedies (this is a loose system of classification – there are problem plays, romances, English histories, Roman histories), but all of them have merit and I would list some of each among my favorites.

I tried to make a list of the plays from my favorite to least favorite, but I realized that this is incredibly difficult and that my preference could be influenced by deep thinking, conversation or re-reading. But here is a (very flexible) list:

1. King Lear (a tragic tale of filial piety, greed, vanity and love)
2. Richard III (this was my third reading this tragic and dark tale and I like it better every time)
3. Hamlet (after rereading parts of the play I considered moving this to the top spot; some of the best lines in any Shakespeare play)
4. Macbeth (this was my third reading and, as with Richard III, I appreciated it more now than ever before; as with Hamlet, when I reread parts of this story about conscience and greed I considered moving it up on this list)
5. Romeo and Juliet (fifth reading; the final lines of dialogue and the window/balcony scene alone cement its place in the top ten)
6. Measure for Measure (I loved this when I first read it; I still enjoyed it when I revisited some of its pages, though not as much as I did at first)
7. The Merchant of Venice (Shylock and Portia’s lines are my favorite)
8. The Winter’s Tale (so tragic in the first three acts, but with a surprisingly happy ending; a great problem play that could also be classified as a comedy – loosely – or, rather fittingly, as a romance)
9. Othello (I appreciated this more upon rereading some of the scenes – the jealousy of Othello and the treachery of Iago, perhaps the most heinous villain in the entirety of Shakespeare’s works)
10. Coriolanus (As with “Measure for Measure” I really enjoyed this tale of revenge on my first reading, particularly the relationship between Coriolanus and his mother, though I found it less enjoyable upon a selected re-reading)
11. A Midsummer Night’s Dream (a dreamlike fantasy; Puck’s last speech is the best)
12. Antony and Cleopatra (Comparatively, not the best verse, but a very complex and rich play, which makes it worthy of a high spot on the list)
13. As You Like It (Worthwhile for Jaques’ soliloquy – “All the world’s a stage” – and for the relationship between Celia and Rosalind; is there a truer friend than Celia?)
14. Julius Caesar (I was surprised by how little Caesar is in the play; it has some very memorable and famous brief lines spoken by Caesar, but its strength really lies in the complexity of Brutus’ character and the famous speeches by Mark Antony – “Friends, Romans, countrymen . . .”)
15. King John (on second reading of some favorite scenes, I might switch this with any of the Henry plays or with Richard II)
16. Much Ado About Nothing (a cute love story with a classic villain, Don John; Don Pedro and Beatrice’s lines are my favorite)
17. The Taming of the Shrew (the characters – Bianca, Katharina and Petruchio – and storyline are memorable; I would likely place this higher if it didn’t come across as so misogynistic; I have trouble reading Katharina’s famous ending monologue as irony)
18. 3 Henry VI (the ending of this one leads into one of my favorites: Richard III)
19. Twelfth Night (“If music be the food of love, play on.” A memorable love story; the side story about poor Malvolio is what really makes it, though)
20. 2 Henry IV (the strengths of both 1 and 2 Henry IV lie in the strained relationship between father and son and in the humour added by John Falstaff)
21. 1 Henry IV (Part 2 is certainly better than part one)
22. Richard II (this leads us into the Henry IV plays and it has some of the best lines of dialogue, particularly the lines delivered by John of Gaunt)
23. Henry V (I liked Henry’s speeches about his humanity, about the burdens of being a king, but disliked because it seemed a praise to war)
24. Timon of Athens (Probably my favorite of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, and it likely deserves a much higher place in the list; a story about human nature and greed – sort of like “A Christmas Carol” or “It’s a Wonderful Life” in reverse)
25. 2 Henry VI (both 1 and 2 Henry VI could be moved up in this list, but not sure where)
26. 1 Henry VI (the series of four plays, ending with Richard III, that tells the story of the War of the Roses, that bloody history of the Yorks and Lancasters)
27. Cymbeline (one of my other favorite lesser known plays, with one of the most wicked stepmothers in literature; I appreciated it less on a second reading of some of the scenes, however)
28. The Tempest (a story about forgiveness, thought to be the last play Shakespeare wrote; I just couldn't really get into it)
29. Titus Andronicus (a gross-out play, 17th century style – cannibalism, rape, murder; the play has waned and grown in appreciation over the years; the story line is seared into your brain, but the writing is not the best)
30. All’s Well That Ends Well (this could be moved up as well, but it bore many similarities to “Measure for Measure”; Parolles and Lafeu make the work)
31. The Two Gentlemen of Verona (I enjoyed this comedy more on the first reading than the brief rereading of some of the scenes)
32. Troilus and Cressida (I appreciated more on a second rereading of some of the scenes)
33. Pericles (not the finest writing, and it is questionable how much of the work Shakespeare actually wrote, but the recognition scenes at the end of Act V make it a heartwarming romance, with elements similar to “The Winter’s Tale”)
34. The Merry Wives of Windsor (Falstaff makes the story, but it was one of my least favorite comedies)
35. The Comedy of Errors (this was one that I struggled to get into – a play about mistaken identity)
36. King Henry VIII (this one I just struggled to get into. It is not only my least favorite history, but one of my least favorite plays, with writing that just seemed strained at times)
37. Love’s Labour’s Lost (so full of witty puns, but without footnotes/endnotes, it is difficult to appreciate; it was hard to get into and a bit stale – this work has not aged as well as some of Shakespeare’s other classics).

The poetry too is wonderful and I cannot possibly list the sonnets and minor epics (like “Lucrece” and “Venus and Adonis” in order of favorite to least favorite). What makes the Bard’s works so lasting is their ambiguity, their fluidity and their universality. Many of the works can be interpreted in so many different ways. Love, jealousy, greed, shame, revenge, questions about human nature, are all weaved in so deeply through the annals of history and into the human condition, and Shakespeare writes about these emotional complexities with more depth and feeling than perhaps any other poet. The works are timeless – they’ve already been appreciated for more than 400 years, and will be valued for much longer in written word and upon the stage. In the near future, I would like to see productions of some of these works and in the next year or two, I may revisit some of the works on an individual basis. It is just for now that I say, “Goodnight, goodnight! Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

Objectively, this is good. I can’t rate it, though. Analyzing Shakespeare under grading criteria made my brain hurt. God rest his soul. Amen. Praised be. After all the loans you’d think the frame for my degree would be free, but yanno

'The most tremendous case of poetic genius the world has ever seen...' - Thomas Mann.

That's all you need to know.

"Give me my robe. Put on my crown; I have immortal longings in me".

I strongly believe that Shakespeare is not really meant to be read, but experienced as a live production! As a compromise, I followed along with the text of each play while simultaneously watching recorded versions of performances on YouTube (Side note: thank goodness so many excellent renditions are available to watch for free online!) It’s incredible how Shakespeare can be adapted, and how uniquely creative different versions of the same play can be. It never ceases to amaze me how talented actors can breathe so many varying interpretations of feeling into a single line on the page.

Now, when it comes to the bard himself, obviously, he’s simply unmatched. The way Shakespeare played with words is truly awe-inspiring. No one can craft a sick burn or a witty double entendre like he did. His characters can go from making dick jokes to delivering profound insight into the meaning of life and human relationships, all within the same scene. UGH how can you not LOVE Shakespeare!?!

My favorite plays are Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo & Juliet, and Othello. Here are some of my favorite lines from various plays:

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” -The Tempest

“O wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world that hath such people in’t!” -The Tempest

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” - Measure for Measure

“O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace!” -Much Ado About Nothing

“I pray thee now, tell me, for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me? For which of my good parts did you first suffer love for me?” -Much Ado About Nothing

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” -A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.” - As You Like It

“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.” -All’s Well That Ends Well

“For where thou art, there is the world itself, with every several pleasure in the world, and where thou art not, desolation.” -King Henry VI (2nd Part)

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” -Julius Caesar

“Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” - Macbeth

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” -Hamlet

“What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculty. In form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an Angel, in apprehension how like a god. The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals. And yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no, nor Woman neither; though by your smiling you seem to say so.” -Hamlet

“Virtue! a fig! ’tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.” -Othello

“Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove. O no, it is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.” -the Sonnets

It's Shakespeare

There is no other who can play with words and ideas as well. It is Shakespeare. What more can I say?