I did it.

38 plays, 2 long poems, and 154 sonnets in 2462 onion-paper pages. I read them all. ALL. I think I deserve a self-congratulation for this. Yes. Good job!

It took me more than two months of intense reading that toughened my wrists and arms from reading it on the train standing, hardened my heart with stony indifference against people's perplexed and peering gazes thrown at me even to the point of leaning in from the side to see what the hell I'm reading, and made me utterly fearless against any future reference to Shakespeare.

From the end of January to today, April 5th, it was a long journey during which time I came out of Shakespearean depths only once to take a quick breather for five days and read one contemporary book. It was a long, long read indeed.

So what do I think of his works? Amazing. If you speak English, read them.

My favorite comedies are The Comedy of Errors, The Midsummer Night's Dream , All's Well That Ends Well, and of course, my absolute favorite, The Merchant of Venice. As for histories, Henry IV part 1&2, Henry V, and Richard III were fascinating and beautiful in myriad aspects. It seems like I'm drawn to wicked villains like Richard III, Shylock, and Barabas (Marlowe's The Jew of Malta), though I didn't absolutely love Iago from Othello for some reason.

And tragedies. Oh man. I read Macbeth and Julius Caesar in high school and middle school respectively, but I can say I understood less than 10% of their artistic merit now that I read them again. Macbeth is just a short, sweet, and wicked play with enchanting poetry, and the speeches in Julius Caesar are just mind-blowing in their poetry and rhetoric.

Romeo and Juliet definitely belongs to one of his greatest works. It's got the engaging story, beautiful language, and comic scenes all rolled in one - everything that makes a work of art entertaining and satisfying to people from all walks of life. Cymbeline is also awesome. The ending just so unrealistic that it's unbelievably satisfying. Hamlet is like a given and I don't think I need to say anything about it other than that it rocks.

Oh and I really liked this minor play, Titus Andronicus, considered by many critics to be one of his inferior plays. Granted, the beginning is just absolute shit at least plot-wise, but man, it's AWESOME with all that bloody murders and plotting and hatred and violence. It may be poetically inferior to other tragedies, but story-wise, it holds its own among his corpus.

I did it!

Update as of 2022: Last summer I went to a live production in a castle garden of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I've always thought this play overdone a bit like Romeo and Juliet, it's one of the more popular ones, and I think I finally realize why. Shakespeare, without a doubt, is meant to be seen on stage. I can not stress enough how incredibly brilliant this author is with the written play and seeing it acted out on stage gives it a whole new dimension. This play was fantastic and had me laughing and falling in love with Shakespeare all over again. One of the best classical authors ever. And I highly encourage you to see at least one of his plays in your lifetime.

Shakespeare as classical writing written when I first started reading Shakespeare:

I understand now why I have such a hard time reading Shakespeare. It's not that it's hard to understand. There are enough translations and self help guides to get you through the plot of any of the plays. And once I started reading and translating, I started to get the hang of it, and had fewer words and phrases that I had to look up. No, it's not that. Simply put, it's a play, and not meant to be read. I know there are some who might disagree with me, however, that's my opinion. I revel in the complacency of description and plays don't have it. It is just dialogue. There is nothing to tell you infinitely how a character is feeling or what they're thinking. There's nothing to tell you how the set looks (besides a sometimes small minimalist description). There is nothing to tell how a character looks, are they beautiful? Are they old? Yes, I understand you can infer many of these things from the dialogue which is what you're supposed to do, but to me, there is great room for interpretation, unlike a book, which will describe it for you.

Also, after doing a little reading on Shakespeare and the republishing of his works, it seems there are many different conflicting sources of original text, which is why you often find various works with different scripts. I truly believe that Shakespeare meant these to be seen on stage, not read from a page. It's where his genius is best seen and appreciated. That being said, I plan to read each play, then watch a movie rendition of each one.

I would also like to list the reasons here that Shakespeare's works are classics instead of going into the same points repeatedly as I review each work. They are classics, I can't dispute it, whether or not I enjoy each individual play or not. And I do believe this is the first time that an author has gotten 8 out of 10 of my Definitions for a Classic.

1. Longevity: He's been around through the ages and I have no doubt we'll be acting out his plays on the moon.

2. The magic factor: His stories will pull you in every time. They focus on the aspects of human nature that we all can relate to, so you care about the outcome of the characters.

3. Unique: He has an unusual literary style that has made him popular throughout history.

4. New Style of Writing: Now I'm stretching it with this one, I know, because anyone who has studied literature knows Shakespeare wasn't the first to use Iambic Pentameter, however I believe he was the first to make it popular. You ask anyone to tell you the first author that comes to mind when you say Iambic Pentameter and they're not going to say Chaucer, they're going to say Shakespeare.

5. Huge Following: There isn't a person on the planet who doesn't know who Shakespeare is.

6. Controversial: To say his works are controversial is an understatement. The amount of times he's been banned is enough to put him in this category. The reasons for his censorship are diverse but range from vulgarity, to sex, to politics, to excessive use of freedom. (seriously, what does that even mean?)

7. Underlying themes: Underlying themes run rampant throughout his works and offer a wide variety of human conditions. Anything from betrayal and love to honour and glory can be seen in his works.

8. Substantial Influence: Shakespeare has had influence in every aspect of society from helping to shape the English language (It's all greek to me and tongue-tied - said to have added over 1700 words to the English language) to politics. (Dangers of introducing foreign politics into a city)

Works I've read:


Othello


Romeo and Juliet


Hamlet


Macbeth


Much Ado About Nothing


A Midsummer Night's Dream


King Lear


The Merchant of Venice


As You Like It


The Taming of the Shrew


The Comedy of Errors

Very heavy. Do not read in bath. Oh, and some great plays.

A most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing book.
Not quite complete as it lacks The Two Noble Kinsmen.

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.”

The Tempest:
Not one of my favorites. It was a very convoluted plot with seemingly drunken shenanigans that were hard to follow. I listened to an audio and read along, but I think this one would be much easy to follow if you watched it with props and set. There were some beautiful lines about love between Miranda and Ferdinand.

Two Gentlemen of Verona:
Neither of the main characters are gentlemen! Not at all a good way to start a Shakespeare binge. Frivolous, ridiculous, and misogynistic. The only saving grace was some of Julia's great lines about love.

Merry Wives of Windsor:
Seems like the foil of 2 Gentlemen. Women living their lives. And I like it a lot better. It is quite convoluted. It seems like the story with Anne/Slender/Caius/Fenton should be one play and Ford/Page/Falstaff should be another. Both are good, but it was a little hard to keep up with both.

Measure for Measure:
The simplest, most easy-to-follow plot of the plays I've read so far. Isabella is the strongest female character I've encountered in Shakespeare. She had strong opinions and great wit.

Comedy of Errors:
Simple but fun story. I think it has been retold so many times that it's hard to appreciate the original. What was surely a novel plot twist at the time is now a trope. I listened to an obscure audiobook production and was surprised to discover David Tennant as one of the twins. A delightful surprise.

Much Ado about Nothing:
Loved it! This is my new fav! An accurate title as not much happens, but it's a fun little story. Beatrice is awesome.

Love's Labor's Lost:
An odd one. I found it a little hard to follow and not particularly memorable.

A Midsummer Night's Dream:
One of the few I've seen performed live, but I didn't remember most of it. I remembered it being a bit absurd and it was, but that's the point. "Though she be but little, she is fierce."

Merchant of Venice:
I like the pacing of this plot. There were a few simultaneous storylines that came together well. It was weirdly anti-Semitic but had a great line about all people being equal. Another David Tennant cameo!

As You Like It:
Has the same feel as Midsummer Nights Dream with the psychedelic magic. I really like this one. It's the style of Shakespeare that I love.

Taming of the Shrew:
Loved the first act and the wittiness. There's clever dialogue throughout, but especially between Kate and Petruchio. I didn't like the ending. I wanted a better resolution than that he actually "tamed" her by starving her. Retellings are much more clever.

All's Well That Ends Well:
One of the few plays with an actual villain, though it made for a weird "happy ending." I loved Helena's pining monologues. They are so poignant.

Twelfth Night:
I get why this one is so popular. It's a little rambling, but it's just the right mix of silly and dramatic.

Winter's Tale:
The most dramatic play I've read yet. Not one of my favorites, but it's a solid dramatic tale Got a little weird at the end.


King John:
I didn't follow the plot very well (not a good omen for all the histories still to come). But there was some beautiful prose about grief. And there were lots of long monologues which were great to just let wash over me in the audiobook, appreciating the sound and feel of Shakespeare.

Richard II:
This one held my attention better than King John. I really liked the scene between King Richard and Queen Isabel after Richard is arrested and is heading to jail. Clearly I'm just a sucker for romance. But I almost cried.

King Henry IV, Part 1:
Wow, this is a slog. I zoned out a lot in this one--nothing to hold my attention. I still like listening to it and hearing it in the background, but I often found myself paying absolutely no attention.

King Henry IV, Part 2:
Didn't hold my attention. I think the histories are going to be a struggle. I did like the introduction by the narrator. Made it feel like a campfire story. There are several famous quotes in this one: "uneasy lies the head that wears the crown," "eaten me out of house and home." I also loved "commit the oldest sins in the newest kind of ways."

King Henry V:
I had to go back and read a summary of this one after reading the play. So that's what happened?! I didn't catch most of that. I liked the end with some beautiful lines by King Henry to Kate.

King Henry VI, Part 1:
Really struggling with these histories, but David Tennant as Henry VI helped. It was interesting seeing the British perspective on Joan of Arc, esp. since last year I read Mark Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc in which he practically idolizes her.

King Henry VI, Part 2:
Plot had a lot of action. If I were going to see a history live, I think this would be the one. "Erect his statue and worship is, and make my image but an alehouse sign."

King Henry VI, Part 3:
Seemed like a bridge between the other King Henry stories and Richard III. But now I'm really excited for Richard III.

Richard III:
And that was disappointing. I know this is a cool story full of plotting and assassinations, but the telling of the events was just boring. It does (just about) end with the great line "my kingdom for a horse" so there's that. I did like the return of the prologue/epilogue.

King Henry VIII:
It left all the best parts out, undoubtably because Elizabeth was queen when it was written, so this must have ended with her birth. It also made for a simpler story than the rest. Though I like that it doesn't really cast anyone as a villain in the story. I also like the prologue and epilogue.


Troilus and Cressida:
That didn't go where I thought it would. Interesting. I thought it would go Romeo and Juliet, but ended up feeling more like Wuthering Heights. There were some fun lines, especially the bantering right at the beginning.

Coriolanus:
Meh. The pacing felt off. Not terrible, but not great. Coriolanus did make for a great anti-hero. This is obviously the namesake for Coriolanus Snow from the Hunger Games, so I'm drawing some interesting parallels.

Titus Andronicus:
Well, that was definitely a tragedy. I see why people describe this as an illustration of excess. It had the voyeuristic feel of Sweeney Todd. Or a really bad shark movie. Another reviewer counted. This play has "14 killings, 9 of them on stage, 6 severed members, 1 rape (or 2 or 3, depending on how you count), 1 live burial, 1 case of insanity and 1 of cannibalism--an average of 5.2 atrocities per act, or one for every 97 lines." And there really isn't must to add beyond that. I'm hesitant to take advice from any characters in this play, but I liked this line: Is the sun dimm'd, that gnats do fly in it? The eagle suffers little birds to sing, and is not careful what they mean thereby, knowing that with the shadow of his wings he can at pleasure stint their melody."

Romeo and Juliet:
It's the most famous for a reason. I hadn't read it in years, and it's interesting reading it in line with other Shakespeare. It's easier to follow the story because there's less stage direction, and the direction there is is more physical and simple. It also has some beautiful page-long monologues--longer than most.

Timon of Athens:
I really liked the first half but was bored by the second half. Struggled to pay attention. Seemed overly simplistic for Shakespeare. Maybe that's why it's considered unfinished.

Julius Caesar:
"Honor is the subject of my story." This reads almost like a parable. I knew the basic story--as nearly everyone does--but I didn't know the details of how Brutus was manipulated and his redemptive eulogy. It's interesting that few remember or discuss the true villain of the story. Brutus believed he was doing the will of the people.

Macbeth:
A lot happens in this book. I hadn't remembered how much of our modern witch lore comes from Macbeth. An interesting illustration of greed and overconfidence. I loved the porter's rambling monologue in the middle--lightened up a very dark story.

Hamlet:
I think I read this in high school, but I forgot just how convoluted it was. The main character is KIDNAPPED BY PIRATES and it isn't even a major plot point. It's a fun read, though. With lots of quotes, some inspirational and others comical, and many quoted (and misquoted) throughout time.

King Lear:
This one was forgettable to me. There were definitely a few scenes I really liked. I think Edgar is a great villain. His monologue on "fools by heavenly compulsion" was great. He is ruthless and analytical and excessive. Edmund's plan to keep his father from committing suicide by making him think he already jumped off a cliff was genius. But the rest was fairly forgettable.

Othello:
This was a great one to end on. It's such a beautiful tale of jealousy but told in such a simple way. Sometimes Shakespeare gets overly complex and convoluted. Othello doesn't. Also, beautiful prose. I will definitely read/watch this one again.

Antony and Cleopatra:
I struggled with this one. Too much war and battle. I know the characters are supposed to be over-the-top and dramatic, but that didn't come through for me as I was trying to follow the complicated plot.

Cymbeline:
I had never heard of this one before reading it, and it is now one of my favorites. I love the character of Imogen. There are some really fun monologues in here and the basic plot is classic Shakespeare with a fantastical plot twist that is just ridiculous enough for the story.

Pericles:
I liked it a lot. The first half was a little convoluted because we were introduced to so many characters and kingdoms at once. But the story itself, and especially the second half, was very simple and easy to keep up with. It had a very nice moral/parable feel to it. Reminded me a lot of Les Mis, actually.

Venus and Adonis:
I liked this one. The third person made it easier to follow and it's very simple. Two very simple characters. And lots of beautiful lines. My favorite: "before I know myself, seek not to know me."

Rape of Lucrece:
Well, that was about what I expected. Beautiful prose, but that made it all the creepier for the subject matter. I do like the summary at the beginning and the idea that one atrocity can spark a revolution. Also, Shakespeare's dedication at the beginning is more beautiful prose of love than most of his monologues.

Sonnets:
I didn't think I would like the Sonnets (I tend to hate poetry), but I ended up really enjoying them. The first few were tough. The first 15 or so are all telling a young man why he should have children, and as a single woman about to turn 30, that wasn't exactly what I needed to hear. Some were terrible, some were fantastic. Here are some of my favorites: 29, 40, 66, 91, 130, 131,133, 134, 143, 145, 149.

Lover's Complaint:
I like it, but I didn't love it. I found it more difficult to follow than some of the other poems, partly because of her quoting him for so much of it. But also, it seemed written in an "older" English. Love is fickle, even a stoney heart is moved by tears, but not all tears are equal. Also this line: "For thou ar’t all and all things else are thine."

Passionate Pilgrim:
Less than half of these poems are believed to really be Shakespeare and you can tell. Seemed mostly an ode to youth and young love. The rhythm was easier to find in these than the other sonnets.

Sonnets to Sundry Notes of Music:
After reading so many sonnets, these completely broke cadence and didn't feel like sonnets at all. 4 is absolutely atrocious (it took me several readings to figure it out and once I did I vowed never to read it again), but 6 is absolutely gorgeous.

Phoenix and the Turtle:
Goodreads/Kindle think I'm done because I jumped around and read this in the middle. Glad I didn't save it for last. It's just random words. I looked up some summaries and interpretations of it, and apparently it's beautiful and tragic, but it's also described as "one of the vaguest poems of English literature." A disheartening way for someone to end a Shakespeare marathon. Someone might think they had a stroke!

Not enough dragons.

What an exquisite edition of one of the greatest works in the Western canon. Armed with an authoritative editorial team, Professor Jonathan Bate has reworked all of Shakespeare's plays, as well as his poems. The footnotes are extensive and cover all meanings of words (including the more salacious ones that many school texts leave out), while also providing informative historical and contextual information.

This edition seeks to give us every word attributed to Shakespeare (although, as it points out at length, we can't really know what he wrote: all of our current versions come from a variety of sources typeset in his later years, and primarily from the First Folio printed after his death. Any work of the Bard's is distorted in some way). With appendices and footnotes, notable textual errors or areas of debate are highlighted.

There is so much to love here. Epic tragedies - Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, King Lear - joined by their lesser, but poetically affecting counterparts like Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Titus Andronicus. Shakespeare plays with and shuffles around comic tropes in his wide variety of comedies: peaks include The Comedy of Errors, Love's Labour's Lost, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado About Nothing.

In his more subdued romances, Shakespeare often seems reduced to more typical characters yet imbues than with layer upon layer of subtlety: Measure for Measure and The Winter's Tale are particularly splendid examples. Some of the tragedies and comedies aren't as startling, and some are challenging - such as his part-satire Troilus and Cressida - but every work brims with characters whose opinions, beliefs and motives are individual, and not simply echoing those of an author. Beyond these plays lies a staggering cycle of love poems in The Sonnets, as well as his other various poetry which always makes fascinating, lyrical reading.

Capping all this is Shakespeare's incredible cycle of English history, which details the country's fate from 1199 to 1533, through the stories of the English monarchs: their battles, their loves, their lives and the effect their squabbles have over countless citizens. The cycle begins with the somewhat talky King John (far from my favourite work, but well presented in the BBC Complete Works cycle) and ends with the autumnal King Henry VIII. In between are eight plays (two tetraologies) which encompass the Wars of the Roses, and they are astonishing. From the private thoughts of the monarch to the most unimportant peasant, Shakespeare captures an age.

The introductions on each play detail cultural successes over the centuries, as well as basic historical information. I've seen people suggest other aspects that could improve this - such as a suggestion of ways to double parts (this is defined as the "actor's edition"). Certainly, I can accept that, but as it stands this is already beyond a 5-star piece of work. A place of honour on my shelf, that's for sure.

this is officially the biggest book I own, and it’s actually just a bunch of books/ plays/ poems in one

Blame It On West Side Story…

It was nearly the ending of summer, and I was then still eleven. Was playing basketball with my brother and friends. Came into the house for a cold drink and a snack.

Heard my sister and her friends making happy sounds.
Decided I should investigate. They were watching a movie called “West Side Story.”

I heard lots of fun music, saw lots of fun dancing. Although covered in dirt and smelly with sweat, decided to invite myself in and squeezed between two people.

Heard about a song called Maria, Jet Song, Tonight, America, Gee, Officer Krupke, I Feel Pretty and others.

There was the beautiful Maria (who, strangely enough, didn’t look Puerto Rican). There was a gorgeous man named Bernardo. My tomboy days were over.

Dear mother noticed my happy obsession and told me about two young teenagers named Romeo and Juliet. A play written by William Shakespeare. Two kids in love with love

I plan to read many Shakespeare plays this summer. I won’t complete the full works, but finishing them all is one of my major reading goals. It might take me a few years to do it, but I shall get there eventually!

Here’s where I’m up to at the moment:

1 Two Gentlemen of Verona
2 Taming of the Shrew
3 Henry VI, part 1
4 Henry VI, part 3
5 Titus Andronicus
6 Henry VI, part 2
7 Richard III
8 The Comedy of Errors
9 Love's Labours Lost
10 A Midsummer Night's Dream
11 Romeo and Juliet
12 Richard II
13 King John
14 The Merchant of Venice
15 Henry IV, part 1
16 The Merry Wives of Windsor
17 Henry IV, part 2
18 Much Ado About Nothing
19 Henry V
20 Julius Caesar
21 As You Like It
22 Hamlet
23 Twelfth Night
24 Troilus and Cressida
25 Measure for Measure
26 Othello
27 All's Well That Ends Well
28 Timon of Athens
29 The Tragedy of King Lear
30 Macbeth
31 Anthony and Cleopatra
32 Pericles, Prince of Tyre
33 Coriolanus
34 Winter's Tale
35 Cymbeline
36 The Tempest
37 Henry VIII
38 Sonnets

There's so may greats on this list that I have to read soon!

Makes me feel sad that people dislike Will due to the way he was introduced to them at school. He’s one of the funniest writers ever. Sorry, clever, sad, empathetic. As you like it is still one of my fave plays ever.