My Favourite Shakespeare Plays
William Shakespeare is world-famous for his 37 plays and 154 sonnets. Most people have studied at least one of his plays at school, likely Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth. While they are great plays (and popular for a reason), they are not my favourite plays.
Twelfth Night (written in 1601-02)
Twins Viola and Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck and Viola lands on the shore of Illyria. To protect herself, Viola disguises herself as a man called Cesario and goes to work for Duke Orsino, who Viola quickly falls in love with. However, Duke Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia, who, upon meeting Viola, falls in love with her thinking she’s a man. Chaos ensues.
Twelfth Night was the first Shakespeare play I saw in a theatre. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon to be precise. I love the mix-up of character identities, and the love triangle between Orsino, Olivia, and Viola. One of my favourite scenes is when Viola (as Cesario) is challenged to a fight by Sir Andrew Aguecheek (who’s also in love with Olivia), but neither know how to fight. Twelfth Night is a play that makes you laugh.
Midsummer Night's Dream (written 1596)
Hermia and Lysander want to get married, but Hermia’s father, Egeus, wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena, Hermia’s friend, is in love with Demetrius. Titania and Oberon, king and queen of fairies, are arguing as Titania refuses to give Oberon her changeling for him to use. The Mechanicals, a group of actors, are rehearsing a play for the wedding of Duke Theseus to Hippolyta. One night, they all end up in the Athenian forest at the same time.
This is another one of Shakespeare’s comedies that involves mixing up or changing identities/characters. Puck, a mischievous fairy under the orders of Oberon, puts Titania and the four lovers under a spell, which makes them fall in love with the wrong person. Act 3, scene 2 is the well-known lovers quarrel scene, with the famous quote:
‘Though she be but little, she is fierce’
Midsummer Night’s Dream also has lots of visual gags, notably the actor Nick Bottom being turned into a donkey. It’s a good one to start with if you’ve never seen Shakespeare live.
Much Ado About Nothing (written 1598-99)
Set in Messina, Italy, Claudio and Hero fall in love within minutes of meeting each other. Their friends, Benedict and Beatrice do nothing but argue, even though they are perfect for each other. But when the villainous Don John wants to get revenge on his brother, Don Pedro (the prince of Aragorn), the two couples fall apart.
This is the third comedy on this list. Much Ado About Nothing doesn’t contain mixing up identities but a plot to help two people fall in love. This is another good one for beginners who want to tackle Shakespeare. It’s a nice, short and easy-going play that will make you laugh.
The Merchant of Venice (written 1596-98)
Bassanio wants to marry a beautiful woman called Portia, so he asks his friend Antonio for money. However, Antonio is broke, having invested all his money into trading ships. Bassanio turns to Jewish moneylender, Shylock, for the money, using Antonio’s credit and reputation. Shylock agrees, but if Antonio cannot pay, he must give Shylock one pound of his flesh. Antonio agrees, only to receive the news a few days later, that his ships are sunk and he cannot pay Shylock back
Believe it or not, The Merchant of Venice is a comedy. A comedy that feels like a tragedy. Even though there are laugh-out-loud moments, most of the play deals with difficult subjects such as antisemitism. What I love about this play is the complex characters, especially that of Portia and Shylock. Portia is an intelligent wealthy woman but is ruled over by her dead father’s will, and cannot choose who she marries. Shylock is a bitter old man, who no one wants to be around, yet you do feel some sympathy for him at certain points in the play.
Shakespeare is one of those writers that many feel intimidated by, especially when confronted by 4-hour plays like Hamlet. But Shakespeare wrote such a diverse range of stories that I believe there is something for everyone within his works. These four plays are excellent plays for those who want to start exploring Shakespeare more.