Top 5 Shakespeare Plays

Today I want to write a post all about my top 5 Shakespeare plays. I’ve never really written any posts about this brilliant, renowned writer- so why not start now?

Below are my top 5 Shakespeare plays that I’ve loved- and also the ones that I really want to read.

1. ‘Othello’

I love the play ‘Othello’! And it’s a good job really, because I’ve been studying it on and off for around three years. ‘Othello’ is about a black general in Venice, and, as this is the seventeenth century, he is the only black man in the play.

Iago, the villain of the play, decides to mess with Othello’s mind, and he makes him think that Othello’s charming new wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him.

This play has so many important messages about outsiders, self-esteem, evil, and race- and I think that the depth of the play makes it really interesting. I also recently read ‘New Boy’ by Tracy Chevalier, which was a brilliant retelling of this play set in 1970s America.

2. ‘Romeo and Juliet’

I know this is such a typical answer, but I really enjoyed reading this play- and the passages of the play about love are just beautiful (until you realise that Juliet is probably only about 13). The fact that this story has been retold and reformed over the ages just shows its power and charm.

This was also the first play I ever read of Shakespeare’s, and so for me it has that special memory. I’m not saying I understood it all, but I enjoyed it all the same. I also love the film version of this play starring Leonardo DiCaprio- so that’s definitely worth checking out!

3. ‘Macbeth’

I wasn’t as keen on this play as ‘Othello’ when we studied the two together a few years ago, but the storyline is still interesting- and I love how strong-willed Lady Macbeth is (even if she is an essentially evil characters).

The fact that she questions her husband’s manhood, basically intimidating and teasing him into killing a king, shows her power and strength- and although she may not be a nice character, clearly she has more courage than her husband. For a very different society, that must have been quite shocking stuff!

4. ‘Twelfth Night’

I really want to read this one, it sounds great! The storyline sounds really confusing, but I love the sound of the strong female characters. It’s also a comedy, so might be happier than the ones I’ve read in the past, which have all been tragedies.

Ages ago I watched the teen film ‘She’s the Man’ which was (very) loosely based on ‘Twelfth Night’ and, although the film was awful, it did get me interested in the play!

5. ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’

This sounds like such an amazing play! My mum studied it a couple of years ago, and the character of Cleopatra sounds so strong-willed. I think that Shakespeare often portrays women as strong characters, and in his plays I can see some similarity in their strong nature, such as the character of Emilia from ‘Othello’ and Lady Macbeth.

There are so many more plays I could name that I would love to read- and hopefully one day I’ll get round to reading them all- but these are the few that I have loved reading, or that I’m looking forward to reading in the future.

What do you think of my top 5 Shakespeare plays? Are there any Shakespeare plays you would like to read in the future? What’s your favourite Shakespeare play?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x

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