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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “This play has, to my mind some of Shakespeare's most brilliant soliloquies, and the best opening lines ever.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “This is a highly complex play that is challenging to just read, it's one of those things that is meant more as a performance and it can be seen through the writing. We watched parts of the movie in class and that was more helpful to sort out who is who and relations to everyone.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Shakespeare's history of Richard III reads like a tragedy. Of course the tragic thing is that the hero is so despicable, yet it is hard to dislike him too much, he has such good lines. "Now is the winter of our discontent . . ." the play opens and the reader is swept up by the perfidy and creative conniving of Richard. As his plans thicken he seems to be succeeding, only to fail in the end as his apparent allies fail him and turn. There are many ways to look at this play, consider the language and the symbolism for example, but I am fascinated by two aspects that relate to other of Shakespeare's plays.
jwhenderson wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
First, Richard III explores a theme Shakespeare later revisited in Hamlet and Macbeth—the idea that the moral righteousness of a political ruler has a direct bearing on the health of the state. A state with a good ruler will tend to flourish (as Denmark does under King Hamlet), while a state with a bad ruler will tend to suffer (as Scotland does under Macbeth). And second, the nature of evil itself in Richard may be compared to that of Iago in Othello, and undoubtedly others. Richard is more eloquent, but Iago is by far one of the most intelligent of all the evil schemers created by Shakespeare. That he gave these characters a certain charisma is cause for wonder.
Overall, Richard II is filled with some of the best poetry of the early Shakespeare plays. It certainly deserves the popularity it has developed over the centuries.”
“One of my favorites of the Histories. Never has so much scheming gone on since the recent Congress!”
amywolfie wrote this review Friday, January 4, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Richard definitely lived up to his reputation as Shakespeare’s best love to hate villain. Act I scene 2 where he is with Lady Anne would be excellent in performance. I highly recommend it. ”
MyNameRhymes wrote this review Sunday, July 1, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It helps to go over the family history and look at the notes.”
Erica Krist wrote this review Wednesday, June 13, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Pero yo, que no estoy formado de bromasjuguetonas, ni hecho para cortejar a un amoroso espejo; yo, que estoy toscamente acuñado, y carezco de la majestad del amor para pavonearme ante una lasciva ninfa contoneante; yo, que estoy privado de la hermosa proporción, despojado con trampas de la buena presencia por la Naturaleza alevosa; deforme inacabado, enviado antes de tiempo a este mundo que alienta; escasamente hecho a medias, y aun eso, tan tullido y desfigurado que los perros me ladran cuando me paro ante ellos; yo, entonces, en este tiempo de paz, débil y aflautado, no tengo placer con que matar el tiempo, si no es observar mi sombra al sol y entonar variaciones sobre mi propia deformidad. Y por tanto, puesto que no puedo mostrarme amador, para entretenerme en estos días bien hablados, estoy decidido a mostrarme un canalla, y a odiar los ociosos placeres de estos días.
Juan Giraldo wrote this review Tuesday, April 24, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Frías gotas miedosas cubren mi carne temblorosa. ¿Qué temo? ¿A mí mismo? No hay nadie más aquí: Ricardo quiere a Ricardo; esto es, yo soy yo. ¿Hay aquí algún asesino? No; sí, yo lo soy. Entonces, huye. ¿Qué, de mí mismo? Gran razón, ¿por qué? Para que no me vengue a mí mismo en mí mismo. Ay, me quiero a mí mismo. ¿Por qué? ¿Por algún bien que me haya hecho a mí mismo? ¡Ah no! ¡Ay, más bien me odio a mí mismo por odiosas acciones cometidas por mí mismo! Soy un rufián: pero miento, no lo soy. Loco, habla bien de ti mismo: loco, no adules. Mi conciencia tiene mil lenguas separadas, y cada lengua da una declaración diversa, y cada declaración me condena por rufián. Perjurio, perjurio, en el más alto grado; crimen, grave crimen, en el más horrendo grado; todos los diversos pecados cometidos todos ellos en todos los grados, se agolpan ante el tribunal gritando todos: ʺ¡Culpable, culpable!ʺ Me desesperaré. No hay criatura que me quiera: y si muero, nadie me compadecerá; no, ¿por qué me habían de compadecer, si yo mismo no encuentro en mí piedad para mí mismo?”
“Read for OLLI Shakespeare class”
Jean K wrote this review Sunday, March 25, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This is a highly complex play that is challenging to just read, it's one of those things that is meant more as a performance and it can be seen through the writing. We watched parts of the movie in class and that was more helpful to sort out who is who and relations to everyone. ”
Lxpetrik wrote this review Sunday, March 4, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The War of the Roses has to be my favourite era of English History, for reasons I don't really know myself. I was so excited to learn that I would be reading this book not only for my Shakespeare class, but also for the Reading Shakespeare Challenge.
Ione Green wrote this review Saturday, March 3, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I know I say that a certain Shakespeare play is my favourite... all the time, and I pretty much have fallen in love with all of Shakespeare's works. But, this one especially has proven to be my favourite history play. Not only is the play set in a time period I absolutely love reading about, but it is also very different from his other plays. The main character of the play, Richard III, is considered to be the villain of the play. Very different from the comedies and romances most of us have come to love. I think this was probably the main reason why this play has become my favourite. Another aspect of the play that I liked and found a little different is that it is quite violent. There is a lot of stabbing, murdering, and plotting going on that it feels so much more "action-y" than the rest of Shakespeare's plays. I think this would be a good play for guys who are starting to read Shakespeare.
I highly recommend this play to everyone, especially guys, because it is vastly different from Shakespeare's other plays, it is engaging and fun to read, and I am sure that those who have not read Shakespeare's works before will enjoy this one greatly. It's a tale of plot and murder, much like what we watch on television and in movies today. ”
“Reread the play before seeing a local production. ”
b.schock wrote this review Thursday, February 9, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
