As the first round comes to a close, this competition remains full of fun and creative arguments. It has been fun to see some lesser-known plays receive the praise they deserve! Round 1 remains full of surprises.
Biggest Surprise
Pericles
I would like to say Timon of Athens because of how relatively unknown the play is but Pericles tying (and defeating through the magical tiebreak methods of Fast Breaks and Billy Shakes) 2H4 is a big upset to me. I believe the argument for the play and its emphasis on its empathetic characters did the job.
Yeah, Of Course, that Won
Midsummer
Midsummer remains one of the most popular plays, not only in the cannon but in all of the theatre.
Great Quotes
The writers are awesome. Simple as that.
“Does it take more than three hours of outdated wordplay to make you laugh?”
“The set-up of the lords falling in love and writing letters only to be discovered by each other is his best use of dramatic irony--the gulling scenes in Shrew having nothing on this scene.”
“Nothing proves this play’s worth better than it’s speeches”
“In no other play are the characters so frustratingly human.”
“Plays with weaker subplots but similarly problematic main plots have fallen to the wayside (Two Gents, Measure,), but Shrew lives on because of how well the plots weave together.”
“Is TIMON OF ATHENS one of those depressingly unfunny tragicomedy thingies from Bill’s Blue Period?”
“And without this play, we wouldn't have the phrase "the world is my oyster." So that's neat.”
“This is not the play of Henry VI, but the play of Margaret and her tragic failure to maintain power even after demolishing the main enemy of her family’s line.”
“All-in-all, Macbeth encompasses an older, more experienced Shakespeare's most dynamic attempt at creating an economically-plotted masterpiece for the Jacobean audience.”
“Romeo is an Orlando in a world of Falstaffs, and Juliet is a Miranda in a world of... well, Mercutios.”
“Even if it's a slightly messier play, Pericles proves the more heartfelt reflection on the responsibilities of parent and King.”
“Shakespeare uses the prior play to make us fall in love before using this play to break our hearts to pieces and it's just plain brilliant.”
“By every account, Dr. Ralph Alan Cohen is the man who knows and loves Shakespeare more than almost anyone I have ever met.”
“Words undo the most powerful man in Rome, then the second most powerful man in Rome, and then everyone in Rome.”
“While other plays portray the struggle of power between characters, M4M is a combat of will and ethics as an authoritarian asshole tries to take advantage of one of the most virtuous people in the canon.”
“This vengeance fest features complex antagonists, flawed protagonists, and the lurking suspicion that maybe nobody deserves their fate, or everybody does…and maybe our hero isn’t heroic…and maybe our baddie isn’t all bad…and maybe anger and power are the real enemies…and maybe no one’s hands are clean (even you, Lavinia)…and maybe Empire is the root of Evil”