Shakespeare Day: 5 plays that you should definitely read to celebrate
If you love to read plays, you must be fascinated by one of the greatest contributors to the English language. William Shakespeare has made a significant contribution by writing approximately 37 plays and collaborating on many more. April 23 is celebrated as Shakespeare Day every year. Many English words and phrases today have their origin in this iconic playwright's plays and poems.
William Shakespeare's popularity has not waned over the years, and his impact on English literature is unparalleled. This eventually led to the celebration of April 23rd, the day he's thought to have been born as well as the day he died. We have listed the 5 best plays by him that you must read to celebrate this day!
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5 plays by Shakespeare that you must read
1. Hamlet
To this day, Hamlet is the most popular and widely produced of Shakespeare's plays. It follows the form of a “revenge tragedy” in which the titular hero Hamlet seeks vengeance against his father’s murderer, his uncle Claudius, who is now the king of Denmark. Much of its fascination, however, lies in its uncertainties. The readers are left with so many questions that they discover while reading.
2. Othello
This play by Shakespeare highlights what happens when race relations in sixteenth-century Venice don’t go terribly well. It is said to be the most powerful play about racism ever written, but moreover a terrifying study of the destructive power of jealousy.
3. Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet seems to provide both a timeless theme and universal appeal. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a violent world, in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a blood feud.
4. King Lear
Sometimes called Shakespeare’s greatest play, King Lear is definitely one of his most complicated. The play employs three different storylines: Lear and his daughters, Gloucester and his sons, and the subplot with the brewing war between France and Britain. It also has some of the most gruesome and heartbreaking scenes.
5. The Merchant of Venice
For some, this one is a romantic comedy, but we can call it a play with rich romantic elements that raises complex issues of justice, mercy, and the bonds that join people together.