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A review by hp_reading
The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare
4.0
I had never read this Shakespeare before. The only reason I was reading it now is because I wanted to do a monologue from it, but I promised myself to never do a piece from something I hadn't read. So here we are. All that to say....
I really liked this play! I love when I can hear distinct characters, see the scenes, and have the immediate desire to want to act them out. Plays are meant to be seen so when one comes to life as I read it on the first go I know it's something fun. That being said, it is not without its faults. Like any Shakespeare, characters fall in and out of love and are betrayed at an alarming rate, and in a "comedy" such as this, the resolution is generally a pleasant one. But that kind of story is what people wanted in 1592, or at least, that's what Shakespeare thought they wanted as it is widely believed that this is his first play. However, it is up to us as artists to recognize this difference of time and culture and provide a staging and interpretation that acknowledges this and rounds out the story and characters to entertain a modern audience.
I really liked this play! I love when I can hear distinct characters, see the scenes, and have the immediate desire to want to act them out. Plays are meant to be seen so when one comes to life as I read it on the first go I know it's something fun. That being said, it is not without its faults. Like any Shakespeare, characters fall in and out of love and are betrayed at an alarming rate, and in a "comedy" such as this, the resolution is generally a pleasant one. But that kind of story is what people wanted in 1592, or at least, that's what Shakespeare thought they wanted as it is widely believed that this is his first play. However, it is up to us as artists to recognize this difference of time and culture and provide a staging and interpretation that acknowledges this and rounds out the story and characters to entertain a modern audience.