campisforever's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shannonjorgenfelt's review against another edition
2.0
Uhm, what?! Call me crazy, but I don't understand following a highly unlikeable protagonist through a series of backstabbings with no apparent repentance, and a bizarrely fast resolution. This is so unshakespearean to me its ridiculous. And the only upside - Julia, who brings the sass and seems prepped to become one of those badass women Shakespeare loves so much - crumbles and takes back the man who dropped her like a dead fish.
I don't know that I've ever been disappointed by Shakespeare, but this was disappointing.
I don't know that I've ever been disappointed by Shakespeare, but this was disappointing.
jbmorgan86's review against another edition
2.0
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, if not his very first play . . . and it shows. The typical Shakespearean tropes are here: a father forces a daughter to marry a man she doesn't love, confused love, betrayal, puns, sexual jokes, a woman who dresses up like a boy, a double wedding, etc. Even places like Verona, Mantua, and a forest where the social norms are turned on their head seem familiar. However, the magic of the later plays is lacking.
The most bothersome thing about this play is the rather quick way that everything is resolved in the end. Of course, as a comedy, there must be a happy ending. However, it's only a few lines after a near rape of one character that everything is happily ever after.
The most bothersome thing about this play is the rather quick way that everything is resolved in the end. Of course, as a comedy, there must be a happy ending. However, it's only a few lines after a near rape of one character that everything is happily ever after.
readingisadoingword's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakepeare's earliest plays and it lays the foundation for many devices that we become familiar with in future plays - it's about betrayal, love and disguise.
Valentine and Proteus are the eponymous "Two Gentlemen" and close friends and the story follows their infidelities in love and friendship.
Proteus loves Julia - Valentine loves no-one.
Valentine goes to Milan and falls for the Duke's daughter Sylvia.
Proteus also goes to Milan and also falls for Sylvia, forgetting about Julia.
Proteus betrays Valentine's plans to elope with Sylvia. Sylvia spurns Proteus' advances, reminding him of his love, Julia.
Julia disguises herself as a man to pursue Proteus to Milan, where she discovers his infidelity.
There are bandits, attempted assault but ultimate reconciliation!
A surface examination of friendship vs romantic love and how betrayal may be forgiven in either context.
While there were elements to this play that were enjoyable - the respective servants were amusing, the bandits etc - the ending was disturbing, rushed and unsatisfactory.
However as an insight into Shakespeare's earliest writing it was interesting and I am glad to have read it.
Valentine and Proteus are the eponymous "Two Gentlemen" and close friends and the story follows their infidelities in love and friendship.
Proteus loves Julia - Valentine loves no-one.
Valentine goes to Milan and falls for the Duke's daughter Sylvia.
Proteus also goes to Milan and also falls for Sylvia, forgetting about Julia.
Proteus betrays Valentine's plans to elope with Sylvia. Sylvia spurns Proteus' advances, reminding him of his love, Julia.
Julia disguises herself as a man to pursue Proteus to Milan, where she discovers his infidelity.
There are bandits, attempted assault but ultimate reconciliation!
A surface examination of friendship vs romantic love and how betrayal may be forgiven in either context.
While there were elements to this play that were enjoyable - the respective servants were amusing, the bandits etc - the ending was disturbing, rushed and unsatisfactory.
However as an insight into Shakespeare's earliest writing it was interesting and I am glad to have read it.
thereadingwren's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
This was going to be 4 or 4.5 stars until that ending.
The story and characters were delightful and as the first Shakespeare play I’ve read, I’m hooked. I adore the lyrical way Shakespeare writes.
I was actually surprised at the female characters, I expected that because of the time period they’d be nothing more than pretty art pieces. But Julia and Sylvia had brains and a voice that they weren’t afraid to use. They also didn’t hate each other or ‘slut-shame’ one another. Sylvia respected Julia and the love shared between Proteus and Julia, she never denied that love. It was beautiful. Sylvia was also never afraid to tell the suitors in her life to back the hell off.
Julia, while having significantly less screen time, packed a punch by dressing up as a man. I loved her initiative and her determination to the guise despite her hurt feelings.
I thought I’d love the friendship between Valentine and Proteus and for a second I did but then it was like it never existed.
The reason this gets a low rating is because of the ending. Mainly, the main characters forgiving another character for several mean things done and one massive horrible attack. They all pretended like nothing happened and forgave all trespasses. It wrapped up too seamlessly and unrealistically.
If there was more angst and drama at the ending then the rating would have been much higher. But I still love the characters and the story.
This was going to be 4 or 4.5 stars until that ending.
The story and characters were delightful and as the first Shakespeare play I’ve read, I’m hooked. I adore the lyrical way Shakespeare writes.
I was actually surprised at the female characters, I expected that because of the time period they’d be nothing more than pretty art pieces. But Julia and Sylvia had brains and a voice that they weren’t afraid to use. They also didn’t hate each other or ‘slut-shame’ one another. Sylvia respected Julia and the love shared between Proteus and Julia, she never denied that love. It was beautiful. Sylvia was also never afraid to tell the suitors in her life to back the hell off.
Julia, while having significantly less screen time, packed a punch by dressing up as a man. I loved her initiative and her determination to the guise despite her hurt feelings.
I thought I’d love the friendship between Valentine and Proteus and for a second I did but then it was like it never existed.
The reason this gets a low rating is because of the ending. Mainly, the main characters forgiving another character for several mean things done and one massive horrible attack. They all pretended like nothing happened and forgave all trespasses. It wrapped up too seamlessly and unrealistically.
If there was more angst and drama at the ending then the rating would have been much higher. But I still love the characters and the story.
steven_nobody's review against another edition
1.0
I didn’t like the play for itself but for the hippie musical of the same name, and then only because Galt MacDermot, the composer of Hair, was involved. Surprisingly, it won the Tony for best musical in 1972. Funky tunes with lyrics like
Boom chick-a chick-a chick-a
Pah pah-ka wa-ka wa-ka
Ka ka-ka wa-ka wa-ka
Poo poo-soo woo-sa woo-sa
Pah pah-ka wa-ka wa-ka wow!
It’s groovy and funny. Until recently, I always though they were singing “fucka waka waka wow!”.
Boom chick-a chick-a chick-a
Pah pah-ka wa-ka wa-ka
Ka ka-ka wa-ka wa-ka
Poo poo-soo woo-sa woo-sa
Pah pah-ka wa-ka wa-ka wow!
It’s groovy and funny. Until recently, I always though they were singing “fucka waka waka wow!”.
juliana_aldous's review against another edition
4.0
Part of a slow read of Shakespeare in Chronological order. This is fine--not his greatest.