This article is a list of the top ten best Shakespeare comedy roles. We’ll look at a vast selection of characters who show up in an array of his plays—not just the “comedies”—and examine what they can offer to audience and actor alike. 

As always, this list is purely our own opinion: our personal favourites, the ones who made us laugh all those years ago the first time we discovered them. If you disagree, or you think a certain exclusion is too much to ignore, let us know! Get in touch and we’ll do all we can to right this injustice.

#1 Beatrice (from Much Ado About Nothing)

“I thank god and my cold blood I am of your humour for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.”

She is wit, she is smarts, she is passion. Beatrice, as far as characters go, is the full package (also ending up at #3 on our list of Best Shakespeare Characters.) She brings levity and heart to the at-times bogged-down politics of Much Ado About Nothing, sparring with her friend/enemy/crush Benedick as she wrestles with the feelings that develop between them. However, despite these affections brewing, she also fears that such feelings will cost her independence and identity. It’s a surprisingly complex characterisation for somebody who could easily give in to their emotions and fulfil the action of the plot.

Beatrice is often labelled as a ‘proto-feminist’ Shakespearean character. She exhibits unusual traits for a female character written at the time. In addition, her actions in the later part of the play can be read as a challenging of conventional masculinity and chivalry. Famously, Beatrice asks Benedick to kill his best friend Claudio after humiliating a friend of hers. While some scholars have interpreted this request as needlessly cruel, there is a way to view this action as Beatrice highlighting the inherent flaws in the chivalric system. And how ‘real men’ are more than the beckons of the hegemonic system that props them up.

For some quick wit and wisdom from Beatrice: Beatrice Monologue: Much Ado About Nothing Act 3 Scene 1

#2 Sir John Falstaff (from Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, The Merry Wives of Windsor)

“Hal, if I tell thee a lie, spit in my face, call me a horse.”

Falstaff is an incomparable lout, drinker and petty criminal, who doles out terrible advice and questionable schemes to his adoring cohort of reprobates. Among them, however, is Hal—future King of England—who looks up to Falstaff as a sort of demented father figure. Sounds awful, no? Well Falstaff is also one of Shakespeare’s most vibrant and lovable characters, who lives life to the fullest and brings vitality with him every time he steps on stage. While his morality and courage is questionable, he is a charismatic figure in the landscape of Henry IV, and an important influence on the future king’s life. His death, as described in detail during Henry V, speaks to the love his friends (and his creator) had for him.

And a quick note about The Merry Wives of Windsor: the story goes that Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed Falstaff’s schemes so much she requested a play in which he falls in love. Talk about fan service… This has been debated by scholars and critics ever since (scrutinising the timeline and plots of the Henry plays), but it’s too good a tale not to repeat in this context. Suffice to say,

#3 Bottom (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

“What do you see? You see an ass head of your own, do
you?”

Of all the characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nick Bottom—weaver, ac-tor, donkey—endures a particularly wild journey through the play. When we first meet him, he is dominating a cast meeting of his amateur theatrical troupe The Mechanicals, insisting he is perfect for every single part. Next, he takes a nap in a forest, gets turned into an ass and is seduced by Titania, queen of the fairies. And while you’d think his story would end with him being changed back to a human, Bottom acts like a true professional and performs the play-within-a-play at the climactic wedding scene. Enthusiastically, if not brilliantly.

Bottom and his band of thespian misfits bring much-needed, grounded humanity to a play that threatens to run off into fantasy or sex farce in its other plot threads. Indeed: every one of his castmates belong on this list, as their meeting reads like a scene from The Office. And in some ways, this is what makes their humour so triumphant; they might seem ridiculous, but it comes from a place of real. Any actor experiencing Midsummer will recognise Bottom as a friend of theirs … or themselves.

#4 Viola (from Twelfth Night)

“O time, thou must untangle this, not I.”

Strap in, folks. This play is a high-concept romp full of farce and mistaken identity. Viola, shipwrecked and far from home, assumes the identity of a man she names Cesario, in order to find work with the local Duke Orsino. Viola falls for this handsome noble, but he only has eyes for the Countess Olivia. But when he sends “Cesario” to the Countess to convey his feelings, she falls madly in love with Viola’s clever disguise. And this is just one of the play’s many surreal happenings.

Twelfth Night is a perfect example of Shakespeare’s love of contrived, situational comedy. In the hands of a lesser writer, the last three words in the previous sentence should scare discerning audiences away (and with good reason). But Shakespeare was forever smart, grounding such ridiculousness in plot with rounded, relatable characters. Viola’s reactions to her own maddening situation feel like a fourth-wall-break from any beloved modern sitcom; her intelligence and wit mark her as not only one of Shakespeare’s best comedy roles, but one of his best characters hands down.

For a snippet of Viola’s schemes catching up with her: Viola Monologue (Act 2, Scene 2)

#5 Kate (from The Taming of the Shrew)

 “Why sir, I trust I may have leave to speak,
And speak I will.”

Katherina “Kate” Minola is the worst thing one could possibly imagine in Renaissance Padua: an assertive, independent woman who disdains the notion of marriage. She finds herself at the centre of a plot spun by a man who hopes to woo her younger sister (provided Kate is married off first). She marries a man named Petruchio, who tries his best to ‘tame’ the ‘shrew’ so that their marriage might work and he can inherit her father’s riches. But not all men, right?

The Taming of the Shrew is a divisive play in Shakespeare’s canon. Some scholars even suggest Shakespeare would have been accused of sexism at the time of its first production—which is to say nothing of its reception now! We’re not here to defend the play, simply to celebrate the brilliance of a comic character whose wits are so perfectly displayed. In modern productions, Kate’s views and intelligence only serve to ingratiate her further with the audience; contemporary actors often perform her final, famous speech about women obeying their husbands with irony, sarcasm. It is not her husband that has tamed Kate, but the other way around. And while the play might belong in the bin, a feminist retelling of the work on film remains one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations.

#6 Mercutio (from Romeo and Juliet)

“True, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain…”

Mercutio is the free-wheeling best friend of Romeo Montague—the fun one in the friend group always up for crashing a party of a sworn enemy. He doesn’t appear in the play for long, but his friendship helps to guide Romeo through his matters of the heart. In the first scene of Act III, Mercutio’s murder at the hands of Juliet’s cousin Tybalt represents the ‘death’ of the play as a comedy as well. Until this moment, it follows a similar trajectory to any of Shakespeare’s comedy plays. But with the literal death of the life of the party, the action turns and the tragedy unfolds.

Mercutio is the second character on this list that isn’t strictly in a comedy. But in the landscape of Romeo and Juliet‘s teen angst, impulsive weddings and respectable body count, Mercutio is a breath of fresh air. He’s the lovable best friend of the title character, he’s quick-witted and brings levity to proceedings. And when he’s gone, the audience mourns him just as Romeo does.

For a snippet of Mercutio’s unhinged ranting on love: Mercutio Monologue (Act 1, Scene 4)

#7 Dogberry (from Much Ado About Nothing) 

“A good old man, sir; he will be talking: as they say, when the age is in, the wit is out: God help us!”

In Much Ado About Nothing, Dogberry is the highly inept, wildly self-important constable of Messina. Somehow placed in charge of the citizen militia, he instructs his fellow volunteers terribly. He tells them to sleep on the job and never to attempt to stop a crime for fear it may taint the officer in question. Despite his incompetence, he manages to fail forward throughout the play, even arresting one of the its villains after a farcical court scene.

Dogberry is one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated comedic characters. The role was originally written for one of his regular collaborators, William Kempe. It has since been played by Samuel Johnson, John Woodvine, Michael Keaton and Nathan Fillion. The character’s name has even been adopted into English vernacular as “dogberryism”, referring to a malapropism in which one word is mistaken for a similar-sounding other: “Thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this.” (swapping “damnation” for “redemption”.)

#8 Nurse (from Romeo and Juliet)

““Yea,” quoth he, “dost thou fall upon thy face?
Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit…”

Juliet’s Nurse in Romeo and Juliet is perhaps the most kind and nurturing character in the play—if not in all of Shakespeare’s works. She’s more a mother to the young heroine than Juliet’s own, and offers sensible, loving advice to her young charge. Despite this, she proves to be an entertaining and joyous presence in the lives of those around her. In one notable scene, the Nurse takes a note from Juliet to Romeo and is harassed by Romeo’s friends; rather than back down, she shares an exchange of banter with Mercutio (knowing more than she should about the lyrics of a rude song) and wins the boys’ respect.

One of the great things about Nurse for any actor portraying her is how versatile she can prove to be in performance. She can be played shrewd and sarcastic as much as older and dottery. She can be doting, firm, grumpy or eccentric. A little script analysis of the text reveals a lot about her life: a child she’s lost, and how she knows Juliet better than her parents. It goes a long way to bring depth to this character—who might otherwise have fallen into the background with less memorable characters.

#9 The Gravediggers (from Hamlet)

“What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?”

Technically a pair of characters, we’ll count them together in our number nine entry. The Gravediggers appear once in Hamlet, in the penultimate scene where they dig a grave for Hamlet’s deceased love Ophelia. As they dig, they argue about whether or not she deserves a Christian burial as she died from suspected suicide; however, this topic is quickly lost as they riddle and joke with each other. Hamlet soon arrives and observes them, when the second gravedigger leaves Hamlet confronts the first about whose grave is being dug. Their conversation turns to the nature of life and death, and how all humans will eventually be buried and gone.

There is a fascinating layer of the absurd to the characters of the gravediggers. They feel more like they belong in a Samuel Beckett play than in a work of Shakespeare, as their commentary on the nature of life and death and the madness of Hamlet (as they know him not by sight) feels almost like a meta-commentary. And while the setting of the scene is macabre, their presence still lifts the sombre tone of the play with some beautifully deployed gallows humour.

#10 Hamlet (from Hamlet)

“I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is
southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.”

“Hamlet? On this list? Really? Can you check again?” Trust us: Hamlet is a funny character. He’s intelligent, quick-witted and (let’s be honest) hella dramatic. His plan for revenge—to topple his uncle who murdered his father and married his mother—isn’t exactly direct. It involves feigning madness, putting on a play and a lot of screwing around. In his ‘mad performance’, he jests and clowns and carries on, which is doubly enjoyable for audiences who are in on his ‘joke’. This also helps to offset the more serious and tragic elements of the play.

Much like the gravediggers he encounters in Act V, Hamlet’s antics feel more absurd than they do blatantly comical. You could almost argue that this is why he is such an enduring, enigmatic character. He reacts strangely, not as a perfect hero should. And this serves to complexify his character—and how he deals with trauma and grief. Despite the tragic circumstance, Hamlet is most definitely laughing. It’s just a matter of whether or not the world laughs with him.

For a glimpse into the lighter side of Hamlet, check out: Hamlet’s Advice to the Players

Conclusion

So there you have it! Ten of the best Shakespeare comedy roles designed to make us laugh. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the genius of his comic writing. There are always new characters to discover, and old ones to return to and re-evaluate. Keep looking for them, as you will find them in the most unlikely places.

The post Best Shakespeare Comedy Roles appeared first on StageMilk.

Whilst there are plenty of fantastic scenes and characters in this play, the monologues are few and far between. Being a comedy, the play is largely about wit and wordplay between characters, and as such there are only a few moments where the characters are given space alone on stage to speak for an extended period of time. That being said, of the few monologues there are, they are CRACKERS. The monologues below are some of the most famous in Shakespeare, and are top choices for auditions for their high stakes, clarity, ‘in the moment’ given circumstances and comedy.

Twelfth Night Characters

Viola – One of Shakespeares Best and Funniest Heroines

The protagonist of this story, Viola, has had to abandon her past life and adopt a new identity here in Illyria – she now dresses as a man and goes by the name Cesario. This is due to her being shipwrecked on the island at the start of the play. In this shipwreck, Viola’s brother Sebastian was lost, and Viola assumes he has died. In the wake of this tragedy, Cesario has pledged her servitude to the Duke Orsino, and in his service Cesario assists with the process of wooing Lady Olivia.

Malvolio – Shakespeares Funniest Villain

Malvolio is the butler/ servingman to the lady Olivia. He is stern and curt, and wants nothing to do with the mischief of the drunk and raucous nobility of Olivia’s house. He does, however, aspire to one day be noble himself. He wishes to command respect. This lower status and stern attitude makes him the butt of the jokes of Toby Belch and Sir Andrew.

Sebastian – The Little Brother to Big Bad Viola

Sebastian is the brother of Viola, who like her assumes that his sister has drowned in the shipwreck at the start of the play. Washing ashore on another part of Illyria, Sebastian’s journey sees him travelling through the land with Antonia to assist him, only to be caught in the bewildering web of the play in the climatic finale of the story. Since his sister is dressed like a man, they both look incredibly alike. The characters of Illyria start to mistake Sebastian for Cesario, throwing Sebastian into encounters of love and combat which he was not expecting.

Best Twelfth Night Monologues

Viola (Act 2, Scene 2)

Cesario (Viola) has just visited Oliva for the first time on Orsino’s behalf. It wouldn’t be Shakespeare if a romance didn’t get complicated: Olivia, (who is not interested in Orsino) has been quite taken by Cesario, and sends her servant Malvolio after her with a token of her appreciation, a ring, which she hopes will force Cesario to return to her. In this monologue, Viola pieces together the story unfolding around her, realising that her manly performance has charmed Olivia. Viola is now stuck between a rock and a hard place!

I left no ring with her: what means this lady?
Fortune forbid my outside have not charm’d her!
She made good view of me; indeed, so much,
That sure methought her eyes had lost her tongue,
For she did speak in starts distractedly.
She loves me, sure; the cunning of her passion
Invites me in this churlish messenger.
None of my lord’s ring! why, he sent her none.
I am the man: if it be so, as ‘tis,
Poor lady, she were better love a dream.
Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness,
Wherein the pregnant enemy does much.
How easy is it for the proper-false
In women’s waxen hearts to set their forms!
Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we!
For such as we are made of, such we be.
How will this fadge? my master loves her dearly;
And I, poor monster, fond as much on him;
And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me.
What will become of this? As I am man,
My state is desperate for my master’s love;
As I am woman,–now alas the day!–
What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe!
O time! thou must untangle this, not I;
It is too hard a knot for me to untie!

Malvolio (Act 3, Scene 4)

The subplot of Twelfth Night concerns an elaborate prank played on Olivia’s servingman, Malvolio. The prank is conducted by a number of characters of Olivia’s house, including Toby Belch, Sir Andrew and Maria. In this monologue, the audience witnesses Malviolo being ‘hooked’ by the bait. Maria has written a letter in Olivia’s handwriting, intended to get Malvolio to come to the cryptic conclusion that Olivia is in love with him.

M, O, A, I; this simulation is not as the former: and
yet, to crush this a little, it would bow to me, for
every one of these letters are in my name. Soft!
here follows prose.

Reads

‘If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I
am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some
are born great, some achieve greatness, and some
have greatness thrust upon ‘em. Thy Fates open
their hands; let thy blood and spirit embrace them;
and, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be,
cast thy humble slough and appear fresh. Be
opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants; let
thy tongue tang arguments of state; put thyself into
the trick of singularity: she thus advises thee
that sighs for thee. Remember who commended thy
yellow stockings, and wished to see thee ever
cross-gartered: I say, remember. Go to, thou art
made, if thou desirest to be so; if not, let me see
thee a steward still, the fellow of servants, and
not worthy to touch Fortune’s fingers. Farewell.
She that would alter services with thee,
THE FORTUNATE-UNHAPPY.’
Daylight and champaign discovers not more: this is
open. I will be proud, I will read politic authors,
I will baffle Sir Toby, I will wash off gross
acquaintance, I will be point-devise the very man.
I do not now fool myself, to let imagination jade
me; for every reason excites to this, that my lady
loves me. She did commend my yellow stockings of
late, she did praise my leg being cross-gartered;
and in this she manifests herself to my love, and
with a kind of injunction drives me to these habits
of her liking. I thank my stars I am happy. I will
be strange, stout, in yellow stockings, and
cross-gartered, even with the swiftness of putting
on. Jove and my stars be praised! Here is yet a
postscript.

Reads

‘Thou canst not choose but know who I am. If thou
entertainest my love, let it appear in thy smiling;
thy smiles become thee well; therefore in my
presence still smile, dear my sweet, I prithee.’
Jove, I thank thee: I will smile; I will do
everything that thou wilt have me.

Sebastian (Act 4, Scene 3)

Having arrived in the same part of Illyria as Cesario, Sebastian has been flung into the midst of the climax of this story. Toby Belch has mistaken him for Cesario and assaulted him, and Olivia (who is in love with Cesario) has come to his rescue. Unlike Cesario, who has denied Olivia’s advances, Sebastian is more than happy to welcome them, and in this monologue we see Sebastian trying to make sense of his happy fortune.

This is the air; that is the glorious sun;
This pearl she gave me, I do feel’t and see’t;
And though ‘tis wonder that enwraps me thus,
Yet ‘tis not madness. Where’s Antonio, then?
I could not find him at the Elephant:
Yet there he was; and there I found this credit,
That he did range the town to seek me out.
His counsel now might do me golden service;
For though my soul disputes well with my sense,
That this may be some error, but no madness,
Yet doth this accident and flood of fortune
So far exceed all instance, all discourse,
That I am ready to distrust mine eyes
And wrangle with my reason that persuades me
To any other trust but that I am mad
Or else the lady’s mad; yet, if ‘twere so,
She could not sway her house, command her followers,
Take and give back affairs and their dispatch
With such a smooth, discreet and stable bearing
As I perceive she does: there’s something in’t
That is deceiveable. But here the lady comes.

Conclusion

Relish the wonderful words and circumstances of these monologues. They are wonderful to act and require real skill and commitment from the actor. Though they are comic in nature and will make the audience laugh, for the characters the situations are incredibly serious. Treat them as such and you’re sure to have the audience in stitches, laughing along with your performance!

For more incredible Shakespeare monologues check out

Male Shakespeare Monologues / Female Shakespeare Monologues

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Antony and Cleopatra Monologues

Cleopatra (Act 4, Scene 15)

No more but e’en a woman, and commanded
By such poor passion as the maid that milks
And does the meanest chares. It were for me
To throw my sceptre at the injurious gods
To tell them that this world did equal theirs
Till they had stolen our jewel. All’s but naught;
Patience is sottish, and impatience does
Become a dog that’s mad. Then is it sin
To rush into the secret house of death
Ere death dare come to us? How do you, women?
What, what, good cheer! Why, how now, Charmian?
My noble girls! Ah, women, women! Look
Our lamp is spent, it’s out. Good sirs, take heart,
We’ll bury him, and then what’s brave, what’s noble,
Let’s do’t after the high Roman fashion
And make death proud to take us. Come, away.
This case of that huge spirit now is cold.
Ah, women, women! Come, we have no friend
But resolution and the briefest end.

Antony (Act 4, Scene 12)

All is lost!

This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me.
My fleet hath yielded to the foe, and yonder
They cast their caps up and carouse together
Like friends long lost. Triple-turned whore! ‘Tis thou
Hast sold me to this novice, and my heart
Makes only wars on thee. Bid them all fly!
For when I am revenged upon my charm,
I have done all. Bid them all fly! Be gone!

Exit SCARUS

O sun, thy uprise shall I see no more.
Fortune and Antony part here; even here
Do we shake hands. All come to this? The hearts
That spanieled me at heels, to whom I gave
Their wishes, do discandy, melt their sweets
On blossoming Caesar, and this pine is barked
That overtopped them all. Betrayed I am.
O this false soul of Egypt! This grave charm
Whose eye becked forth my wars and called them home,
Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end,
Like a right gipsy hath at fast and loose,
Beguiled me to the very heart of loss.
What, Eros, Eros!

Cleopatra (Act 5, Scene 2)

Give me my robe. Put on my crown. I have
Immortal longings in me. Now no more
The juice of Egypt’s grape shall moist this lip.

Yare, yare, good Iras! Quick! Methinks I hear
Antony call. I see him rouse himself
To praise my noble act. I hear him mock
The luck of Caesar, which the gods give men
To excuse their after wrath. Husband, I come!
Now to that name my courage prove my title!
I am fire and air; my other elements
I give to baser life. So, have you done?
Come, then, and take the last warmth of my lips.
Farewell, kind Charmian. Iras, long farewell.

Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall?
If thou and nature can so gently part,
The stroke of death is as a lover’s pinch
Which hurts and is desired. Dost thou lie still?
If thus thou vanishest, thou tell’st the world
It is not worth leave-taking.

Antony (Act 4, Scene 14)

Enter Eros.

EROS
What would my lord?

ANTONY
Since Cleopatra died,
I have lived in such dishonour that the gods
Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword
Quartered the world and o’er green Neptune’s back
With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack
The courage of a woman; less noble mind
Than she which, by her death, our Caesar tells
‘I am conqueror of myself.’ Thou art sworn, Eros,
That when the exigent should come ― which now
Is come indeed ― when I should see behind me
Th’inevitable prosecution of
Disgrace and horror, that on my command
Thou then wouldst kill me. Do’t. The time is come.
Thou strik’st not me; ’tis Caesar thou defeat’st.
Put colour in thy cheek.

EROS
The gods withhold me!
Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,
Though enemy, lost aim and could not?

ANTONY
Eros,
Wouldst thou be windowed in great Rome and see
Thy master thus with pleached arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdued
To penetrative shame, whilst the wheeled seat
Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded
His baseness that ensued?

EROS
I would not see’t.

ANTONY

Come, then! For with a wound I must be cured.
Draw that thy honest sword which thou hast worn
Most useful for thy country.

Enobarbus (Act 2, Scene 2)

I will tell you.
The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
Burned on the water; the poop was beaten gold;
Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,
Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
The water which they beat to follow faster,
As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggared all description: she did lie
In her pavilion, cloth-of-gold of tissue,
O’erpicturing that Venus where we see
The fancy outwork nature. On each side her
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling cupids,
With divers-coloured fans, whose wind did seem
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid did.

AGRIPPA
O, rare for Antony!

ENOBARBUS
Her gentlewomen, like the Nereides,
So many mermaids, tended her i’th’ eyes,
And made their bends adornings. At the helm
A seeming mermaid steers. The silken tackle
Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands
That yarely frame the office. From the barge
A strange invisible perfume hits the sense
Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast
Her people out upon her, and Antony,
Enthroned i’th’ market-place, did sit alone,
Whistling to th’air, which, but for vacancy,
Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra, too,
And made a gap in nature.

AGRIPPA
Rare Egyptian!

ENOBARBUS
Upon her landing, Antony sent to her;
Invited her to supper. She replied
It should be better he became her guest,
Which she entreated. Our courteous Antony,
Whom ne’er the word of ‘No’ woman heard speak,
Being barbered ten times o’er, goes to the feast,
And, for his ordinary, pays his heart
For what his eyes eat only.

AGRIPPA
Royal wench!
She made great Caesar lay his sword to bed.
He ploughed her, and she cropped.

ENOBARBUS
I saw her once
Hop forty paces through the public street
And, having lost her breath, she spoke and panted,
That she did make defect perfection,
And, breathless, pour breath forth.

MAECENAS
Now Antony must leave her utterly.

ENOBARBUS
Never! He will not.
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety. Other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies; for vilest things
Become themselves in her, that the holy priests
Bless her when she is riggish.

Cleopatra (Act 5 Scene 2)

Conclusion

So there you have it. StageMilks favourite Antony and Cleopatra monologues. It’s a good idea to keep in mind that this play is a sequel of sorts to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and so if you’re going to perform one of these monologues, you should probably check out that play first and see the long history that goes with the territory of these characters.

For more Male and Female Shakespeare Monologues

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Two Gentlemen of Verona Monologues

Julia (Act IV Scene iv)

How many women would do such a message?
Alas, poor Proteus! thou hast entertain’d
A fox to be the shepherd of thy lambs.
Alas, poor fool! why do I pity him
That with his very heart despiseth me?
Because he loves her, he despiseth me;
Because I love him I must pity him.
This ring I gave him when he parted from me,
To bind him to remember my good will;
And now am I, unhappy messenger,
To plead for that which I would not obtain,
To carry that which I would have refused,
To praise his faith which I would have dispraised.
I am my master’s true-confirmed love;
But cannot be true servant to my master,
Unless I prove false traitor to myself.
Yet will I woo for him, but yet so coldly
As, heaven it knows, I would not have him speed.

Launce (Act II Scene iii)

Nay, ’twill be this hour ere I have done weeping. All the kind of the Launces have this very fault. I have received my proportion, like the prodigious son, and am going with Sir Proteus to the Imperial’s court. I think Crab, my dog, be the sourest-natured dog that lives: my mother weeping; my father wailing; my sister crying; our maid howling; our cat wringing her hands, and all our house in a great 600 perplexity; yet did not this cruel-hearted cur shed one tear. He is a stone, a very pebble stone, and has no more pity in him than a dog. A Jew would have wept to have seen our parting. Why, my grandam, having no eyes, look you, wept herself blind at my parting. Nay, I’ll show you the manner of it. This shoe is my father. No, this left shoe is my father; no, no, this left shoe is my mother; nay, that cannot be so neither. Yes, it is so, it is so: it hath the worser sole. This shoe with the hole in it is my mother; and this my father. A vengeance on’t, there ’tis. Now, sit, this staff is my sister; for, look you, she is as white as a lily, and as small as a wand. This hat is Nan, our maid. I am the dog. No, the dog is himself, and I am the dog. O, the dog is me, and I am myself. Ay; so, so. Now come I to my father: ‘Father, your blessing.’ Now should not the shoe speak a word for weeping; now should I kiss my father; well, he weeps on; now come I to my mother. O that she could speak now like a wood woman! Well, I kiss her. Why, there ’tis: here’s my mother’s breath up and down. Now come I to my sister: mark the moan she makes. Now the dog all this while sheds not a tear; nor speaks a word; but see how I lay the dust with my tears.

Julia (Act I Scene ii)

Nay, would I were so anger’d with the same!
O hateful hands, to tear such loving words;
Injurious wasps, to feed on such sweet honey,
And kill the bees that yield it, with your stings!
I’ll kiss each several paper for amends.
Look, here is writ ‘kind Julia.’ Unkind Julia!
As in revenge of thy ingratitude,
I throw thy name against the bruising stones,
Trampling contemptuously on thy disdain.
And here is writ ‘love-wounded Proteus’.
Poor wounded name: my bosom, as a bed,
Shall lodge thee till thy wound be thoroughly heal’d;
And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss.
But twice, or thrice, was ‘Proteus’ written down:
Be calm, good wind, blow not a word away,
Till I have found each letter, in the letter,
Except mine own name: that some whirlwind bear
Unto a ragged, fearful, hanging rock,
And throw it thence into the raging sea.
Lo, here in one line is his name twice writ:
‘Poor forlorn Proteus’, ‘passionate Proteus’.
‘To the sweet Julia’: that I’ll tear away.
And yet I will not, sith so prettily
He couples it to his complaining names.
Thus will I fold them one on another:
Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.

Valentine (Act III Scene i)

And why not death, rather than living torment?
To die is to be banished from myself,
And Silvia is myself. Banished from her
Is self from self: a deadly banishment.
What light is light, if Silvia be not seen?
What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?
Unless it be to think that she is by
And feed upon the shadow of perfection.
Except I be by Silvia in the night,
There is no music in the nightingale.
Unless I look on Silvia in the day,
There is no day for me to look upon.
She is my essence, and I leave to be
If I be not by her fair influence
Fostered, illumined, cherished, kept alive.
I fly not death to fly his deadly doom:
Tarry I here, I but attend on death;
But fly I hence, I fly away from life.

Proteus (Act II Scene iv)

And why not death, rather than living torment?
To die is to be banished from myself,
And Silvia is myself. Banished from her
Is self from self: a deadly banishment.
What light is light, if Silvia be not seen?
What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?
Unless it be to think that she is by
And feed upon the shadow of perfection.
Except I be by Silvia in the night,
There is no music in the nightingale.
Unless I look on Silvia in the day,
There is no day for me to look upon.
She is my essence, and I leave to be
If I be not by her fair influence
Fostered, illumined, cherished, kept alive.
I fly not death to fly his deadly doom:
Tarry I here, I but attend on death;
But fly I hence, I fly away from life.

Conclusion

So there you have it! StageMilk’s favourite Two Gentlemen of Verona monologues. If you’re interested in using any of these for an audition remember, you should always do your best to read the play, have a clear understanding of the relationships and as always know what your character wants in the scene. Whether you’re an actor searching for an audition piece, or just a Shakespeare aficionado, we hope you’ve enjoyed this list of the best Two Gentlemen of Verona Monologues.

For more Male and Female Shakespeare Monologues

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Winter’s Tale comes in at number 20 on our list of Best Shakespeare Plays.

Synopsis

The Tragic Half (Acts 1 – 3)

The play begins with a catch up between two old mates: Leontes, King of Sicily and Polixenes, King of Bohemia. They’ve been having a grand old time, but after nine long months, Polixenes is keen to hit the road. Leontes desperately wants his pal to stay longer. And so he decides to send his pregnant wife, Queen Hermione, to try to convince the Bohemian King to delay his return. In no time at all, she convinces him to do exactly this. Hooray! Right? Wrong. Leontes is perplexed as to how she was able to convince Polixenes to stay so easily when he had failed. He suddenly grows suspicious that the child in her belly actually belongs his best friend! He orders Camillo, one of his Lords, to poison Polixenes, and Camillo’s like “Toootally! I’ll definitely do that!” Spoiler alert: he doesn’t. He tells Polixenes and they both flee to Bohemia.

Leontes is furious. He publicly shames Hermione, accusing her of being unfaithful, and claims the child she is carrying is illegitimate. He throws her in prison against almost everyone’s wishes and sends two Lords—Cleomenes and Dion—to the Oracle of Delphi to get some answers and some divine truth. In prison, Hermione gives birth to a girl. She gives the child to her best friend Paulina, and asks her to present it to the king in order to soften his heart. But this just makes him angrier. He orders Antigonus, Paulina’s husband, to abandon the child in a desolate place.

Cleomenes and Dion return from the oracle to find that Leontes has put Hermione on trial for her “crimes”. She unwaveringly asserts her innocence to the court and asks for the word of the oracle to prove it. The oracle is read and says that Hermione, Polixenes and Camillo are categorically innocent and that Leontes will have no heir until his lost daughter is found. Leontes cries “Fake news!” at this proclamation. However, in a cruel act of shouldn’t-have-said-that, word comes to Leontes that his son Mamillius has died from a wasting sickness brought on by the accusations against his mother. Hermione faints at this news and is carried out by Paulina, who quickly reports back to Leontes that she has died of a broken heart. Only now does Leontes see the error of his ways, and vows to spend the rest of his days in atonement for his son, daughter and Queen.

Meanwhile, Antigonus decides to “abandon” the baby on the coast of Bohemia. He leaves her in a bundle, away from the water, with gold and trinkets to suggest that she is of noble blood. He names the baby Perdita, claiming Hermione had given him the name for her child in a dream. In fact, he almost adopts the child as his own, but in a violent storm that destroys his ship, he is chased away by a bear and killed. Not long after, Perdita is found by a shepherd and his son, otherwise known as Clown.

The Comic Half (Acts 4 – 5)

As announced by a character named “Time”, sixteen years have passed. Polixenes is in his kingdom of Bohemia along with Camillo, who never left after the drama of the earlier acts. To take his mind off homesickness, Polixenes suggests to his exiled friend that they attend a sheep-shearing festival (in disguise, naturally) where Polixenes’ son Florizel is about to be secretly married to some lowly peasant. The festival is hosted by the shepherd who adopted Perdita; she is, in fact, betrothed to Florizel (who goes by the name Doricles). Polixenes breaks up the union by tearing off his disguise and threatening the shepherd and Perdita with death and torture for what they’ve done; he orders his son and Perdita to never see each other again. Camillo, ever the rational presence, helps the couple to escape in disguise to Sicily, followed in disguise by the old shepherd and his son.

Finally, the play returns to Sicily. Leontes is still mourning the loss of his loved ones. Cleomenes and Dion are begging the King to move on because the kingdom needs an heir, but Paulina convinces him to stay unmarried saying that no one will ever live up to Hermione. Florizel and Perdita arrive in Sicily and are greeted kindly by Leontes. Florizel claims to be on a diplomatic mission from his father, but his cover is blown when Polixenes arrives in Sicily as well! The meeting and reconciliation of the kings and princes is reported by gentlemen of the Sicilian court: how the old shepherd raised Perdita, how Antigonus met his end, how Leontes was overjoyed at being reunited with his daughter, and how he begged Polixenes for forgiveness.

They all go to Paulina’s house to see a statue of Hermione that was recently finished. Upon the sight of his late Queen’s form Leontes, becomes distraught. But, all of a sudden (wait for it) the statue shows signs of life (yep), and Hermione is restored! The play ends with the engagement of Perdita and Florizel, even as the air of grief at the loss of Mamillius lingers on.

The Winter’s Tale Character List

Sicilia

Leontes – The King of Sicily, and the childhood friend of the Bohemian King Polixenes.
Hermione – The virtuous and beautiful Queen of Sicily.
Camillo – An honest Sicilian nobleman.
Paulina – A noblewoman of Sicily.
Antigonus – Paulina’s husband, and also a loyal friend of Hermione.
Dion – A lord of Sicily.
Cleomenes – A Sicilian lord.
Mamillius – The young prince of Sicily, Leontes and Hermione’s son.
Emilia – One of Hermione’s ladies-in-waiting.
Gaoler – Charged with imprisoning Hermione.
Mariner – His ship takes Antigonus to Bohemia.

Bohemia

Polixenes – The King of Bohemia, and Leontes’s boyhood friend.
Florizel – Polixenes’s only son and heir.
Perdita – The daughter of Leontes and Hermione, unaware of her royal lineage.
Shepherd – An old and honourable sheep-tender.
Clown – or Young Shepherd, the Old Shepherd’s buffoonish son, and Perdita’s adopted brother.
Autolycus – A roguish peddler, vagabond, and pickpocket.
Mopsa – A shepherdess, in love with Young Shepherd.
Dorcas – A shepherdess, in love with Young Shepherd.

Other Characters

Archidamus – A lord of Bohemia, visiting Sicilia with his king.
Lords, servants, gentlemen, ladies in Sicilia.
Shepherds, shepherdesses, servants in Bohemia.
A bear.

Notable Monologues

Hermione, Act 3, Scene 2 ‘Sir, spare your threats…’
Paulina, Act 3 Scene 2 ‘What studied torments, tyrant, hast for me?’
Antigonus, Act 3, Scene 3, Line 21, ‘Come, poor babe’
Leontes, Act 1, Scene 2, Line 215, ‘To your own bents, dispose you’

The Legacy of The Winter’s Tale

As with many of Shakespeare’s plays—certainly more than you might think—The Winter’s Tale was based on an existing work: a prose story titled Pandosto by Robert Greene. Shakespeare changes a few names and details in its adaptation; interestingly, the main point of difference is the reconciliation of Leontes and Hermione—who remains dead in the original story and doesn’t turn into a living, magic statue.

Scholars have noted the way in which The Winter’s Tale diverts from tried-and-true dramatic forms by Shakespeare; this is actually indicative of a lot of the material he was producing in his later years. As for the meaning of the work, there is argument about this as well, as you might have guessed. For example: some scholars draw parallel between Hermione’s unfair accusation of adultery and that of Anne Boleyn, whose shaming and public execution would have weighed heavy on the minds of the British people at the time.

But few can find a reason for the stark difference between the play’s polarising halves. We have even separated them in our synopsis, below, to illustrate how strange the distinction is! However, it is important to note that some unifying themes persist throughout: family, legacy and the importance of truth—be it from an Oracle’s proclamation or a father-in-law’s slipping disguise. Likewise, the theme of grief. Sorrow is a damning presence in the first half of the show that literally kills and tears a family apart. Many artists and critics alike have noted that while Hermione is resurrected, her son Mamillius remains dead. It’s a fleeting plot point that speaks to the deceptive complexity of one of Shakespeare’s strangest plays.

Conclusion

The Winter’s Tale is not one of Shakespeare’s well-known plays; it’s certainly not as approachable as one of the famous history or tragedies that are produced, without fail, by theatre companies around the world every single damn year. But the play is worth reading, knowing, understanding. It is a work that hides beauty in its tragedy, complexity in its farce. For every extraordinary plot point and convenient magic statue, there is a greater human element at play that keeps the action compelling and the characters feeling real.

Track down a copy and give it a read! Just watch out for bears.

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Synopsis

King John is told by an ambassador from France that he needs to vacate the throne to make way for his nephew Prince Arthur. This nephew is believed by French King, Phillip, to be the rightful heir. King John must agree or France will go to war with England.

Later King John is mediating an inheritance dispute between Richard Faulconbridge and his (half) brother Philip Faulconbridge, also known as, the Bastard. During this John deduces that the Bastard is the illegitimate son of Richard I, the previous King. Queen Eleanor, recognizes this too and suggests the Bastard hand over his lands in exchange for a Knighthood. He agrees, and thus is knighted under the name Richard.

Meanwhile in France, King Philip and his army are set to sack the English ruled town of Angers unless they accept Arthur as their rightful King. English forces arrive, including King John who says ‘No no no don’t listen to them, I’m the real King!’. But the people of Angers are not convinced by either of them, and they tell them that they are loyal to the King of England, they’re just not really sure who it is right now.

So how do the English and French armies decide to resolve this? With sword diplomacy of course! They fight but there is no clear victor and so Angers see no real King yet. The Bastard comes up with an idea, and suggests the two armies combine forces and attack Angers to punish them, but Angers offers a counter argument. They suggest Philip’s son, Louis the Dauphin, and John’s niece, Blanche, marry and make peace between the two Kingdoms. Constance is furious with King Philip for breaking his promise to put Arthur on the throne, but Louis and Blanche are married anyway.

Later Cardinal Pandolf arrives with a message for King John from the Pope claiming he has appointed someone to be the Archbishop of Canterbury that is not approved of by the church. John disagrees and tells him so, refusing to change his mind. So Pandolf excommunicates John from the church and he stakes his allegiances with Philip the King of France. Philips is a bit hesitant, what with everyone just barely not killing each other before but Pandolf convinces him otherwise.
And so war breaks out between them again. The Duke of Austria is beheaded by the Bastard. The English reclaim Angers and capture Prince Arthur. Eleanor is left in charge of English possessions in France and the Bastard is going around England shaking down the churches for tax money. Pandolf suggests to Philip that he now has a stronger right to the throne of England after the marriage and so Philip agrees to invade England.

Meanwhile John has ordered the execution of Arthur, by Hubert. Hubert agrees to do so but when the time comes has a change of heart and lets Arthur go. And while this is happening, John’s nobles are telling the King to let Arthur go, and John agrees to do so but just then in comes Hubert and tells John that Arthur is dead. Believing Arthur murdered the nobles defect to Philip’s side. John then finds out that his mother and lady constance have died as well. John and Hubert argue and finally Hubert admits to John that Arthur is still alive. John tells Hubert to tell the news to the nobles.

But while all of this is happening, Arthur dies falling from the castle walls. (It is unclear whether he commits suicide or makes a dangerous escape attempt and dies accidentally). The nobles find the body and believe once and for all that this is John’s doing, and for obvious reasons don’t listen to Huberts’ claims.

John entreats Pandolf to negotiate with France on his behalf in exchange for him swearing allegiance to the Pope. Shortly after however, John orders the bastard to lead the English army against France.

Pandolf arrives and tries to explain John’s plan to Louis but he refuses to listen. The Bastard arrives and threatens Louis but is unsuccessful. War breaks out and many people die, including a French ship of reinforcements which is lost at sea. The English nobles retreat back to England after they’re told they’ll be killed by the French when the battle is won.

John is ultimately poisoned by a monk and his nobles gather around him as he dies. The Bastard is planning one final assault on France but is stopped when Pandolf arrives with a peace treaty. The Bastard reflects and says that the internal fighting in England could be as dangerous as an outside invasion.

Characters

King John – King of England
Eleanor – the Queen Mother, widow of Henry II
Prince Henry – his son, later King Henry III
Blanche of Castile – John’s niece
Earl of Essex – an English nobleman
Earl of Salisbury – an English nobleman
Earl of Pembroke – an English nobleman
Lord Bigot – Earl of Norfolk
Peter of Pomfret – a prophet
Philip Faulconbridge – also known as Philip the Bastard and Richard Plantagenet; natural son of Richard I of England
Robert Faulconbridge – his half brother; legitimate son of Sir Robert Faulconbridge
Lady Faulconbridge – their mother; widow of Sir Robert Falconbridge
James Gurney – her attendant
Lady Constance – widow of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany
Arthur – her son, King John’s nephew, claimant to the English throne and eventual Duke of Brittany
Sheriff
Two Executioners
English Herald
English Messenger
King Philip – King of France
Louis the Dauphin – his son
Viscount of Melun
Châtillon – French ambassador to England
Hubert – citizen of Angiers and later a follower of King John
Citizen of Angiers
French Herald
French Messenger
Limoges, Duke of Austria
Cardinal Pandolf – legate from Pope Innocent III
Lords, soldiers, attendants etc.

In Performance

No matter who you play in King John, it’s important to note how many incredible character journeys there are. As said before, King John is a play about identity, and ultimately the discovery, uncovering, and creation of self identity for many of the characters in this play. Once you’ve managed to wrap your head around the politics of this play (which like in so many of Shakespeare’s histories is no easy feat) you should then begin to identify your characters journey, who are they at the start of the play, who do they become, and how do they become that person?

King John Monologues

Arthur (Act IV, Scene I)
Verse
Must you with hot irons burn out both mine eyes?

Bastard (Act V, Scene II)
Verse
By all the blood that ever fury breath’d

Constance (Act III, Scene IV)
Verse
Grief fills the room up of my absent child

Bastard (Act II, Scene I)
Verse
Mad world, mad kings, mad composition

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This article contains a list of five essential books on acting Shakespeare. They are the top titles I would recommend to any student or professional actor who needs some practical guidance for tackling the Bard. If I could only take five things with me to a deserted island, these books might not feed me or provide much shelter when the Tempest comes … but I’d be well-equipped to perform Shakespeare’s complete works while I awaited rescue! This list is in chronological order and each book is very much a practical guide, so I would encourage you to make sure that you get the exercises up and on their feet and always speak the text aloud.

When searching for the essential book on acting Shakespeare, it’s important not to forget the plays themselves. I always encourage actors to only work with published editions of Shakespeare and to avoid dodgy internet copies. The play’s the thing, after all! There are so many great publishers and each edition presents its own series of unique and specific acting clues from punctuation, to word choice, to layout and even glossary. If you prefer working from a smart device, I would suggest investing in the app Shakespeare Pro, which includes all of his plays, poems and sonnets and a word glossary (David and Ben Crystal below). It’s been a real game-changer for me as I work with student actors on scenes and speeches.

“Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.” – Romeo and Juliet

#1 Playing Shakespeare by John Barton (1984)

Playing Shakespeare is a seminal text and widely referenced as the “go-to” resource for actors when working with Shakespeare. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or fiftieth time, this book is invaluable. John Barton (1928 – 2018) was one of the co-founders of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1960 and is regarded as one of the most influential Shakespearean directors and teachers of the 20th century.

In 1982, assisted by some of the RSC’s well-known and leading company members, Barton led a nine-part workshop series on how to act Shakespeare, which was filmed for London Weekend Television. It’s a wonderful series and it’s a real treat to see some of finest classical stage actors like Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, David Suchet and Ben Kinglsey in action as they work on the text. Sometimes you can spot some of them smoking cigarettes in the background.

Fortunately for actors, Barton transcribed, edited and published these workshops into book-form in 1984. The most recent edition of Playing Shakespeare also includes an 80-minute featurette of Barton interviewing some of the actors from the original series as they discuss whether there have been any significant shifts or changes to approaching Shakespeare since the early 80s— especially as our Western theatre and acting tradition has evolved. Barton prefaces Playing Shakespeare by saying, “This book is set out as a dialogue because that is what Playing Shakespeare was: a series of conversations, rather than something conceived in a literacy form. I hope it’s the best way to present the subject-matter clearly. I believe that acting is a subject for discussion rather than just exposition.”

This book’s original aim remains true: to help the modern actor analyse Shakespeare’s text—not as a literary exercise—but as a means to play it. This book unpacks how Shakespeare’s text
works (verse and prose), so we can act him with a deeper and more profound connection and understanding.

#2 The Actor & The Text by Cicely Berry (1987)

Cicely Berry (1926 – 2018) was the first voice director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and held that position for 45 years, from 1969 – 2014. She is considered to be one of (if not the) most influential voice and text teachers of recent times. Her immense CV includes coaching and directing some of the finest classical actors of the past 50 years and also working with Hollywood stars Samuel L. Jackson, Claire Danes and Helen Hunt (as can be seen in the must-watch workshop series, Working Shakespeare.)

Berry’s teaching style was flavoured by a naughty sense of irreverence and her legendary chain-smoking, along with her profound gift for understanding voice and text. The Actor & The Text is an important for actors and directors, with a clear and concise examination of how to unlock heightened or difficult text—predominately through the lens of Shakespeare. This book addresses all the practical considerations for the modern actor and is very accessible to the reader. The chapters are dedicated to all the hot topics you need to know when working with Shakespeare and how
that applies to other texts too. The book is divided into four parts:

• Part One: Attitudes to Voice and Text
• Part Two: Shakespeare – Setting out the Rules
• Part Three: Shakespeare – the Practical Means
• Part Four: Voice Work

This book also builds on the exercises from her hugely acclaimed first book Voice and The Actor (1973). I would recommend this book not only to actors, but also to anyone who speaks publicly and works with argument and rhetoric (particularly lawyers and politicians). This book will help you to inspire change in your audience. Berry was not only a voice and text coach, but also a political activist with an emphasis on a humanist and universal approach to Shakespeare. To quote Peter Brook: “There is no such thing as a correct voice” ; Berry’s work gives us permission to celebrate our own, unique voices as we work on big texts and tackle big ideas.

#3 Speaking Shakespeare by Patsy Rodenburg (2001)

Patsy Rodenburg, OBE, is one of the world’s leading authorities on Voice and Shakespeare. Rodenburg is the former Head of Voice at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music & Drama and founded the voice department at the National Theatre of Great Britain. She has worked extensively for leading UK theatre companies Cheek by Jowl, Complicite, RSC, and Shared Experience, just to name a few. As a voice and text coach, Rodenburg has worked all over the globe with countless actors and public-speakers. In the context of acting and voice training, Rodenburg is known for “The Three Circles of Energy”, a theory denoting three specific ‘circles’ of energy, depending on who the speaker is addressing and the effect they wish to have upon their audience. The circles are covered in several of her books (including this one), as well as this excellent clip of her teaching available on Youtube.

Speaking Shakespeare is a wonderful book for any actor who wants to learn more about the process of analysing and acting Shakespeare. Rodenburg has over 40 years’ experience working with actors on heightened text and this book covers everything from ‘rhyme’ to ‘given circumstances’. In the preface, Rodenburg lists the principles of her book Speaking Shakespeare as:

• To understand any play text fully you have to speak it.
• To release its full power, you have to commit through the body, breath and the word.
• You have to trust the words and what those words mean.
• To access the power of a play, you have to know how it’s constructed.
• You can’t act Shakespeare until you can speak him.

Not only does the book include many brilliant exercises that integrate voice and text but also has some fabulous anecdotes from her work with some of the finest stage actors in the world: Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Antony Sher and Maggie Smith (just to name a few). I’m often reminded of what Rodenburg says to actors when they’re working on the floor with Shakespeare: you need to play the music before you interpret it! I’m slightly paraphrasing there, but the effect still stands. You can’t act Shakespeare until you can speak him.

#4 Shakespeare’s Words: A Glossary & Language Companion by David Crystal and Ben Crystal (2002)

Professor David Crystal, OBE, is an eminent linguist, scholar and author who is one of the world’s leading authorities on the English language. Intimidating, to say the least. David Crystal and his son, the actor Ben Crystal, have produced this staggering language companion. They are also known for their work recapturing and preserving ‘Original Pronunciation (OP)’, the way Shakespeare’s language would have sounded to its Elizabethan audiences (take a look at this clip of Ben discussing and performing Sonnet 116 in OP.)

Shakespeare’s Words is the culmination of a massive three years’ work with a two-pronged approach to building the resource: David approaching the work as a linguist, and Ben from a theatrical point of view. The Crystals worked their way through the Penguin paperback editions of Shakespeare (poems and plays) observing every single line and separately highlighting any word that might be potentially unknown or obscure for a modern audience. They came to a total of 50,000 words. Now, 50,000 sounds like an awful lot; however, there are close to a million words in all of Shakespeare’s work (including repetitions). David contends that there are only 5-10% of words that would require any “modernisation” (changing the word in order to clarify for a modern audience). He suggests that nearly 90% of Shakespeare’s words have not lost their meaning. Nevertheless, as Modern English evolves, we do encounter ambiguous or obsolete words in Shakespeare and it is important to look words up. Sometimes the words are not the problem—it’s often our comprehension and knowledge that might be sorely lacking. That’s why this lexicon is such a lifesaver!

Shakespeare’s Words also includes comprehensive summaries of the all plays with diagrams illustrating the characters’ relationships inside the world of the play. It really is a fantastic resource that is super handy to have in the rehearsal room or during your preparation of a role – especially useful for general comprehension. David proposes that we should attempt to be more fluent in “Shakespearian”—and especially as theatre people—instead of always resorting to cutting or modernising the text. Food for thought, to be sure.

#5 Shakespeare’s Advice to the Players by Sir Peter Hall (2003)

Sir Peter Hall (1930 – 2017), along with John Barton (above), co-founded the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960 and was appointed the company’s first Artistic Director. Hall is considered to be one of the most influential figures in modern British theatre. Notably, Hall directed the English-language premiere of Waiting for Godot in 1955, introducing the playwright Samuel Beckett to London audiences for the first time. A self-described “iambic fundamentalist”, Hall was known to be meticulous about observing and obeying the iambic pentameter in Shakespeare’s text (the verse rhythm) and often saying “the sanctity of the line is paramount”. Dame Judi Dench has spoken about the late Peter Hall directing her in a production of Antony and Cleopatra and recalling that he would often stand at a lectern beating out the rhythm of the meter.

Hall’s approach to acting Shakespeare may be considered staunchly “traditional”—especially in recent years as the modern Western theatre has moved towards a more naturalist and colloquial approach to verse-speaking. This style is particularly evident in Andrew Scott’s recent performance as Hamlet (Almeida, 2017), a performance which eschews much of the rhythm of the piece
in favour of a more naturalistic delivery.

The title of Hall’s book is, of course referencing, Hamlet’s famous advice to the players in Act 3 Scene 2 of the play:

“Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounc’d it
to you, trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as
many of your players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke
my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your
hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent,
tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion,
you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give
it smoothness…”

It’s a sage piece of acting advice for we modern players. In Hall’s book, which is a mix of manual and memoir, he encourages the actor to trust the ‘form’ of Shakespeare and allow the playwright to direct you as you observe the acting clues that are found in the text. This slim volume is a perfect companion text to John Barton’s Playing Shakespeare and will help you ‘speak the speech’ with a deeper connection to sense and meaning.

Summary

These five essential books on acting Shakespeare offer a wealth of knowledge that has been tried and tested for generations by some of the world’s finest classical actors, directors and teachers. I would say the obvious link between the five—besides the authors having strong ties with the RSC—is a sense of trust. We need to trust that Shakespeare has given us everything we need in the text. I think ultimately these books will help us to understand how Shakespeare’s language works and help us to observe the clues he has given us.

Shakespeare is not only the greatest poet of the English language, but he was also an actor and a pragmatist. We need to embrace his mastery and let him guide us through his work. Now go, enjoy Shakespeare’s words!

By guest contributor Patrick Klavins.

Other must-read books:

• Acting Shakespeare by John Gielgud
• Freeing Shakespeare’s Voice by Kristin Linklater
• Mastering Shakespeare: An Acting Class in Seven Scenes by Scott Kaiser
• Secrets of Acting Shakespeare by Patrick Tucker
• The Quality of Mercy: Reflections on Shakespeare by Peter Brook
• Year of the King: An Actor’s Diary and Sketchbook by Antony Sher

You might also want to take a look at some of our other resources on StageMilk for acting Shakespeare:

• Decoding Shakespeare: Understanding and Performing his Words
• How to Read Shakespeare: Six Techniques
• How to Act Shakespeare

Finally, check out our Monologues Unpacked series, which examines and coaches you through each of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches and sonnets. Enjoy!

The post Five Essential Books on Acting Shakespeare appeared first on StageMilk.

Updated 6th December, 2022.

Reading the canon of Shakespeare in a detailed and conscientious way is a lifetime’s work—it is not something which should be rushed. However, we must start somewhere, and in this article I hope I can offer you some perspective on the paths you might like to take whilst venturing through the works of William Shakespeare.

As actors, we know and have been told, time and time again, the importance of reading Shakespeare; it is deep training for us. Reading and performing Shakespeare will push us and challenge us and develop all the facets of our craft as actors. However, with 39 plays and dozens of poems and sonnets in his canon, deciding where to start with reading Shakespeare (and, subsequently, how it is best to continue reading Shakespeare) can be a daunting task. 

Skip to:

• Where Do I Start with Shakespeare?
• How Do I Read Shakespeare?
• Which Shakespearean Play Should I Read First?
• The Different Types of Shakespearean Plays.
• Shakespeare’s Tragedies
• Shakespeare’s Comedies
• Shakespeare’s Histories
• Over to you!

Where Do I Start with Shakespeare?

Most of the actors I know, particularly those who have performed Shakespeare’s plays, have a clear and fond memory of their first encounter with the writer. Whether it was a school play they saw or acted in, Shakespeare in the park, or an intensely melodramatic black and white film, everyone has had to start somewhere with Shakespeare. Even the likes of Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench (who I would consider to be the best of the best when it comes to Shakespearean performance) experienced the Bard for the first time at one point in their lives. What followed next was passion, dedication and curiosity towards Shakespeare, which has resulted in some of the most remarkable performances the world has ever seen. 

This is an encouraging fact for us: even the best Shakespearean actors in the world had to start somewhere. From their starting place they found their way through the works of Shakespeare, engaging deeply with some of his works, skimming over the top of others, and perhaps even bypassing some of the works completely! All there is for us to do is to take our first step. 

How Do I Read Shakespeare?

Just a quick note on this topic, as we already have several articles on the subject of How to read Shakespeare. Take a look at how to read Shakespeare: 6 techniques and our article on decoding Shakespeare: understanding and performing his words.

One thing I would add to this is that combining reading a play with watching a play can be incredibly useful in deciphering the more challenging aspects of the work. Either reading and watching a filmed version of a play scene by scene, or reading an entire play in the lead up to a trip to the theatre can really solidify the plot and characters in your mind. 

The best way to read Shakespeare is to read it aloud with a group of fellow actors. If you can organize a reading group to meet semi-regularly and read Shakespeare aloud together, you will drastically increase your chances of sustaining your commitment to reading Shakespeare and the amount of each play you understand and retain. 

Use this process to ensure you actually comprehend the texts you are reading. I’d really caution against the challenge of reading the complete works of Shakespeare for the sake of it. A colleague of mine at drama school set themselves the task of reading one of the Bard’s plays every week to get through the complete works in a year; after one-and-a-half plays, they were burnt out and dropped the task entirely. Take the time you need to read and experience each play fully. More benefit can come to your craft as an actor by reading one of Shakespeare’s plays deeply and thoughtfully than rushing your way through five because you feel you ‘should’ read them all. 

Which Shakespearean Play Should I Read First?

There are 39 plays we know Shakespeare either wrote or was part of a collaboration of writers. Where the heck do we start? Do we read chronologically and begin in 1589 with The Two Gentlemen of Verona? Or do we head to ancient Rome because we like the film Gladiator and attempt to tackle Titus Andronicus? I’ve heard a lot about Hamlet and King Lear, perhaps I should begin there? The Tempest was the last play Shakespeare wrote alone, maybe that will be the most ‘modern’ and easy for me to access?

To get some clarity around the canon of Shakespeare’s works, here’s a list of his plays in their categories to get a sense of what we’re working through: Shakespeare Plays.  

Of course, as with any question like this, there is no ‘right’ answer. You can and should read whichever one of Shakespeare’s plays you want first. However, it is undeniable that some of Shakespeare’s plays are more easily accessible than others. Plot lines differ in their complexity. Characters develop in their sophistication and complexity as Shakespeare’s career progresses. The text itself changes too. We sometimes forget that there was a time before Shakespeare was ‘Shakespeare’ – the prolific artist we know him as today. His skill as a writer developed over his career, with his use of language and sentence style growing and changing over the course of his lifetime. 

If I am to be horribly reductive and simplistic, I’d say that there are three plays which you should consider as your starting point for reading Shakespeare. They are:

• Romeo and Juliet 
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Macbeth 

Listing these three plays as a starting point for beginners does not in any way suggest that they are less sophisticated than Shakespeare’s other works. Quite the contrary: these are three of Shakespeare’s most performed and beloved plays. They are far from simplistic—each challenge art and form in their execution, they were all written within the most prosperous ten years of Shakespeare’s career and they are all revolutionary in their own way to the world of drama and comedy.

These plays are a good starting point for a new Shakespearean reader because of their clarity. The plots and characters of these plays, all wonderfully written and exciting to experience, are extremely clear. There is much less ambiguity or historical placement in these plays. We would experience them as a modern audience today in a very similar way to the Elizabethan and Jacobean audiences whom these plays were written for. This is not always the case with Shakespeare’s works.

Choose one of these three to start with. Don’t worry, this isn’t a “be all or end all” decision (to drop a little Macbeth reference for you), as you’ll be reading all three of these plays at some point. 

The Different Types of Shakespearean Plays

We’ve taken the first step into Shakespeare’s canon. Well done! Reading a Shakespearean play is no small task. Most of us actors forget that reading Shakespeare actually isn’t done all that often by people outside of the arts. Reading even a single one of his plays outside of the classroom and as an adult is an impressive thing to accomplish. But, we can’t stop there.

The more Shakespeare we read, the more we are able to experience Shakespeare’s works—we come to understand how he writes, which themes he chooses to explore and how he builds his characters. As I progress through my career as an actor and as a reader of Shakespeare, I find I am building upon my understanding of the first plays I read (starting with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, if you care to know) by delving deeper into his canon and reading some of his more obscure works, like a Cymbeline and Coriolanus. 

Shakespeare’s plays are typically grouped into three or four categories. The primary three categories are: Histories, Comedies and Tragedies. The outliers from this list—plays which don’t entirely fit the classical mould of these genres, plus a few other of Shakespeare’s more obscure plays and collaborations—fit into the category of his ‘Problem Plays’ and/or his ‘Late Romances’. These plays are ‘problematic’ for their difficulty to categorise—not necessarily their subject matter. You can read more about Shakespeare’s Problem Plays here.

Breaking the canon down into these groups can be really useful when attempting to navigate the entirety of Shakespeare’s canon. Reading Romeo and Juliet, a tragedy, might leave us feeling a bit blue and yearning for a comedy. Diving into a history play can tickle multiple facets of our interests: we are reading Shakespeare and learning a thing or two about interesting historical figures.

At the start of your journey, I would advise you to delay reading from the Problem Plays category. Familiarise yourself with some of his greatest hits first to give yourself time to understand the way he writes and his language. Diving too quickly into a problem play like Measure for Measure, which is very experimental and ambiguous in style and tone, might leave you bewildered and disheartened.

We want to follow the path of our own enthusiasm in this quest, not follow the path of obligation which other actors or scholars have laid out before us. Read what you feel you would like to read next, rather than what someone tells you you should read next, (he writes, fully realising the irony of this statement whilst creating an article entitled “in what order should I read Shakespeare”.)

Rather than trying to break down the entire canon into an order you should read, let’s create a plan of attack for each of these genres, for you to jump between as you wish.

Tragedies

Now, I’m about to make a bold and potentially controversial statement. I believe the real richness of Shakespeare’s canon exists in his tragedies more so than his comedies. I hear the cries of one thousand British scholars who disagree with me vehemently—sorry folks. But I do believe that if we were on our desert island with only one genre of Shakespeare’s canon to choose from, his tragedies would be the most fulfilling and enriching for us. Lists of the works of Shakespeare vary from scholar to scholar, but a fairly comprehensive list of his tragedies is as follows:

1. Troilus and Cressida
2. Coriolanus
3. Titus Andronicus
4. Romeo and Juliet
5. Timon of Athens
6. Julius Caesar
7. Macbeth
8. Hamlet
9. King Lear
10. Othello
11. Antony and Cleopatra
12. Cymbeline

From this list, I’ve pulled out a few choice selections to get you started:

#1 Romeo and Juliet 

If you haven’t tackled this one already, Romeo and Juliet is the best place to start with Shakespearean tragedy. It has it all: romance, comedy, sword fighting, terrible puns and tragic endings. In this play, Shakespeare shows his expertise as a writer, beginning the play with all the hallmarks of a comedy before turning the events of the play on their head and stunning the audience with its tragic middle and end.

#2 Macbeth

Again, another one of our plays from the beginner’s list, ‘The Scottish Play’ is a fantastic early read. It features fantastic characters (including one of Shakespeare’s best villains)  and soliloquies, and explores themes of witchcraft, guilt and ambition. There’s a few ghosts in there too … not to be missed!

#3 Hamlet 

Arguably the greatest of Shakespeare’s plays when it comes to critical acclaim and analysis, Hamlet is a remarkable work of art to behold. I’d advise you to ensure you’ve read at least a few other plays in Shakespeare’s canon before confronting the Dane, as Hamlet is in many ways a more complex and sophisticated piece of writing than most of Shakespeare’s early works.

#4 Othello 

Othello and Iago, protagonist and antagonist in this Venetian play, are two of Shakespeare’s greatest characters. Indeed, Iago took out our top spot in a list of best Shakespeare characters! The scenes featuring these two alone on stage are some of the best scenes for actors to prepare and perform in the entire Shakespeare canon. And the play around them? Full of jealousy, vengeance, the perils of prejudice and the worth of reputation.

#5 Julius Caesar 

Take a step into Ancient Rome in the time of Julius Caesar—an empire in constant turmoil as democracy finds its feet. The fear of tyrannical rule is rife in this society, and from this fear a conspiracy to assassinate an emperor is hatched. In this play, Shakespeare asks a question of his audience: “What happens in the vacuum of an assassinated leader?” A great play full of great characters, this is one to read a little further into your journey as a reader of Shakespeare, as the plot and the context of Shakespeare’s Rome can be a little more difficult to access without reading up on the given circumstances of the story first.

From this point, go whichever way you like with the Tragedies. If you’d like to stay in Rome, head on over to Shakespeare’s first revenge tragedy Titus Andronicus (and compare its Tarantino-esque gruesomeness with the sophistication of Hamlet!) Then move on to the colossal stories of Antony and Cleopatra or Coriolanus. Or you might like to tackle King Lear—an exceptionally beautiful, mystical story featuring some of Shakespeare’s most complex circumstances and characters. 

Comedies

Take a break from all the tragedy and have a laugh! Now: ‘comedy’, as it pertains to Shakespeare, does not necessarily mean ‘funny’—at least not in the way the word comedy correlates with humour for us today. Shakespearean comedies are stories of forbidden love and marriage, foppish characters and wonderful wit. These stories often feature magic or extraordinary circumstances of shipwrecks, last minute happy endings and unions between sworn enemies. 

1. The Tempest
2. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
3. The Merry Wives of Windsor
4. Measure for Measure
5. The Comedy of Errors
6. Much Ado About Nothing
7. Love’s Labour’s Lost
8. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
9. The Merchant of Venice 
10. As You Like It
11. The Taming of the Shrew
12. All’s Well That Ends Well
13. Twelfth Night
14. The Winter’s Tale
15. Pericles, Prince of Tyre
16. The Two Noble Kinsmen 

Where do we start with this list?

#1 A Midsummer Night’s Dream 

For many, we start right back in high school English! A feature of our beginner’s list, AMSND (forgive my abbreviation, it’s a long title to type) is Shakespeare’s most popular and frequently performed play. I don’t think there has ever been a time since its creation that a production of AMSND hasn’t been on in a theatre or garden during the summer months somewhere in the world. With three interweaving plot lines full of magic, farce and even workplace comedy (we’d not have The Office without The Mechanicals), AMSND is Shakespeare at his finest, whilst still being accessible and understandable.

#2 Twelfth Night 

Twelfth Night is fairly unique in Shakespeare’s canon in that it is a play which is driven by relationships rather than events. Shakespeare focuses on the characters of this play, rather than a rigid plot or thematics. This was the second play of Shakespeare’s I was ever involved with, and it holds a very dear place in my heart. It’s a great play to read and experience early on in your investigation of The Bard’s works. 

#3 The Merchant of Venice 

To reiterate, ‘comedy’ in Shakespearean and early dramatic terms does not mean the same thing it means to us as a modern audience. Comedy was concerned with certain plot rules or structures: like star-cross’d lovers, oppressive villains and happy endings. The Merchant of Venice is not a play we would call a comedy by today’s standards. Particularly given the events of the twentieth century, The Merchant of Venice now cannot and should not be looked at without serious consideration of the themes of antisemitism and prejudice present within the play. That being said, this play contains one of the most extraordinary and complex characters in Shylock, and the ‘courtroom scene’ towards the end of the play still stands as one of the greatest sequences in drama.

#4 Much Ado About Nothing 

Delving deeper into Shakespeare’s comedies, we now come to Much Ado About Nothing—a play known more for its wordplay and its themes than its characters and events. That being said, within this play you’ll find Beatrice and Benedick, who are essential characters to add to your comedic repertoire (as well as a strong, early example of the established “will they, won’t they” rom-com trope.)

#5 The Taming of the Shrew 

Like The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew has become more and more heavily scrutinised as time has passed. An incredibly problematic play through today’s eyes, this is a play to read not necessarily for its sophistication as a star alone piece, but as an advanced exercise in reading Shakespeare. This exercise will require you not only to read and understand the text itself, but to develop opinions about the text—what Shakespeare’s original intentions were and why it has the reputation it now has. Does this play have a place in public performance today? Or is it a play best left on the shelf to gather dust? You decide.

Histories

Shakespeare, like all good writers, was an avid reader and scholar. He was a lover of history, and wrote plays about British history for the entertainment of his audiences, but also potentially to defame or glorify a current or previous monarch. As a writer, Shakespeare was a businessman and shameless self-promoter; of course, we should not separate intention—whether for reputation or financial gain—from his works. It can actually be a fascinating lens that helps us further unpack each work.

1. King John
2. Richard II
3. Henry IV, Part 1
4. Henry IV, Part 2
5. Henry V
6. Henry VI, Part 1
7. Henry VI, Part 2
8. Henry VI, Part 3
9. Richard III
10. Henry VIII
11. Edward III

Eleven plays, which ones should we prioritise?

For this genre I believe there is a simpler approach. Both Henry IV and Henry VI are plays broken up into multiple sections, but for the sake of this article let’s call them the one play. To gain a sophisticated understanding of Shakespeare’s canon of history plays, I think you should read his chronicle of The Wars of the Roses. This series of plays spans from Richard the Second, through all three Henry plays, and finishes with Richard the Third:

1. Richard II
2. Henry IV
3. Henry V
4. Henry Vi
5. Richard III

In this chronicle we have famous lines like “For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground. And tell sad stories of the death of kings;” from Richard II, “Once more unto the breach” and “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” from Henry V and “Now is the winter of our Discontent” from Richard III. There’s a wealth of wonderful scenes, characters and events in these plays.

These plays, more so than the comedies and tragedies, are quite dense. They may require some additional research in your part to glean the context and setting of the plays and individual scenes. I’d highly advise reading these plays with a guide, with a filmed version or with other actors. Most importantly, take your time: give yourself ample opportunities to digest the material.

Conclusion

I have, of course, missed many of the exceptional plays in these three lists of five plays from Shakespeare’s tragedies, comedies and histories. This is not an indication of the lack of sophistication in the unlisted plays, they are just a little further down the list of what I’d suggest you to prioritise when working your way through his canon. Here are those lists once again:

Tragedy:

1. Romeo and Juliet
2. Macbeth
3. Hamlet
4. Othello
5. Julius Ceasar

Comedy:

1. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2. Twelfth Night
3. The Merchant of Venice
4. Much Ado About Nothing
5. The Taming of the Shrew

History:

1. Richard II
2. Henry IV
3. Henry V
4. Henry VI
5. Richard III

Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time and prioritise the quality of your reading over the quantity. Jump from genre to genre as you see fit, and follow your curiosity and enthusiasm as you read.

And please, once you’re well entrenched in the world of Shakespeare, go off the beaten track and try something different. Read Cymbeline – the fairytale-like play from early Britain featuring a fantastic female leading role. Read The Tempest, Shakespeare’s last play, and see how he chooses to finish his career as a writer. The more you read, the more you will be able to read. You’ll come to see the patterns and growth of Shakespeare as a writer, increase your skill as a dramatist and, most importantly, love these plays for the brilliant stories they are.

Adieu! 

The post In What Order Should I Read Shakespeare? appeared first on StageMilk.

So how do we actually start acting Shakespeare? Today we’ll be answering that question. Where do we begin with The Bard’s work, how do we find opportunities to act in a Shakespeare play, and how do we go on to establish a career for ourselves in Shakespeare.

If you are interested in acting Shakespeare, the sooner you start, the better. There are plenty of resources on this site to get you started today. Some of the most common ways to start acting Shakespeare are to join a class, find a mentor, get involved in local/community theatre, go to a drama school, or audition for a Shakespeare production. 

Skip to:

• Why Should I Get Into Shakespearean Acting?
• How Do I Get Into Shakespearean Acting?
• Start Now
• Instigate a Reading Club, or Put on a Production
• Go to Class or Approach a Mentor
• Engage with Local and Community Theatre
• Go to Drama School
• Theatre in Education
• Professional Auditions
• What Skills Do I Need to Act Shakespeare?

Why Should I Get Into Shakespearean Acting?

Acting Shakespeare is an undeniably important part of an actor’s development and career. Regardless of whether we seek to make Shakespeare a significant part of our careers, acting in a Shakespeare play must be an element of our training, as the challenges we will face and overcome whilst acting Shakespeare will give us the tools and skills required to act in any other writing style. 

The list of actors who credit Shakespeare for their development or who have made a name for themselves as Shakespearean actors is lengthy. These actors include Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Judy Dench, Sir Patrick Stewart, Mark Rylance, Ralph Fiennes, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Dame Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones, Brian Cox, Venessa Redgrave, Sir Ian Holm, Christopher Plummer, Laurence Olivier, and Zoe Caldwell. 

Acting Shakespeare is challenging. But like any skill or craft we are trying to develop, we can only hope to achieve a high skill level by challenging ourselves and practising deeply. As a football player we might replace the ball with a weighted substitute, so that when we return to the original it feels light and easy to manoeuvre. As a dancer we might practice difficult routines in the rehearsal room so we may perform simpler choreography with ease. This same logic can be applied to Shakespeare. For actors, acting Shakespeare is our form of deep practice. It will challenge us, it may even seem to be an insurmountable task at times, but when we overcome these challenges we will have developed ourselves in such a way that will make all other writers’ work seem achievable. 

Hey and on an even simpler note – it’s great fun. Seriously, even if you are daunted by the prospect of acting Shakespeare right now let me assure you, it’s unlike anything else to perform. The way the language and the text carries you through your performance, the way the characters behave and the events unfold is truly thrilling. There are plenty of contemporary plays which may leave you feeling dissatisfied with either the story or your character, but you will rarely find that when involved in one of Shakespeare’s plays. Trust me.

How Do I Get Into Shakespearean Acting?

So, we’ve established the importance of including Shakespearean acting in our training and careers, but how do we actually begin? How do we go about getting into Shakespearean acting? Well, like any question of this nature, there is no one single answer. The answer to this question is actually a combination of several solutions. Here are some of those solutions to begin practicing:

#1 Start Now

The dramatic and performing arts do require several people to bring a project to life. The magic of drama is that many perspectives and personalities come together to create something. It is a polyphonic medium (meaning many voices/sounds) unlike fine arts which are from a singular artist. This being said, actors need to take it upon themselves to practice and develop their skills. When it comes to acting Shakespeare, there is nothing in our way from starting now: picking up a text, (which are all free to access online) choosing a character or a soliloquy and speaking the text out loud. You do this – bam. You’ve gotten into Shakespearean acting. Article over. 

Just kidding. Now I know this might sound over-simplistic but it really is true; all you need to do to get into acting Shakespeare is to start acting Shakespeare. Starting to familiarise yourself with the text and the language will only serve to prepare you for your upcoming auditions to really get into acting Shakespeare with a group of professionals. 

Shakespeare is challenging, as we have already discussed. It is not something we can just take a glance at before acting. It is something which requires hard work, diligence and practice. So start that work for yourself now. Start reading plays, start speaking text out loud. We have a bunch of articles here for you to read to assist with the challenge of understanding and speaking Shakespeare, you’re in good hands with us. If you would like to add some further reading to your list after you’ve finished this article, I’d recommend these few:

• How to Act Shakespeare
• How to Read Shakespeare: 6 Techniques
• Shakespeare’s Plays

There are endless resources at your fingertips to help you start, so, no excuses. Make a start now.

#2 Instigate a Reading Club, or Put on a Production

Shakespeare comes to life when spoken aloud with other actors. Perhaps you are striving to work for a professional Shakespearean theatre company, perhaps not. Either way, you should experience what it’s like to act Shakespeare with other actors. Short of successfully auditioning for a play, you can always be the instigator of a Shakespeare group yourself. Whether you simply organise a reading club or you go the whole nine yards to produce your own production of a Shakespearean play, you have the power when it comes to instigating your own opportunities to act Shakespeare. 

#3 Go to Class or Approach a Mentor

As with any skill, our ability to self-educate has a limit. At a certain point we are going to need to seek external assistance and education. 

My interest in Shakespeare began because of an excellent teacher I had in high school, who was an incredible Shakespearean actor and director. With his wisdom and guidance he was able to impart upon me and my classmates the sophistication of Shakespeare as a writer and the potential impact of his plays. When hearing him speak of Shakespeare or watching his productions I was deeply moved and exhilarated, and the enthusiasm for Shakespeare that was sparked by him still exists with me today.

Subsequent teachers, directors and actors have been hugely influential in my development as a Shakespearean actor, too. So many people have taught me so many things about who Shakespeare was, how his metre works and why it is important, how he uses language and language techniques like antithesis and metaphor. All I can really thank myself for is my ongoing curiosity about Shakespeare and the commitment I feel in pursuing it, the rest I owe to other people.

With this in mind, consider how you might begin to seek outside assistance in your quest to get into Shakespearean acting. You’ve already taken a massive step in searching for and reading this article, you’re already on the way. The next step might be looking into a local Shakespeare class or short course at an acting school, or sending an email to a teacher, director or actor you know who has had some experience with Shakespeare.

#4 Engage with Local and Community Theatre

In high school I played fairly minor roles in two Shakespearean plays: Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was never the lead role, and, ironically, I think the lack of validation I felt actually fuelled my desire to pursue Shakespeare into the future. I always wanted more. I saw the actors playing their substantial roles around me and I wanted to experience that. I watched and I learnt from them, storing ideas away for future use. As soon as I was out of high school I embarked on a quest to ‘get into Shakespearean acting’ myself. This was the time before StageMilk, after all, so I didn’t have access to the resources you do – you lucky thing! 

The method I used to go about ‘getting into Shakespeare’ was this. One afternoon, feeling like I should really start to try and get into this thing, I typed ‘Shakespeare auditions in Sydney’ into Google. One of the first websites to come up was a community theatre company located about 50 minutes away from my home. They were putting on a production of Romeo and Juliet. I had a monologue I’d prepared in high school which I revitalised for the audition, and I went along hoping for the best. I performed Henry V’s ‘Upon the King’ soliloquy, and was cast as Romeo. Bang, and we’re off. My streak of minor roles in high school had ended, I was now a titular character in a Shakespeare play. 

The experience I had in this production was wonderful. The ensemble was dedicated, the production team were enthusiastic and kind, it was a fantastic environment to learn and grow. 

Sometimes ‘getting into Shakespeare’ can be as simple as that – a google search and a blind audition. Even if I hadn’t been cast in that production, it still would have given me an opportunity to act Shakespeare, and in completing that audition I’d have been one step more experienced than I had been prior. 

#5 Go to Drama School

Now, this step is easier said than done, I know. Getting into drama school is no small task, and committing to a full term of education within one of these schools is only for those who are absolutely sure of the path they want to take. This being said, an education in acting at drama school is sure to include at least one term studying Shakespeare in great detail. Drama schools understand the importance of Shakespearean performance in the development of their actors, and will prioritise it as a subject of study. 

Studying and performing Shakespeare at Drama school is a fantastic way to get into Shakespearean acting because it is a safe environment to explore and take risks. Moving too quickly into professional performance or getting in front of a paying audience can be risky, as it may limit the willingness you feel to make bold choices and risk getting things wrong. Growth comes from learning from our mistakes, after all.

Another benefit of acting Shakespeare at drama school is you’ll have the chance to play characters you might otherwise not be cast as. Ensembles at a drama school will typically have a small age range, so someone is going to have to get cast as the much older or younger characters. This might sound unappealing, but remember, many of Shakespeare’s greatest characters were older than fifty, and depending on your age it might be a few years before you’re cast in those roles professionally!

#6 Theatre in Education

From drama school we step into the realm of professional theatre. Many theatre companies, particularly Shakespeare companies, will have an education component to their company. This department may produce productions of Shakespeare plays for young people and school kids, which is a fantastic thing to get involved with. In my year post-graduating from drama school I travelled around the country for 9 months with a Shakespeare company, performing abridged versions of Shakespeare plays for school kids ranging from primary school to year 12 (their graduating year). 

In the same way that Drama school provides a safe space for trial and error and development, so too does theatre in education provide an opportunity for quick and exponential growth as an actor. Audiences of school students are unlike any other audience you will experience. They really do wear their hearts on their sleeves: if they like the performance they will absolutely let you know about it, and if they don’t like your performance, the dead silence in the audience or (worse) the sniggers and comments coming at you from the audience will be impossible to ignore. This might sound terrible, but for me it was a baptism of fire into the world of Shakespeare, and now I find myself feeling confident in front of any audience. Trust me, when you’ve performed Shakespeare for 200 14 year olds who absolutely don’t want to engage with what you’re putting in front of them, there’s no theatre going audience which could frighten me. 

#7 Professional Auditions

We’re now beyond the realms of ‘Getting into Shakespeare’. Eventually there will come a time when you are standing on a stage in front of an audition panel for a professional theatre company, performing under the pressure of an opportunity to do what you love. This is a momentous occasion, and it’s only a matter of time before it happens for you. Of course, if you come across a professional theatre company holding general auditions and you feel that you’d like to audition, go for it. You have nothing to lose. Even if you don’t get cast, you will have gotten your face in front of the company, and in this industry people remember faces. You’ll be remembered the next time you audition, and you can use all the intervening time to practise and get better to maximise your chances of success. 

What Skills Do I Need to Act Shakespeare?

With every medium, style and genre of acting comes its own special requirements. Acting on film requires the actor to demonstrate sophisticated technical capabilities of performing within the confines of the frame. Contemporary plays and dialogue are usually fast paced, with intricate three-dimensional characters for the actor to embody and portray. Shakespeare, like these other mediums, comes with its own requirements for the actor.

When people think of Shakespeare, they think language. Shakespeare was as much a poet as he was a writer of plays, so command of language needs to be number one on the actors list of skill-sets to build. Speaking the text aloud as often as possible is essential to build this skill. The actor must also mine into the text for the many poetic devices at hand: antithesis, meter, metaphor, rhyme scheme, as well as becoming accustomed to the differences between verse and prose. 

Along with speaking text and understanding language comes the need for vocal strength. The actor performing Shakespeare must be able to fill a space with their voice and articulate clearly: the detailed and complex language Shakespeare uses needs to be delivered to the audience with immense clarity. 

Shakespeare writes of many different circumstances and features a vast rage of different characters. Having the physical capacity to embody different characters and do a range of different physical activities, (fencing, dancing, stage combat, acrobatics ect) is only going to increase your chances of being invited into a Shakespearean ensemble. 

Conclusion

‘Getting into’ something can be difficult. We usually begin with a goal or a dream, an insurmountable peak which can be exhilarating and daunting for us, and inhibit our ability to start. But every journey like this, including the journey of getting into Shakespearean acting, begins with a single action. In fact, the most difficult part is the prelude to the action: the decision. The decision to pursue Shakespearean acting. And you want to know something? By you being here today reading this article, you have already made that decision. You have already overcome that most difficult step. Now all that is left for you to do is to start taking action. 

Neil Gaiman speaks to young writers about the importance of ‘moving towards your mountain’. He tells them that it doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as that action is moving you a little closer towards your mountain, your goal, your dream. Relieve yourself of the obligation to make each step towards your mountain a leap or a bound, just take a single step. Read a play – no, read a scene, no: read a soliloquy. Pick a favourite character – don’t have a favourite character? Choose a character you know the name of. Type their name into Google, followed by ‘soliloquy’ and click on the first link. Read the soliloquy a few times, try to get the sense and meaning of it, then speak the speech aloud. By doing this – an exercise taking all of 10 minutes to complete, you’ve gotten into Shakespearean acting. You’ve taken the first step. 

Tomorrow, take another step.

The post How Do I Get Into Acting Shakespeare? appeared first on StageMilk.

Synopsis

We begin in Rome, not long after the expulsion of the Tarquin Kings. There are currently riots happening in Rome because stores of grain were withheld from the citizens, or plebeians. The citizens are particularly angry at Caius Marcius (who will become Coriolanus) who they blame for the loss of the grain. Marcius is a brilliant Roman General and is renowned for his exploits on the battlefield and within the Roman army as a whole. The rioters encounter Menenius Aggripa, who is a Patrician, a member of the ruling class families in Rome, and Marcius himself. Menenius tries to calm the rioters while Marcius shows open and complete contempt for the citizens due to their lack of military service, who says that they were not worthy of the grain because of this. Two tribunes, which is sort of like being an MP, Brutus and Sicinius privately denounce Marcius, but Marcius leaves Rome to go and fight the Volscians after news arrives of their presence in the field.

Now the Commander of that army Tullus Aufidius and Caius Marcius are mortal enemies and have fought each other on a number of occasions. So the Roman army is Commanded by Cominius and Marcius is his deputy or second in command. While Cominius leads his troops to fight Aufidius’ army, Marcius leads his troops against the Volscian city of Corioli. Initially their attack doesn’t work but Marcius manages to force open the gates and siege the city. Already knackered from the siege, Marcius decides to quickly get back and join Cominius in their battle with the Volscian army. When they arrive Marcius and Aufidus engage in one on one combat, with the fight only ending when Aufidius is dragged away by his soldiers.

For his bravery and courage Cominius gives Marcius the agnomen, or nickname, Coriolanus. They return to Rome and Coriolanus’ mother Volumnia convinces her son to run for Consul, which is kind of like running for Parliament, to be the Prime Minister. Initially he’s not too keen on that idea but against his better wishes does so for his mother. He wins the support of the Roman senate and initially seems to have won the support of plebeians as well but Brutus and Sicinius plot against Coriolanus and organise riots against his running for Consul. Coriolanus flies into a rage against populus rule, or democracy, and says allowing the plebeians to decide who rules them is like allowing “crows to peck the eagles”. The two tribunes Brutus and Sicinius condemn Coriolanus for his words and order that he should be banished. Coriolanus flies into a rage condemning all the citizens of Rome, the higher ups, included and leaves Rome to find a new life, saying he banishes Rome from him.

Down but not out, Coriolanus makes his way to the Volscian capital Antium where he finds his old enemy Aufidius. He asks Aufidius to help him exact his revenge on Rome and being moved by what he hears, and honoured to fight alongside such a noble warrior, he and his army embrace Coriolanus and agree to help him lead a new attack on Rome.

Fearing for themselves the Romans try to reason with Coriolanus and Aufidius and to cease their crusade against them. They send Coriolanus’ mother Volumnia, his wife Virgilia, his child and a gentlewoman named Valeria to speak with him. Volumnia manages to persuade Coriolanus not to attack Rome but to instead fight for peace amongst the Romans and the Volscians.

Coriolanus signs a peace treaty between Rome and the Volsci. But when he returns to the Volscian capital they kill him for betrayal.

Character List

Rome

Caius Marcius – later surnamed Coriolanus
Menenius Agrippa – Senator of Rome
Cominius – consul and commander-in-chief of the army
Titus Larcius – Roman general
Volumnia – Coriolanus’ mother (historically, Veturia)
Virgilia – Coriolanus’ wife
Young Martius – Coriolanus’ son
Valeria – chaste lady of Rome and friend to Coriolanus’ family
Sicinius Velutus – tribune
Junius Brutus – tribune
Roman Citizens
Roman Soldiers
Roman Herald
Roman Senators

Volscians

Tullus Aufidius – general of the Volscian army
Aufidius’ Lieutenant
Aufidius’ Servingmen
Conspirators with Aufidius
Adrian – Volscian spy
Nicanor – Roman traitor
Volscian Lords
Volscian Citizens
Volscian Soldiers

Others

Gentlewoman
Usher
Volscian senators and nobles
Roman captains
Officers
Messengers
Lictors
Aediles

Coriolanus Monologues

Coriolanus – III i 153
Verse- intercut
I’ll give my reasons, More worthier than their voices.

Coriolanus – III iii 152
Verse
You common cry of curs! whose breath I hate

Menenius – I i 32
Verse- intercut
I tell you, friends, most charitable care

Marcius – I i 134
Verse
He that will give good words to thee will flatter

Aufidius – I x 6
Verse- intercut
I would I were a Roman; for I cannot,

Menenius – II i 27
Prose- intercut
I am known to be a humorous patrician

Brutus – II i 116
Verse
All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights

Cominius – II ii 69
Verse
I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus

Coriolanus – II iii 61
Verse
Most sweet voices!

Coriolanus – III i 116
Verse
O good but most unwise patricians! Why

Coriolanus – IV iII 1
Verse- intercut
Come, leave your tears: a brief farewell

Coriolanus – IV iv 19
Verse
O world! thy slippery turns. Friends now fast sworn

Coriolanus – IV v 61
Verse
My name is Caius Martius, who hath done

Aufidius – IV v 99
Verse- intercut
Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart

Aufidius – IV vii 32
Verse
All places yield to him ere he sits down

Menenius – V ii 45
Prose
Now, you companion, I’ll say an errand for you

Coriolanus – V iii 12
Verse
This last old man, Whom with a crack’d heart I have sent to Rome,

Volumnia – III ii 70
Verse
Because that now it lies you on to speak

Volumnia – I iii 1
Prose
If my son were my husband, I would freelier rejoice

Volumnia – V iii 108
Verse
Should we be silent and not speak

Volumnia – V iii 148
Verse
Nay, go not from us thus

Notes on Performance

No matter who you’re playing in this remarkable tragedy it’s important to remember that this is a play chockas with high stakes moments. Be willing to allow yourself to fly to the highest highs and sink to the lowest lows, all while maintaining that fine balance between high stakes and overacting.

The other thing to keep in mind when working on this play is the many intricate relationships at play and how they interconnect with one another. Particularly in the close knit circles.
Finally, as always, remember your given circumstances and you’re a good portion of the way there. Who, what, when, where, why, for what reason. Answer these questions and you’ll be well on your way.

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