Antony and Cleopatra: New Critical Essays Book

Coriolanus solidified my Shakespeare obsession. I'd become familiar with the canon--Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, R&J, etc--but then I read Coriolanus and couldn't believe it. There was this play, rarely talked about, that's as brilliant--if not more brilliant--than all the others so often listed as required reading. It was like discovering life on Mars.

From the first line, I devoured the pages faster than I would a John Grisham novel. Shakespeare's language, sometimes daunting, didn't stand in my way at all, though I did use the aid of footnotes, audio performance, and the occasional sparknotes summary for clarification. As always, Shakespeare develops characters so richly they appear to be on stage even when they're just on page. And the plot, too, contains shocking relevance to our modern society.

Since we borrowed many ideas from their government, I suppose it's not surprising that the Roman plays hit so close to home. Still, it's uncanny. The whole time I kept thinking about how similar the plot was to the Occupy Wallstreet movement and, of course, the 2012 election for president. Now, with all the drama and turmoil in today's politics, it's even more current. Everything about the story is timeless and the execution is truly the experience of a lifetime.

Overall, I do see why Coriolanus isn't a forced-upon text in high school. Unlike the linear progression of Macbeth and Hamlet, there's a more scattered approach to character study and movement of plot. That said, as a Shakespeare nerd, I am shocked that I don't hear more about this play among the scholarly crowd. The language is among Shakespeare's best (I added a good 10 or so quotes to my list of favorites during my read) and the characters endlessly intriguing (especially the mother). Although Ralph Fiennes' wonderful movie gave some much-deserved attention, there still needs to be a day where everyone is as familiar with this play as they are with Shakespeare's other masterworks.