Western Literature: Act 1, Scene 1

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BASILEUS

  1. In here, I will be writing reviews of the books I read,
  2. Starting off with a Shakespearean Classic - King Lear!
  3. Each crossed out entry means a book I already finished.
  4. I warn however: Here be SPOILERS!

Exuent BASILEUS

KING LEAR

I think that in many of the plays I have read in school, there is at least one character which I would see and think: literally me. Having read Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice, I always liked the titular characters - Macbeth and Shylock respectively. King Lear, however, didn't have any characters which were relatable to me to that level. That being said, King Lear definitely bears many themes that are relevant in the modern world. I've particularly noticed the battle between generations. King Lear and his vassals (especially Gloucester) grow older by the day, which starts to cloud their judgement of things. While the old demand the same respect as before, the younger generation has not seen them in their prime (therefore their achievements are only stories/vague memories) and wants to earn their own respect before they grow old themselves. I think we can see that battle of generations play out even today, where the people in power grow older and older, while the young population is eager to take reins. Overall, I highly recommend King Lear - especially as it is very quick to read (took me only like 2 hours within one evening).

JULIUS CAESAR

Julius Caesar is exactly what I was looking for in a Shakespearean play. The play has clarified a lot about Brutus's motives for (SPOILER) killing the conqueror of Gaul, something that went unnoticed by me for the longest time. Betwixt the conspirators, Brutus's family has a history of dethroning supposed despots, with his ancestor playing a large part in exiling Tarquin the Proud - last king of Rome - and instituting the Roman Republic. This legacy lingers on Brutus, despite the fact that he admires Caesar. The leaders of the two sides in the upcoming Civil War are both seen as correct in their own right. Both Brutus and Mark Anthony honour each other, despite their conflict. All of the characters are quite realistic - driven by different things and holding different opinions. One thing doesn't change, however - the fact Julius Caesar himself pulls up as a ghost is cold af. Honestly, this was a peak reading, 10/10.

Personal Reading List:

    Introduction:

  1. Parallel Lives, Plutarch (Good introduction to various figures in ancient Greece and Rome),
  2. The Odyssey, Homer,
  3. The Iliad, Homer,
  4. The Aeneid, Virgil,

    On Greece:

  5. Aesop's Fables, Aesop,
  6. Alexander Romance, Alexander of Paris,

    On Rome and Italy:

  7. The Prince, Machiavelli,
  8. Julius Caesar, Shakespeare,
  9. The Discourses, Machiavelli,
  10. The Divine Comedy, Alighieri,

    On Spain:

  11. Don Quixote, de Cervantes,
  12. Don Juan, Lord Byron,

    On Britain:

  13. Macbeth, Shakespeare,
  14. King Lear, Shakespeare,

    On Poland:

  15. Konrad Wallenrod, Mickiewicz,
  16. Kordian, Słowacki,
  17. Balladyna, Słowacki,
  18. Krzyżacy, Sienkiewicz,

    Philosophy:

  19. Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes,

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