Days Three and Four

So, I've found that my opinions on most of Shakespeare's characters are very difficult for me to express concisely. As the Dude would say, "you know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man."

In an attempt to keep myself from getting too tangled, I'm going to try an experiment. I'm going to try answering in under one hundred words:


So, for Day Three: (Your favorite hero)

I’ve selected Bassanio as my hero of choice because I like that he’s a Romantic Lead living in a play in which pretty much everyone seems a little confused about the nature of love. He tries his best to do what’s right, but he doesn’t quite know what’s right. His story raises fascinating questions about what love means and how we should treat the people we love—questions about whether love should be about contracts and obligations and about whether love can be shared.


And Day Four: (Your favorite heroine)

Paulina is sensible, eloquent and loyal. She has a razor sharp tongue and she’s quite rough on Leontes, even after he’s clearly repented. But she berates him out of a deep love and loyalty for Hermione, and also, I think, because she senses that Leontes has come to value her for her ability to remind him of his errors. I love that she’s a woman who is allowed to speak her mind and who speaks with a boldness that comes from love and appreciation of the virtues of her friends.