To mark Shakespeare's birthday, the Guardian's former theatre critic has ranked all of the Bard's plays, from the least to the most accomplished. The list includes familiar masterpieces like Hamlet and King Lear, as well as lesser-known works such as The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Cymbeline.
At the bottom of the ranking is The Two Gentlemen of Verona, described as 'no one's favourite comedy' due to its improbable plot and problematic themes. However, the critic notes it contains hints of later, greater plays and has worked on stage in recent productions.
Higher up the list, Cymbeline is praised for its heroine Imogen, 'one of Shakespeare's most celebrated characters', though the play was dismissed by Dr Johnson as 'unresisting imbecility'. The critic also highlights All's Well That Ends Well as a 'hard play to love' but acknowledges its stageworthiness since Tyrone Guthrie's groundbreaking 1959 production.
Among the more celebrated works, King John is noted for its relevance to modern politics, with the Bastard's speech on 'commodity' summing up the destructiveness of power. Timon of Athens, once considered odd, has gained new popularity thanks to modern-dress productions that resonate with contemporary issues of wealth and misanthropy.
The critic reserves special praise for Pericles, which despite its 'mouldy tale' structure, contains some of Shakespeare's most thrilling language. The Taming of the Shrew is acknowledged as problematic for modern audiences due to its theme of female subjugation, but remains theatrically popular through inventive directorial approaches.
