Old Willy wrote good stuff, but he wasn’t always good at capitalizing on a good idea. Our task here is to give some ideas for sequels to his plays.
[ul]
[li]Hamlet II: Hail to the King, Baby![/li][li]Hamlet II: Danish Boogaloo[/li][li]Hamlet II: Dawn of the Dead[/li][li]A Midsummer Day’s Hangover[/li][li]Even More Yadda Yadda Yadda[/li][/ul]
The Winter’s Tale 2: March Madness
Much Ado About Even Less
Beyond the Tempest
Two Gentlemen of Verona and a Baby
Hamlet II: Fortinbras’s Revenge
Thirteenth Night
More of a spinoff, actually – or at least it doesn’t exactly fit the continuity of the history plays. MWW’s relationship to 1 and 2H4 isn’t entirely clear, and probably the best course is not to worry too much about it. The intro in the Arden complete works (which sucks, btw; never buy it) suggests that if you’re really into continuity you could probably imagine it to take place after 2H4, given Falstaff’s lack of funds and the play’s lack of Prince Hal, but I think this is stupid.
(Interestingly, you’ll often find comments to the effect that MWW is Shakespeare’s only play set in Elizabethan England, although strictly speaking the presence of Falstaff and company would place it in the early 15th century. There’s also a line to the effect that Fenton, the heroine’s boyfriend, was “a companion of Poins and the wild prince,” which is sort of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it thing but sorta cool, and probably relevant to the whole timing discussion in an offhand way.)
And I would say Love’s Labour’s Won, except I’ve always suspected there was a Love’s Labour’s Won, only Shakespeare’s maidservant used the manuscript to line the chicken cage or something. Damn her.
The Merry Wives of Windsor Do Dallas
Puck 2: Back in Da Hood
Tempest 2: Ariel vs. Caliban
Julius Caesar 2: The Empire Strikes Back
H2: 2BOrNot2B
Henry IV Part 3 Section 2 Subparagraph 12
Othello 2: Full Throttle