# What is Shakespeare's worst play? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385 "2006-02-20T15:46:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/1 "2006-02-20T15:46:53Z")
See, those are from the list that people have heard about, which stretches to around 15. There are 20 odd people don’t discuss much or read. Some of which are mature works. Cymbeline for example, but the early works are on the forgettable side. On the other hand the number one where Shakespeare really compromises what he is all about in the better plays; that’s Henry V, the infamous ‘national anthem in 5 acts’ I like Titus, at least for the _je ne regrette rien_ speech. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/2 "2006-02-20T15:48:31Z")
Two Noble Kinsmen, although Fletcher wrote most of it. Or Titus Andronicus. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/3 "2006-02-20T15:49:17Z")
> [@Look busy!](#): > > Much Ado About Nothing Come on! Claudio and Hero are nothing – but the Shakespeare canon just wouldn’t be complete without Benedick and Beatrice! Not to mention Dogberry! I’ve never read or seen “King John” (I have read a summary by Isaac Asimov) but I understand it’s almost universally derided. Especially for its propagandistic mistreatment of Joan of Arc. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/4 "2006-02-20T23:40:18Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I’ve never read or seen “King John” (I have read a summary by Isaac Asimov) but I understand it’s almost universally derided. Especially for its propagandistic mistreatment of Joan of Arc. No, that was Henry IV Part 1. (Joan was a mite after John.) That is indeed my choice - I started reading Shakespeare in order of writing, and never quite got through that one. When I restarted in another order I made it. John is fun in an absurd way. There is a scene where the people in a town call down to him that reminds me of Holy Grail. Titus is great fun. Henry VIII is worse than either of these, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/5 "2006-02-20T23:50:49Z")
_Timon of Athens_ is a pretty big mess. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/6 "2006-02-20T23:57:00Z")
P.S. Why the Pit? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/7 "2006-02-21T00:16:31Z")
Because of posts like this - Fuck you, **Sevastopol**. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/8 "2006-02-21T00:28:39Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > P.S. Why the Pit? …I suspect that it was because of this: > **[Disappearing threads](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359733)** > > I posted this morning in a perfectly innocuous CS thread on “Shakespeare’s worst play.” Now the thread is gone. I understand the mods flush a thread down the memory hole whenever they figure out the OP was a sock for a banned member. That’s a... …and **samclem** dropped the thread back into the wrong forum, which makes **Shodan’s** post look really funny!!! ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/9 "2006-02-21T00:53:06Z")
I like _Titus Andronicus_ and _1 Henry VI_ a lot (and wrote significant chunks of my master’s thesis about the latter), but I’ve always thought _The Two Gentlemen of Verona_ is very forgettable. It’s always a sign of trouble when the most interesting character in the play is a dog\*. - _The Witch of Edmonton_ may be an exception, but it’s different when the dog talks and is evil. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/10 "2006-02-21T00:57:43Z")
I feel like I’ve walked into the middle of a conversation. Is there supposed to be more thread here than I’m seeing? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/11 "2006-02-21T00:58:46Z")
Never mind. Followed **Banquet Bear** ’s link after posting that. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/12 "2006-02-21T01:19:03Z")
Who knew that **Shodan** felt so strongly about Shakespeare? I’m glad I didn’t start my planned thread on the worst Gilbert and Sullivan operetta (it might have turned out that he really liked _The Gondoliers_). ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/13 "2006-02-21T01:22:45Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Who knew that **Shodan** felt so strongly about Shakespeare? > > I’m glad I didn’t start my planned thread on the worst Gilbert and Sullivan operetta (it might have turned out that he really liked _The Gondoliers_). You _bastard_! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/14 "2006-02-21T02:44:44Z")
> [@Banquet Bear](#): > > …I suspect that it was because of this: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359733](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359733) > …and **samclem** dropped the thread back into the wrong forum, which makes **Shodan’s** post look really funny!!! Verily. Even though there’s been some Pittish comments, the thread really does belong in **Cafe Society**. I’m moving it over, comments from the Pit detour intact. From here on out, **Cafe Society** rules apply. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/15 "2006-02-21T02:52:52Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > Verily. > > Even though there’s been some Pittish comments, the thread really does belong in **Cafe Society**. > > I’m moving it over, comments from the Pit detour intact. Intact? **Intact**? What the hell’s wro– > [@](#): > > From here on out, **Cafe Society** rules apply. > > Veb Dangit. _Cymbeline_ is the worst one I’ve seen. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/16 "2006-02-21T02:56:32Z")
Queen Alexandra and Murray. It was so bad, it closed in Egypt. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/17 "2006-02-21T03:05:09Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > I’m moving it over, comments from the Pit detour intact. From here on out, **Cafe Society** rules apply. We thanketh thou. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/18 "2006-02-21T03:08:41Z")
_Vortigern_. It was so bad the Shakespeare Mafia made some schmuck confess to forging it. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/19 "2006-02-21T03:09:20Z")
I think his worst play is one of his lesser known works - _Henry V and the Chamber of Secrets_. I found it very derivative. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385/20 "2006-02-21T03:11:39Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > _Timon of Athens_ is a pretty big mess. To be fair, there is a belief that he may not have finished that one. _Titus Andronicus_ is actually fun if you see it performed live, so my vote goes to _Two Gentlemen of Verona_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-shakespeares-worst-play/345385.md?page=2)