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vallettadays's review against another edition
4.0
The first Dryden I read. It was bold of him to do the same subject as Shakespeare, but he held his own.
dgr02's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this play much more than Shakespeare’s version, though I didn’t find it any less sexist unfortunately. The story here was much tighter, which made it easier to follow, and gave it the space to focus on the relationship between them, but not so much on the characters as individuals.
richgirly's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
howletswing's review against another edition
2.0
I fail to understand why someone who clearly doesn't respect women would write a play about one of history's most impressive women. Cleopatra, in Dryden's rendering, is a simpering, pathetic excuse for a person. Antony isn't much better, and any mention of their mutual affection violates the old writing rule of "show, don't tell."
Octavia, too, falls short of the paragon history tells us she was. She's instead a harridan. No wonder Antony choose to leave her, although why he'd go to such a lackluster Cleopatra remains a mystery.
I loathed this play. Two stars instead of one only because he does take Shakespeare's unwieldy cast of 50+ down to a manageable dozen or so. But maybe Shakespeare had so many characters to give his play scale, a quality Dryden's weak imitation hasn't considered.
Octavia, too, falls short of the paragon history tells us she was. She's instead a harridan. No wonder Antony choose to leave her, although why he'd go to such a lackluster Cleopatra remains a mystery.
I loathed this play. Two stars instead of one only because he does take Shakespeare's unwieldy cast of 50+ down to a manageable dozen or so. But maybe Shakespeare had so many characters to give his play scale, a quality Dryden's weak imitation hasn't considered.
melodye's review against another edition
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is ridiculous
katieex's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
devinb333's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
anisha_02's review against another edition
5.0
John Dryden’s All For Love is an adaption of William Shakespeare’s one of the greatest tragedies, Antony and Cleopatra. Dryden didn’t pursue Shakespeare’s rhyming skills, he wrote the heroic play in a blank verse. And also, the story is not the same as Shakespeare told us. The story is a bit different from the main text. The story doesn’t wrap the whole novel, rather it submits us from the time when Antony lost the battle in Actium and went into intense grief. Some characters were given additional significance, while the names of some valuable characters in Shakespeare’s text were missing. Alexas, Cleopatra’s Eunuch plays a very essential role in this adaption. The novel depicts the theme of honor, duty, responsibility vs love, and uncontrolled passion. And it also draws on how bold, unthoughtful, flowing passion brings wreckage and blinds rational reasoning, steadiness, and the courage of making the ethical judgment.
charliebwein's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0