To thine own self be true: Follow this flowchart to your ideal Shakespeare play

We’ve all been there: You’re hanging with friends and you decide you want to see a Shakespeare play, but you end up spending so long browsing through titles that by the time you pick one it’s too late to actually see it. There’s perhaps no more relatable conundrum of the modern era, but thankfully Mya Gosling of the Shakespeare webcomic Good Tickle Brain is here to offer a way out of the endless browsing cycle: A “Which Shakespeare Play Should I See?” illustrated flowchart.

The chart—which begins by asking if you want to “laugh,” “cry,” “watch guys run around with swords,” “take a nap,” or “all of the above”—is pretty damn comprehensive. Gosling even finds a place for obscure plays like Pericles, Prince Of Tyre (“I just want a nice story with shipwrecks and pirates and prostitutes in it”), and The Two Noble Kinsmen (“All this is a bit modern for me. Do you have anything more Chaucer-y?”). Simply answer the flowchart’s questions, and quicker than you can say “to be or not to be,” you’ll discover that Hamlet is the perfect play for those who are in a crying mood, think revenge is the best, and want a death toll that’s “moderate, with a side of angst.” And, hey, if all else fails, just remember that Tom Hiddleston recommends Much Ado About Nothing.

 
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