Welcome back to the arena! First, to declare the winners of Round 1, Part 1.
Richard III handily wins over Sebastian (67-7), utterly annihilating the hapless young duelist. In a shocking come-from-behind victory, Puck wins out over Aaron the Moor (40-27). This one really surprised me; I know I voted for Puck, but I was honestly expecting to have backed the wrong horse. Lady Macbeth easily disposes of Charles the Wrestler, though from the score (55-13), a few of you think that Charles managed to get a few licks in before. Finally, Mark Antony manages to take down Tybalt Capulet (41-29), as the King of Cats proves he isn't quite a match for the ruthless Roman. So, Richard, Puck, Lady M, and Antony will be advancing to the next round.
But we're not quite done with Round 1 yet! We still have 16 combatants to test, and 8 of them take the field today.
Match 9: Titus Andronicus vs Queen to Cymbeline
Match 10: Owen Glendower vs Joan of Arc
Match 11: Regan vs Prospero
Match 12: Hotspur vs Othello
I need to mull over a couple of these, so I think I'll withhold my thoughts for the time being.
These polls will stay open until next Tuesday, and you still have until Thursday to vote on Round 2. If you need a reminder of the combatants' strengths and weaknesses, check out the Intro Post.
ETA: After a bit of consideration, these are my picks: Titus over the Queen, no contest. That man is not only lethal but crazy. The Queen talks too much but waits too long to take action. She's toast. Glendower v Joan is tough, because they're both enemies of the English who associate with unearthly spirits. I'm pulling personal preference here -- having played Glendower once upon a time, I have a great affinity for the man and his ability to call spirits from the vasty deep. Plus, I like Wales more than France, so, Glendower it is. I call Regan over Prospero, because while Prospero may command the elements, he also pulls his punches. All that forgiveness for his enemies? That is not the bloodthirsty spirit we're looking for. Regan takes action and she takes it decisively. Hotspur versus Othello may be one of the most even matches we've had yet; they're both military commanders, both have excellent reputations, and both have a bit of a temper on them. I'm going to go with Hotspur, because the many descriptions we get of his aptitude are just so much better than the ones we get of Othello. So, those are my opinions -- tell me yours!
Hotspur vs. Othello!
ReplyDeleteThat could be a championship match. Or at least semifinals. It's a really tough call.
They are both thoroughly experienced, battle-hardened warriors. Both would be vulnerable to head games, but unlikely to dish them out. Both men are prone to hotheadedness. Othello is probably older, but it's hard to tell if that's a handicap or an advantage.
Hmm...
Titus would be feeding the Queen a son-filled pie before Act 3.
ReplyDeleteLove it.
ReplyDeleteTitus, Joan of Arc, Regan, Hotspur.
Though everyone else seems to be pulling for Prospero! I call shenanigans.