Eminent conqueror Henry V takes a respectable 28-19 victory over Titus Andronicus; a plethora of expendable sons proves no match for the power of pure rhetorical inspiration. Crafty Iago knocks magical Prospero out of contention, 31-17. In an upset rematch, Lady Macbeth dominates over Richard III; his habit of underestimating women finally gets the better of him, it would seem. This match was hotly contested, with a final score of 36-26. The Bear continues his Cinderella story, with a 43-19 victory over Mark Antony -- but will his prowess lead him into the Final Four? It's been another good week for our ladies from the comedies -- Beatrice edges out Hotspur, 17-15, and Katharina easily bowls over Jack Falstaff, 29-7. Things didn't go so well for Doll Tearsheet, however, whose tavern brawling ways couldn't defeat Tybalt's skilled rapier (26-13). Finally, Macbeth knocks Philip the Bastard out of contention (33-8); sorry, Philip, but we actually meet your mom on stage, so we know you're of woman born.
So, here's the bracket for the Elite 8 (click to expand):
Today, we welcome four competitors back to the field: Henry V vs Beatrice and The Bear vs Macbeth.
Elite 8, Match 1:
Elite 8, Match 2:
Who deserves a coveted slot in the Final Four? Let us know what you think! Defend your favorites with evidence from the text and win other voters to your cause. These polls will be open until early next week, so you have plenty of time to rally support! My picks will, as usual, be in a comment.
I'm going to take the underdog route here and champion Beatrice over Henry V. I didn't think she'd beat Hotspur, but if she can take him on, I think her witty, winning ways will easily convince Hal to fight for her, not against her. Plus, we all know that while good King Henry knows no fear on the battlefield, he starts tripping all over himself when facing a pretty girl, and I think that will give Beatrice the edge.
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely taking Macbeth over The Bear. The ursine invasion ends here. Macbeth is a man who can invert the laws of nature; he can easily neutralize the bear's carnivorous advantages.
I too think Beatrice would take down Hal. Henry V would never hurt a lady - and even if he contemplated doing so, Beatrice would talk him out of it in a jiffy. And she'll definitely take advantage of his inability to form a coherent sentence when talking to a girl - let alone one who speaks his own language as well as Beatrice does!
ReplyDeleteMacbeth over The Bear. There is just no good reason for this nonsense.