What's the best Shakespeare play ever written? Here's the championship round of 'This Be Madness'

We're at the final championship round of our This Be Madness Shakespeare bracket.

Each day from April 18 - April 22, we're posting Twitter polls with rounds of matchups for you to vote on until we find our champion. Then on April 23, which is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, we will reveal our grand winner.

And our final two plays are... Much Ado About Nothing vs. Hamlet. Which will win? Shakespeare's classic rom-com? Or his tale of existential struggle? That's for you to decide!

Check out the updated bracket below (click here if you want to see more details about yesterday's poll results), and be sure to vote for who you think should be our champion. And as always, tell us why you think your favorite play should win on Twitter with the hashtag #ThisBeMadness.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Championship Round: Much Ado About Nothing vs. Hamlet

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Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing is, without a doubt, Shakespeare’s best comedy and likely his greatest work. In it he takes a now common rom-com trope, a bickering but inevitable couple, and elevates it with his mastery of the English language.

Headstrong Beatrice and Arrogant Benedick have a contentious relationship built on the power of their verbal barbs and their ‘skirmish of wit.’ Their friends and family scheme to prove that the line between love and hate may not exists for those two in a farce that jumps off the page. Unlike most classic romances, the women of this story have full lives and characters despite also falling in love, and Beatrice is never tamed of her attitude. There is even a message against slut-shaming when good-girl Hero helps trick her beloved Claudio when he falsely accuses her of adultery out of mistrust.

In short, Much Ado is the funniest of the comedies, the most modern of the romances, and a story that delights fans of all ages and genders to this day. Simply look at the many adaptations and influences, from Joss Whedon’s recent film to Pride and Prejudice to every rom-com with decent banter. MuchAdo About Nothing is the clear winner in this Shakespeare bracket, one that I love ‘with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.'

-Aliza

Hamlet

Can we all give Hamlet a hug? And a bracket win? After what Shakespeare put him through in Hamlet he deserves both.

Hamlet is Shakespeare’s greatest play because, while the play showcases the struggles of Danish royals, what Shakespeare has really written about are the core elements that drive all of us: grief, betrayal, love (or the lack thereof) and family. 

In 5 acts, Shakespeare brilliantly portrays just what happens when it feels like the entire world has turned against us. And that’s a feeling we can all relate to. That’s why it’s been endlessly adapted and retold. From children’s movies like Lion King to cult hits like Strange Brews to more traditional retellings, the world just can't get enough of Hamlet.

And then there is the soliloquy! “To be or not to be” is all of our existential anthem.

In short, Hamlet should be our This Be Madness winner because with iconic characters, an incredible plot about betrayal and madness, and truly incredible prose, Shakespeare has written a moving play about all of us.

-MJ

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