Measure for Measure vs Twelfth Night, or What You Will: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Young adult drama, Problems, Brothers and sisters, English literature, Drama, Fiction
Measure for Measure
“Measure for Measure is one of the best of Shakespeare's plays, though it has not always received the appreciation it deserves.”
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This play examines the nature of mercy and justice, proposing that a good government is one that is flexible and based on common sense.
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
“If music be the food of love, play on;”
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Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, with discussion questions, role-playing scenarios, and other study activities.
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Twelfth Night, or What You Will highest: Twelfth Night, or What You Will 4.0 · Measure for Measure 3.7.
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 4 for Measure for Measure.
- Twelfth Night, or What You Will has the widest readership — 198095 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Measure for Measure | Twelfth Night, or What You Will | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (32174) | 4.0 (198095) |
| Hardcover | 3.5 (58) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (23) | — |
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Reception
| Measure for Measure | Twelfth Night, or What You Will | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 32174 | 198095 |
| Editions | 317 | 687 |
| Citations | — | 11 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 19584 | 79647 |
| Written reviews | 2046 | 7670 |
| Wikipedia attention | 7583 | 37607 |
| Pages | 222 | 96 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Measure for Measure or Twelfth Night, or What You Will?
Twelfth Night, or What You Will has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Twelfth Night, or What You Will 4.0/5, Measure for Measure 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Measure for Measure or Twelfth Night, or What You Will?
Twelfth Night, or What You Will is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Twelfth Night, or What You Will (96 pages, ≈ 1 h 47 m); Measure for Measure (222 pages, ≈ 4 h 07 m).
Which is harder to read: Measure for Measure or Twelfth Night, or What You Will?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Measure for Measure: Demanding; Twelfth Night, or What You Will: Demanding.
Have both books been made into films?
Measure for Measure: no film adaptation on record; Twelfth Night, or What You Will: 5 film adaptations.