Winnowing the field even further, I present the results of the Round of Sixteen, Part 2: Titus Andronicus takes out Joan of Arc with Roman efficiency (35-19). Somehow, Prospero manages to edge out Hotspur in one of our closest matches so far, 25-23. Maybe he revived Glendower and called in some extra magical aid. In our battle of the heroes, the good Macduff falls to the military prowess of Henry V (33-17). Finally, Macbeth, Bellona’s bridegroom, takes the victory over Coriolanus (35-14). These victories give us the final two matches of the Quarterfinals:
Quarterfinal 3: Titus Andronicus vs Prospero
Quarterfinal 4: Henry V vs Macbeth
My picks: Titus and Hal. I think there’s no contest in Quarterfinal 3, but then I’ve thought Prospero should’ve been out since Round 1. Some of you who keep voting for him need to tell me why I should think better of his combat skills than I do. However much of a Cinderella story he’s been so far, I think his time is up. Sarah is telling me that he has grace and shows mercy, which makes him a better person than Titus, sure, but that isn’t going to protect him against a ruthless, half-mad killer. Titus goes for the throat whereas Prospero pulls his punches, however magical those punches may be, and at this stage in the game, it’s time to go for the jugular. Henry versus Macbeth is a bit tougher for me, because these are both heavyweight hitters. Ultimately, though, I pick Henry V, because while Macbeth is great when it comes to subterfuge and sneaking around, Hal’s spent his share of time skulking about in the dark as well, so I don’t think Macbeth would be able to use the cover of darkness to get the drop on him — and when it comes to pitching open battle in the light of day, no one does it better than the hero-king.
Think I’m wrong? Tell me why! These polls will be open until Tuesday, and you still have until Monday to vote on Richard vs Lady Macbeth and Iago vs Margaret. Help decide who advances to the Final Four, and who pays the ultimate price for failure.