We'll Call It The Imogen Rule

I'm not sure how I feel about The Globe's decision to rename Cymbeline to Imogen, because in the words of director Emma Rice, "Imogen speaks three times more lines than Cymbeline so it really is her story."

Ok, let's go with that. Here's how the rest of the plays shake up based on the Imogen Rule:

Hamlet gets to keep his play (well, duh). So do Richard III, Lear, Macbeth and Titus. Shame - would have been fun to name the play Lady Macbeth.

Sorry Othello, but I think we've all secretly wanted the play to be called Iago anyway.

Julius Caesar is now Brutus, much to the delight of high school students everywhere who never really understood why it wasn't called that in the first place.

Ok, let's take a vote, do you pick Antony or Cleopatra? Because under the new rules it can't be both.  Ready?   ... Antony wins.  See, I would have said Cleopatra.

Same deal for the younger said... Romeo or Juliet?  Romeo.  See, again, I would have thought Juliet.

Henry IV Part 2 is now Falstaff, and this pleases the ghost of Orson Welles.

The Tempest is now Prospero, and I'm totally ok with that.

Ok, last one and then I have to go do useful things.

King John shall henceforth be known as?   Bastard.


(* I got all my character line counts here, if you want to expand the list.)