Is understanding Shakespeare for native English speakers easy?

Question

Sure, the vocabulary he used is not widely used today. But do you understand the words or you need to look them in a dictionary?

Answer 1

Native English speaking students struggle with it. I'd guess that they understand about 50-70% of it, and certainly need the assistance of their teacher to really "get it". It isn't just the vocabulary that makes it difficult, it is all of the references to history, mythology, and crude humor that make it hard to understand.

For example: "Daphne's silver visage" = moon light.

It can be quite complicated!

Answer 2

I had an excellent English teacher who made Shakespeare a lot easier than what some of my peers experienced.

Probably one of the most misunderstood (by Americans) Shakespeare quotes is "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" A lot of Americans think that she's asking where he is, but "wherefore" means "why."

It helps to have a dictionary.

Shakespeare was incredibly funny.

I think the saddest thing is how some people don't get properly introduced to his works, and end up thinking he's really boring.

They have absolutely no idea because they get stuck on the old words.

Answer 3

Yes, the English he used was for the common people and is not at all difficult - but for a second language user it may be very difficult, just keep studying, live in England for a while and it will become easy

Answer 4

I find that, in performance, it takes about 5 minutes for my "ear" to tune into what is being said.

Reading it, you can understand nearly all the words, but some of the allusions are gone and you need footnotes for them.

Answer 5

99% easy, there are some words and phrases that have changed meaning, and of course the 'in jokes' are now very obscure, but its pretty straightforwards, and most of the fun is in deciphering the odd bits

Answer 6

SOME OF HIS QUOTES WERE LEGENDS IN HIS TIME AND ARE COPIED TODAY IN MANY QUADRANTS OF LIFE AS I DID AT DISNEY IN SPEELING TO THE PUBLIC