Do you find Shakespeare hard to read/understand?

Question

Having read the first few scenes from Macbeth I'm struggling to understand what is going, and I only get the general gist because I read the introduction.

I'm keen to expand my knowledge beyond Romeo & Juliet, but I'm finding it hard going. Which of his plays would you recommend?

Answer 1

read slowly - as if you're reading out loud. seriously though - the plays were never meant to be read, just watched. they make perfect sense on stage then they are easier to read because you understand them


also - the quote about Yoric- i knew him. the well was added with much repetition but shakespear never said it

Answer 2

The language of 19th century novels is not too distant from modern English. The difference is in tone - more formal - but nowhere near as hard as Shakespeare. Jane Eyre is an easy read. Wuthering Heights less so. Dickens has an assured voice - an "omniscient narrator" point of view - that the reader can comfortably trust, but his books are very LONG. OK if you want to immerse yourself in a richly observed world for a long time. Thomas Hardy would be a good author to start with.

Answer 3

Try not to read it with the pronunciation of modern language. When Shakey wrote his stuff words were pronounced more phonetically and the same word could be pronounced in many different ways. When you start to look at his words this way you will see how the rhymes work. Personally I think 'A Midsummers Night Dream' is good starter, as well as 'Romeo & Juliet'. Macbeth is, I find, a wee bit heavy, if you don't know the history linked to it.

Answer 4

You have made the classic Shakespeare error by trying to read it. ITS A PLAY go and see it at the theatre, it will really make much more sense.
Also, its better to really get to grips with just one play than try to read them all and not digest them. R & J is probalbly the easiest but there is enough in there to keep you going for a very long time.
Whatever you do stick with it, our language and culture would be totally different without shakey !!!!

Answer 5

Depends what plays it is and how interesting the story is. My favourite Shakespeare play would either be King Lear or Romeo and Juliet. Worst one would have to be The Tempest as it'll mess up your mind for life..

Answer 6

Yes. It really helps to learn Shakespeare in a classroom where the instructor can help you understand the old English. If you are reading WS without the help of an instructor, try Cliff notes.

Answer 7

Hello Kirsty , I can follow Shakespeare not too badly.I can only recommend reading the works slower to let the words sink in .Practise makes prefect.Your get there. Good luck

Answer 8

I found Macbeth very hard to understand until i went to see the play. I read the book again and it all fell into place....

Answer 9

I am a teacher and everyday I carry lots of books for my class. Especially maps because i am Geography teacher. One day another Literature teacher asked me to help her carry her books and because I am helpful I said Yes, Yes. When she gave me the book with those Shakespeare plays, I almost kneeled down, so heavy they were. It was very hard for me to carry Shakespeare from the office to her class. Yes, yes it was hard that Shakespeare. I do not understand him too because in one of his plays when the girl died because she thought the boy was dead but the boy was alive and then when the girl died the boy died too this time and for real, I did not understand all this confusion and why these two teenagers died. It was sad and everybody told me I didn't understand it.

Answer 10

A little bit. I get what the story is about. But i don't know all the details. I'm reading it now and it's quite hard to understand.
I presonally like Hamlet quite a lot but romeo and juliet is my favourite so far. 'Alas poor Yorik, I knew him well...'