How do I get into shakespeare?

Question

im an avid reader, but ive tried reading shakespeare becus hes supposed to be great but i just dont follow it. where should i start if i want to understand and like his writing? thnk u

Answer 1

Rent the video/DVD "Much Ado About Nothing". It stars Kenneth Branaugh, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Robert Sean Leonard (the oncologist on "House"), Keanu Reeves, Emma Thompson and Kate Beckinsale (from Underworld).

It is HILARIOUS and done so well you can completely understand it even though it is all done in Shakespearean language. My kids love it, and they still do. They are all teenagers now. The fact that it has recognizable movie and TV stars in it will help it be more palatable to you as well.

The way that you can understand and learn to enjoy Shakespear is to see and hear it acted out WELL. It is what many actors and actresses get there start with. To SEE it, with facial expressions and tone of voice, etc., makes it what you can understand and apply in your own life. Reading it can be just plain monotonous. So take my advice and see how it can really be something that can be enjoyed. It is really great writing, after all.

Give it a shot! I think I'll watch it again tonight! LOL

~Pamela

Answer 2

Mark,

Shakespeare is HARD to sit down and read, cold. Believe me, I know--he's my favorite author; I have read every one of his plays. His plays were never meant to be read in the first place, but to be _seen_, and even then, they were meant to be seen by people in another country four hundred years ago. So the barriers are very real. I think it's wonderful that you want to give Shakespeare another try, and I hope you come to love him like I do. My recommendation is to start by _seeing_ a few of the plays, and then turn to the book and reading over them. You'll pick up a lot that you missed and have a chance to really enjoy the language in a way that you can't when it goes flying by your ear.

The trick is, of course, that there is a _lot_ of just plain awful Shakespeare out there--boring, uninspired stuff. It pains me to admit it, but it is true. And bad Shakespeare is worse than no Shakespeare at all. So here are two recent movies for you, which I know are excellent:

Kenneth Brannagh in _Henry V_: This is Shakespeare as a "war movie"--King Henry goes to war against France and wins a victory against enormous odds. On the surface, it all looks like rah-rah imperialism, but when you look a little deeper, it gets very complicated and ambivalent about the nature of war. Some absolutely incredible speeches, too.

Kenneth Branagh (again) in _Much Ado About Nothing_: A romantic comedy, all about the witty interplay between two clever people who fall in love with each other seemingly against their own will. There's also a dastardly villain, a bumbling policeman, cunning plans, and that sort of thing.

So that's one serious play and one funny play. From there, just sort of follow your nose. There are about 38 Shakespeare plays out there, and every one of them has something wonderful. Enjoy!

Answer 3

Slowly.

Really, you have to go really slowly, not only because its written in Elizabethan English and English has evolved a lot since then, but because it is a lot more dense than modern prose.

Avid readers tend to read very quickly so it is uncomfortable to be slowed down. You have to treat his works more like extended poems than novels. It takes more effort than other kinds of reading but when you do 'get it' its well worth it.

Seeing a play or a movie can help with comprehension of the story and be a good way to get into his way of thinking. (Polanski's MacBeth or Branagh's Hamlet and other Branaghs are really good, as is the movie Titus, based on Titus Andronicus)

I hated Shakespeare when I was in High School but now I love it and read it for fun. (well not everyday or even every month, its too tiring, but in the right mood Shakespeare is quite possibly the height of English literature)

Answer 4

Go slow with the reading. Try to see some live productions. Rent some movie adaptations.
Good movies:
the Branagh productions (Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet)
the Lawrence Fishburne Othello
the Helena Bonham-Carter Twelfth Night
the BBC/RSC Macbeth with Ian MacKellan and Judi Dench
Laurence Olivier's King Lear

Answer 5

I found that after actually seeing a few of his performances of his plays they are easier to understand. You may want to rent a movie such as Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet.

After visualizing one of the plays you may find reading them a little easier. You might want to start with a comedy, however, they are a lot more fun.

Answer 6

You can see one of the plays performed and then read the same text. You should be able to follow the book better after seeing it acted out on the stage.

Answer 7

I think that Romeo and Juliet is a good story. Life, love, death. but dont forget to read it slowly. and get into the charater.

Answer 8

start by reading his plays like hamlet ,romeo & juliet ,one summer night ,don't read is sonnet first because they are complicated little bet ,

Answer 9

well try to imagine yourself as one of the readers if that doesn't work you can try http://www.sparknotes.com/ they have a whole section on Shakespeare's works.

Answer 10

go to sparknotes.com