The number one thing I have learned about Shakespearean plays are that they’re annoying. No one really wants to spend hours reading in some version of English nobody uses anymore. Anyone who tells you they like doing that has a 99% chance of being a jerk who wants to shove your face in that they’re reading Shakespeare and ew why would anyone want to read anything else? The other 1% might be nice, but I’ve never met them.
However, I’ve also learned that Shakespeare is a necessary evil. His works of literature are incredibly important to... well, basically everything. He introduced new plot devices, phrases, and thousands upon thousands of new words (we still use a LOT of them today!). It's sometimes hard to appreciate his works, though, because he oftentimes used so many unnecessary details and metaphors lost on our time in his plays, such as this quote from Othello in Shakespeare's Othello: "And say besides that in Aleppo once, / Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk / Beat a Venetian and traduced the state, / I took by th' throat the circumcised dog and smote him thus." (V. ii. 342-354) I mean, anyone would have trouble deciphering what that meant. And even though reading Shakespeare can be a chore, it’s important to recognize what he did for the English language. And you don’t have to read his plays in your free time to do so. The thing is, Shakespeare is hard to read. For everyone. Even when you have to read it for a grade in school. And a lot of people (myself included) think they can just tough it out while reading. But sometimes you need to swallow your pride and get some help. It’s perfectly normal to need it! There are tons of resources that will help you out if you aren’t understanding Shakespeare like a whiz right off the bat. Here are some techniques that I use to help me comprehend Shakespeare’s plays: Find a Visual Have you ever heard the phrase, “It sounds better on paper”? Well, the opposite usually applies to Shakespeare. Movies, skits, or live action plays are SUPER helpful to create visuals about Shakespeare’s works. For me, the most important part of comprehension is seeing the scene unfold in my head. But, Shakespeare provided very limited stage directions, it can be hard to form a visual of the scene. This can hinder the comprehension of the scene or the entire play itself. When you find a visual, a whole world literally opens up to you. The characters actually become distinguishable once you can see their faces and hear their quirks as they talk. The scenes playing on screen are much easier to understand and remember than on paper. Read With Someone As I mentioned before, everything is easier to understand not just when you can see the characters, but when you can hear them, too. And sometimes, just hearing different voices talking to each other is enough to get the Shakespeare-gears in your head turning. I find it helpful when you’re able to get together with a larger group of people for scenes with more characters. Even if you’re only able to get together with one or two other people, this experience will definitely help you keep track of characters and will aid your comprehension. This can even be really fun! When you give characters goofy accents or funny talking quirks, the plays become much more interesting. If you’re unable to get with a group of friends or your classmates, I also find it helpful to use an audio-book. Different voices will be used for different characters, so you can still get a feel for the tone of the play. One thing I would not recommend is trying to do different voices by yourself. When you encounter scenes with more than two characters, that might prove to be quite difficult and confusing. Double-Check Your Comprehension Sometimes, no matter what you do, you don’t understand the play as it’s meant to be understood. This is very easy to do while reading Shakespearean English, as it's structured differently than our current version and can often include extraneous details. I’m definitely not a natural when it comes to Shakespeare. I often initially interpret scenes in a completely different way than they’re meant to be. So, I take extra care to make sure I’m understanding the play correctly. When I read a Shakespearean play, I normally have a 4-step system to fully comprehending the text. I read the play, go on SparkNotes to double-check my interpretation, re-read the text with my updated knowledge, and then actively participate in classroom discussion about the text. It sounds like overkill, but sometimes you need to really push yourself if you want to get better. This system has helped me get through more than four of Shakespeare’s plays, so it does help! Reading Shakespeare is bound to be an unpleasant experience for most. Going out of your way to make it easier for yourself? That works wonders for your comprehension and maybe even enjoyment of the text. If you put some elbow grease into understanding Shakespeare's works of literature, it's bound to get easier. No matter how hard it gets, just keep on reading!
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AuthorI'm Nicole and I have a moral obligation to be against Shakespeare in every way. ArchivesCategories |