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Tips for reading Shakespeare? (Discussion)

lucyinthesky said – Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:46:59 -0000 ( Edit Link )

Does anyone have any tips for reading Shakespeare they’d like to share?

I would recommend reading some of his sonnets to begin with. They’re short poems and maybe that’ll help you get a feel for his style. Also, when you read his plays, you should read it from an edition which has explanatory notes on the opposite side of the page. This makes things a lot easier to understand. I would also suggest reading Shakespeare aloud. After all, these were meant to be plays.

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oLahav said – Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:16:36 -0000 ( Flag Edit Mark / Unmark Best Link )

My tip- before you read a Shakespeare story, look up the plot on sparknotes or wherever, just so you know what it’s about. That way things are a lot easier to understand, and you can really appreciate the language techniques and dialogues without having to try and understand what’s going on in every scene.

Although some people would say that takes away from the fun of reading a Shakespeare… what do you think?
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lucyinthesky said – Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:15:02 -0000 ( Flag Edit Mark / Unmark Best Link )

I think you’re right. Reading the plot beforehand is an excellent idea, just because Shakespeare has a lot of twists and turns and subplots. It definitely gives you some leeway to concentrate on the style, rather than the plot. Besides, people usually know the ending of the play before they even read it.
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Yorrick said – Wed, 31 Dec 2008 23:44:10 -0000 ( Flag Edit Mark / Unmark Best Link )

I like those student versions where there are summaries at the beginning of each scene and all of the notes are on the opposite page of the actual script so they are side by side.

I am going to try listening to the plays in the car and see how that works out. It might help to read the play first and then listen to it. Anyone done that? Certain plays might cause accidents though… hm…

When performing Shakespeare, practising monologues in the car definitely helps.
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