should i read the intros and the authors notes before reading the actual acts, I’ve never read William Shakespeare or any plays for that fact. But i am starting the taming of the shrew and just need some insight on how i should maintain a read in which I’ve never explored before. Some pointers and tips would be helpful, I’ve just been jumping into the books and my reads without really any prep or mental warm ups, i just get straight into it. Also, is William Shakespeare a good writer, if anyone has read his stuff and have more of an opinion id like to know. Thanks.
by Impossible_Crow8124
4 Comments
Is this a troll post?
Firstly, Shakespeare didn’t write books. He wrote plays.
His plays are well-written enough to be appreciated as poetic narrative literature, but that’s not the intended form. If you’re new to Shakespeare you should watch a few productions first, as much of the language is clarified by performance.
Shakespeare is the GOAT but there are a lot of barriers that get in the way of meaning for most modern audiences and readers. Political and cultural contexts; the grammar, which is often strained to serve meter; the early modern English words; missing directorial cues; the extended, often cryptic metaphors and frequent allusions. These things can be broached but there are still enough things about his meaning people can’t even agree on, hence a subindustry within academia.
My best advice: never get frustrated by what you don’t understand. Relish in what you do.
Elizabethan/ Jacobean English is massively different from modern English and the cultural context is also a challenge. If you’re not used to it, plays from that era are a slog, so yes, read a commentary on each act before you read the act.
Having said that, parts of Shakespeare are sublime and I feel immensely privileged to have had the education and spare time to enjoy it.
As Shakespeare wrote his plays intended as dramatic presentations, you might find them more accessible if you find a decent film version to watch. While some adaptations take some liberties with the script, setting, casting etc, there are many very high quality adaptations out there with excellent casts. The differences between early modern English and the English of today can make Shakespeare challenging to read, but spoken aloud in the voice of a good actor, with decent direction, the non-verbal cues as well as the intonation and, well, acting, can help to cut through the language barrier. Personally I find Kenneth Brannagh is skilled at speaking Shakespeare’s words in a way that feels natural and is easy to follow, and he has acted in a number of Shakespeare’s roles on screen in well regarded productions.