Tips for Reading Shakespeare
Brian Wasko
If you struggle to understand Shakespeare, don’t feel bad. One characteristic of all great literature is that it requires some work to figure out what the writer is up to. That means great literature tends to be difficult, but it also inevitably rewards the work it demands of the reader.
And the work of Shakespeare is also tough because it’s old. Things change over four hundred years. Our culture is different. Our concept of art and drama is different. And though Shakespeare wrote in English, the language is different. All that means that his work is a bit alien to modern readers.
Everyone has to work to understand Shakespeare. Especially in the beginning. If you are just getting started reading Shakespeare, don’t worry, it does get easier. Once you grow familiar with the syntax and vocabulary of Elizabethan and King James English and the quirky conventions of Shakespeare’s plays, you’ll find it easier to read and comprehend his work. Not easy, mind you. Just easier.
I’m far from a Shakespeare scholar, but I’ve been teaching his plays to high schoolers for three decades. I’ve included twelve tips that have helped students get the hang of Shakespeare. Click the links on the left or the button below.