Understanding Shakespeare
So you've taken an interest in Shakespeare - or maybe you've just
been assigned to analyze one of his many plays in English class.
Either way, you still need to figure out what the heck this dude is
saying. Here's a helpful guide to get you started if you're a
Shakespeare newbie. His language can be tough to understand at
first, but the results will be very rewarding - I guarantee it!
Why
read Shakespeare?
Shakespeare is often used in English classes because it is useful
for analyzing plot and for its complex literary techniques. While
Shakespeare can be quite confusing because its sentence structure
differs so much from the way we speak in modern times, the ability
to understand and appreciate his literature is well worth it! Here
are some helpful tips to reading Shakespeare.
Choose
a reliable edition.
You could buy any old edition - most of the text will be quite the
same. However, the explanations of the text on the side can differ
drastically. These notes on the opposite side of the page offer
simple explanations of what is being spoken. This is especially
helpful if the words or phrases mentioned in the text are no longer
used today. Try to buy purchase the book editions recommended by
your professor or that are most often used in high schools and
universities.
Read
it aloud.
These plays were meant to be performed. Reading the text aloud
allows the reader to get a better sense of sentence flow.
Shakespeare often writes in iambic pentameter, especially in his
sonnets. This style of speaking, which is one unstressed syllable
followed by one stressed syllable, allows for a poetic speaking
style. It's also a great idea if you and your peers can assign the
characters and read them aloud together in a group. It's also much
more fun than reading it alone by yourself!
Attend
the play or watch the movie.
The way an actor
expresses his emotions alone can help a lot if you are struggling
to understand Shakespeare's words. You can get a greater sense of
who these characters are, what their problems are and how they
interact with the other characters in the play. You can also learn
to appreciate the poetry within the Bard's dialogue.
Use
resources.
There are many sources on the Internet and in bookstores for
understanding Shakespeare. It's not cheating - in fact, many
professors use them as well! The important thing to remember is
that these summaries and explanations are tools and should not be
used to ignore reading the actual play itself. Using these
resources allow for a greater understanding of the text as a whole,
because it is easy to become confused with a Shakespearean plot
along the way. They can also help point out the most important
parts of the text and explain their meanings.
Know
your literary devices and techniques.
Shakespeare's works are full of symbols and imagery. It is
important not to take everything he writes at face value. Many of
his words and phrases have hidden or multiple meanings. There are a
great number of complex literary devices used in Shakespeare, which
is why he is so popular in schools - his works are a great way to
see if the student truly comprehends the difference between the
literal text and the context (what the author really means to
say).
Still
having trouble analyzing Shakespeare?
Let's examine an excerpt from one of his most beloved plays, Romeo
and Juliet.
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. . .
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
In this famous passage, Romeo is speaking to himself about Juliet
and uses the sun as a metaphor to describe her, a sun so beautiful
that it makes the moon jealous.
He then compares Juliet to the stars, saying that she is brighter
than the stars the way sunshine overpowers a lamp.
Finally, he describes her eyes as being so bright that birds would
sing, thinking it was day and not night.
So
what?
These literary techniques are beautiful ways to describe something.
Shakespeare could have simply said Romeo though Juliet was a pretty
girl. Instead, he extends metaphors and imagery to show how
infatuated Romeo is. As a whole, this text also is a great example
of the light and dark motif which runs throughout the entire play.
Shakespeare often uses the opposites of night and day to show
contrast in many situations.
Check out Understanding Shakespeare, Part Two to examine the
intricacies of the language Shakespeare used and how you can
transform his words into everyday English
yourself!
Image
Clatiek
