How do you understand Shakespeare ?!

[Venus_Severus]

Novice here . I simply do not understad how some literary scholars can just READ the text and understand it like that . I get the gist , i know it's beautiful , but i can't appreciate it's beauty until i get a guide . Is this lame ? And sometimes with a guide , I still don't get lots of it ( ie: Venus and Adonis) Help ?!?!

[fayefaye]

it's not the sort of thing u just flick thru and understand. sometimes u have to read it very slowly, and digest the words.

[Blade]

try to take it in small pieces and read it over and over again, thats what usually helps me

[IWilKikU]

The best way to understand Shakespeare is to see it performed. It helps add insight to the emotions of the characters as they deliver their lines.

[Blade]

-? plays are sketchy...dont get me wrong, some scting troupes do a very nice job in their interpritation of shakespeare...but some actor/acting groups may read the play over and over again but never understand the true meaning and feeling behind the words...if an actor reads his lines and doesnt fully understand them he will just put his own opinions on how he would feel into the play, this is not always accurate, so you must be carefull when choosing a play to go see

[Venus_Severus]

the reading slowly thing does'nt work . I've tried it so many times. To me , it's as if I'm reading smth in greek . if you read smth in greek 1000 times w/o any background knowledge to the language , you would nver get it , right??

I'm not saying that shakespeare 's language is vcomplex , ...maybe it's just me??

[Blade]

mabey you should try goin somewhere like, sparknotes.com and read the overview...its not too in depth but it offers a basic insight to the play

[Looeess]

The best way to understand Shakespeare is to see it performed.

I have to agree that this is the best way, at least to get yourself started. When I was at school I had the same trouble as you are now. I found it very difficult to get the meaning, but also to follow the flow of the words. When you put a voice to the words the flow of the text becomes much more understandable.

Another issue you may have is understanding the old English language itself. Get yourself a good dictionary or a list of translated phrases. Once you know what Shakespeare is actually saying, you're off and running.

Good luck :)

[Blade]

an old english dictionary?...this is the first i've heard of such a thing

[The Talking Pie]

I find it always helps to know what each scene is about, that way you can understand the words a lot more easily, then you'll be able to read it like a normal book every time you read it. So yeah, a summary helps.

[AbdoRinbo]

Just get some cliffnotes, don't even bother with the actual reading. It's all masturbation.

[den]

It's not just you Venus, I'm having to read a lot of bollocks right now for school, (legal and historical stuff) and if I don't have an innate interest in something in the first place, if I have to read somthing, it drives me crazy. No amount of re-reading or scanning will get it to sink in. I do have a gift for digesting though, and man that helps a lot.

[paz_]

emm..i think u should consult some notes or references or expainations..try www.thespark.com;) its pretty good..
good luck then..