New to Shakespeare

[Del]

What texts do you recommend?

[verybaddmom]

ooooh, oooh....much ado!

"much ado about nothing" is hysterically funny! i love it. it's my favorite.
enjoy!

[emily655321]

I second that! :D (Psst -- this is a big taboo, but I wouldn't frown upon seeing the movie first. It's incredibly good, and it helps A LOT in understanding the play.)

[Shea]

I have yet to read that one, but it's next on my list after classes. I like Twelfth Night. That Feste is a wise fool!

[IWilKikU]

For your first I wouldn't do 'Much Ado'. Its plot is pretty hard to follow if you're getting used to Shakespeare's languege. I would go with MSNDream, or Macbeth, depending on if you want a tragedy or comedy.

[simon]

Although Much Ado is classic hilarious Will, kik is right about starting with somehting to ease yourself into the language, it takes a bit of getting used to. Occasionally I reread the first few pages in case i missed something while trying to follow the language patterns. Mid summer nights dream would be top on the list for starters.

[Shea]

If it's language that's the problem, I'm finding the Bevington edition of the plays to be quite helpful with the footnotes. However, sometimes they tend to be excessive. Sometimes I'll read a word or phrase and I think I understand it, but it has a footnote, so I check to see if I was wrong, but I was right. It tends to be a little tedious. But more than half the time they give great insight to understanding the play.

[emily655321]

I agree completely. They can be frustrating, but footnotes are definitely invaluable.

[simon]

Footnotes heal all wounds

[amuse]

in high school, our shakespeare texts had the bard's words on the right hand side, and the modern idiom on the left. it was great! (wish my leather bound stuff had done that, to be honest.)