A little help on Shakespeare please

[��환]

Hi, I am a student majoring in English Language and Literature at school in Korea, temporarily absent though.

I know it's a shame, but there is not a Shakespeare work I've read through. I've tried about 5 times to read it to the end but every time found myself knocked-off by my lack of knowledge on Medieval English and the back ground where his works take place.

But before I return to school, I have to read one or two of his works, lest run over by young and eager juniors.

So what I’d like to ask you is recommend a well-made Shakespeare work annotated. It’ doesn’t matter which publisher made it or which work you recommend.

Thank you.

[sandy14]

The Arden editions of Shakespeare's plays are very well annotated and worthwhile.

In addition, don't just read them. There are some pretty good films out there. Ian McKellan made an excellent film of Richard III, Kenneth Brannagh's Much Ado about Nothing is good, Ralph Fiennes Coralanius is good and the Globe theatre has just released Henry V on DVD. Baz Luhrman's Romeo+Juliet is good too - it isn't the full text, but is a rip roaring adventure. Zeffereli did a full text version which is also good, but is much longer and slower than Luhrman's. Most of the films do a good job, and will help you with the context.


If you want to read plays where the historical context does not matter as much I'd recommend Romeo & Juliet, the Tempest, Othello, King John, Hamlet and comedy wise Midsummers Night's Dream.

[��환]

Thank you for your much helpful advice to my question. I hope you good luck this year.

[blank|verse]

I'd recommend Macbeth as well, if only because it's one of the shorter plays - and there are some famous lines and scenes!

I'd certainly also recommend getting a film/dvd version of the plays you choose and to watch them as you read - often the actors will help convey meanings that you otherwise might struggle to understand just by reading the words on the page. A quick check reveals there are several full versions of Macbeth available on YouTube. (And the language Shakespeare was writing with is now identified as 'Early Modern English'; the Medieval period was before Shakespeare's time.)

It's a good idea to read a synopsis of the plot of the play before you watch it - at least up until Act V if you don't want to spoil it for yourself - or one Act at a time perhaps. Understanding what's going on is the first step; again, this will help you to understand the language if you know the tone of the play and the character's feelings and motives, etc.

As sandy14 said, the Arden editions are very good - but they are very thorough and perhaps contain information that's more detailed than you need; often pages will have more notes than lines from the play! You might also like to look at the Penguin editions or others, if you have access to them, as these are still very good, with very good introductions, but are more readable.

If you want synopses of the plots, I'm sure there are plenty available online; I would also recommend The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare (edited by Michael Dobson and Stanley Wells) as this contains a brilliant overview of the plot of every play. It's not cheap though, so you might have to make do with the internet! Anyway, I hope that helps.

[��환]

How many hands of help have reached me here. It's like 100 times more than I expected to gather online. Thank both of you for saving a English Language Literature student who was considering to drop out of the major because of his lack of knowledge on literature and cowardice of not making through to graduation. Much obliged with your genuine kindness.

[mal4mac]

It's not Medieval English, it's "English Renaissance" English. Shakespeare is *much* easier to read than Chaucer. He does use a lot of obscure words, though, so it's worth getting an annotated version so you aren't forever looking in a dictionary. I I agree with the comments that Arden might be "too much", especially for someone who hasn't managed read through a full play yet. What have you tried to read so far? If you have just read the play without any annotation then I can see why you stopped, as I can see why might stop if the play had too much scholarship. I like the RSC editions, they provide "just enough" explanation and translation of obscure words. Penguin are also good, and Everyman. Check out a few version s in the library/bookshops and see what yo get on with. For instance, start reading macbeth in different versions and see which gives you "just enough but not too much" to keep you reading.

[blank|verse]

How many hands of help have reached me here. It's like 100 times more than I expected to gather online. Thank both of you for saving a English Language Literature student who was considering to drop out of the major because of his lack of knowledge on literature and cowardice of not making through to graduation. Much obliged with your genuine kindness.
Thank you for the message. That's quite alright and I'm glad we can help.

In fact, here's a link to a brilliant animated version of Macbeth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jU4JtcQ0zU) which contains a mix of lines from the play and brief synopses of the action...

and a BBC GCSE students revision website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/dramamacbeth/) with details of the plot, characters, etc.

Keep going - most English people find reading Shakespeare difficult at first, so you're not alone! I hope you continue with your studies.

[chrisvia]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Dover Thrift editions are actually pretty nice and very inexpensive. They have margin annotations, which are helpful because your eyes don't have to constantly go to the bottom of the page and match superscript numbers. Still, I have to plug my copy of the Norton Shakespeare, which is one of my treasures!