Who Do You Think Is Harder to Read: Milton or Shakespeare?

[ennison]

There are some quite dull bits of Will which are easy to read but pretty forgettable. Milton is excruciatingly good although you may find a few readings necessary.

[Cuppa' Tea]

I think that Milton is more difficult than Shakespeare. It's not so much the language in Milton's work, it's more the subject matter and the structure he uses. Both are highly enjoyable though. (Shakespeare is my favorite, but Milton is fantastic as well.)

[astrum]

I think that Milton is more difficult than Shakespeare. It's not so much the language in Milton's work, it's more the subject matter and the structure he uses. Both are highly enjoyable though. (Shakespeare is my favorite, but Milton is fantastic as well.)

Cuppa' Tea,

Are you referring to Milton's prose? Do you find Milton's prose to be more difficult than Shakespeare's writings?

[Cuppa' Tea]

I am referring specifically to "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Regained" the only Milton I'm familiar enough with to make a judgement.

[Indomitable]

I've only read bits of Paradise Lost, but I find Shakespeare easier to understand. However, I have never had the benefit of a teacher assisting me with any of Milton's works, while I had the opportunity to read my first Shakespeare play in a classroom. The difficult part about reading Shakespeare is not the language itself but recognizing the various puns, double entendres, allusions, etc.; still, the challenging part about those is identifying them rather than comprehending them.

[cafolini]

Excuse me. Important news: potential homicide of Marilyn Monroe directed by Boby Kennedy.

[astrum]

I've only read bits of Paradise Lost, but I find Shakespeare easier to understand. However, I have never had the benefit of a teacher assisting me with any of Milton's works, while I had the opportunity to read my first Shakespeare play in a classroom.

Perhaps you might find the lectures of Yale Professor, John Rogers, helpful. See below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H62G9yIN5Wk


Watching such lectures while reading along almost feels like having a teacher guiding you.

[mona amon]

Never had a problem with Shakespeare, but I'm sure I'll find Milton difficult (haven't yet tried) as I find most poetry difficult.

[Indomitable]

Perhaps you might find the lectures of Yale Professor, John Rogers, helpful. See below:


Watching such lectures while reading along almost feels like having a teacher guiding you.

Thank you for the link! He seems quite passionate from what I watched, which is always helpful. I'll be sure to view those over the summer when I start reading it again.

[astrum]

Thank you for the link! He seems quite passionate from what I watched, which is always helpful. I'll be sure to view those over the summer when I start reading it again.

You're most welcome. Professor Rogers also wrote a book about PL.

There are tons of other scholarly works about PL. Google Books facilitates access to them.

Let us know if you require anything else and best of luck to you.

[Tobeornotobe]

Milton.

[Hal]

In your opinion, whose texts are more difficult to read: Milton or Shakespeare?


And what books/aids do you read alongside Milton/Shakespeare (or any other writer for that matter) to improve comprehension?

Both are difficult but also very rewarding. I like Isaac Asimov's guide to Shakespeare. He dissects each play, pointing out the allusions, and providing social, political and historical(when applicable) context.

[WICKES]

I don't think that literature can be obsolete. Many of the themes in Greco-roman literature (Aeneid, Illiad), for example, are still pertinent to our era.

So true. How anyone with a soul and a brain can describe Shakespeare as obsolete is beyond me. Joyce said that "Shakespeare is the happy hunting ground for all those whose minds have lost their balance" and he really is. The more I read Shakespeare the more I wonder why I bother to read anything else, so often I pick up a novel or poem and think "yes, very true, but Shakespeare has already said this, and more beautifully".

[astrum]

Just saw this video on Milton. Thought that others might be interested in it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlUpe1Yblt8

[JBI]

Both are easy on the surface, but to get under Milton you need to really be familiar with his time, as he writes on many different levels of interpretation (deliberately).

As for who is the hardest, well, Spenser is harder than both of them. He is also neglected probably as a result, despite easily being Milton's match in terms of skill, and perhaps even influence.