No Subject

[Unregistered]

To go against the countless numbers of respectable and learned people by stating that you hate Shakespeare immediately pigeonholes you as to your ignorance. Yes, you may dislike Shakespeare, but you should still respect and admit it’s worth.<br><br>To say that “only learned people nowadays could get full enjoyment out of it because the language and ideas are so old and archaic” would lead to the conclusion that you also fell that only priests and the Pope should read the Bible. Everyone should read Shakespeare and the Bible and glean from it what they can, asking the learned questions when they fail to understand.

[Lynn]

Shakespeare isn't that difficult to read at all if you take 5 minutes to understand the history behind each play or sonnet.<br>He had a gift of being able to politically and historically satirize real and important events.<br>The tetrology of Henry VI was a means of warning England of the dangers of civil war. Shakespeare's histories are a means for us to understand the state of affairs of England so long ago, as well as a means for his audience to take heed of what was to come in England some 150 years after the life of Henry IV.<br>In modern English, we'd lose half of the meaning. And where's the challenge there, you lazy idiot?

[mary]

I think the emphisis on Shakespeare now is a good thing. His works are the best and most poetical useage of the English language, rivaled only by (maybe) the King James Bible. (And just for the record, I'm a teenage athiest, and I have read the KJB.)<br>If you "transelated" Shakespeare into "modern English" you'd just be ing it. Any American that actually cares about his or her language should read the "old English" and that's best found in Shakespear.<br>I agree that his plays are better understood when seen on stage then when read, but, as you said, most people don't ever get that opportunity. So just READ IT!!!!

[Rodriguez]

It is so difficult to understand Shakespeare when u read his plays I think that acting it out makes it more understandable isn't there any modern day versions of Shakespeare written in simple English!!?

[Unregistered]

I hate Shakespeare and I hate this play.<br><br>Shakespeare was meant to be performed, not to be read. It is really difficult to read a play that was written recently, let alone so long ago. Most people don't ever get the opportunity to see a Shakespearean play being performed live... and even if they did, only learned people nowadays could get full enjoyment out of it because the language and ideas are so old and archaic.<br><br>So, I don't get what the big deal with Shakespeare is today. Yes, the stories themselves are Ok, so why not put on a production of Henry 6 part 1 in modern English?

[Mr_Jones]

I have actually permormed in various Shakespeare plays. My favourite response was from an audience member after seeing "A Midsummers Night Dream"

Audience member: Loved the play - but who wrote the funny bits?
Director:Umm Shakespeare.

Moral of the story - [1] try and get your teacher/lecturer or whatever to take you to see the play on stage (or at least on video, theatre can be expensive) [2] concentrate on the action and let the words wash over you. [3] ask questions/discuss with others afterward (this one really helps).

If that fails see if you can do "Julius Ceasar", "Romeo and Juliet" or "Midsummers Night Dream" as these are not quite so "heavy".

Hope that helps you from going