I'd like to dabble in some of Shakespeare's works. What would you recommend to someone who's read very little of his huge collection of writing?
I'd like to start out with something that's fairly easy to understand. Any and all assistance will be appreciated.
7 comments:
Shakespeare....drool, I love him in fact he might have been my first crush.
The link I have put up at the bottom, is to a site that will give you summaries for his plays. Just scroll down and you will find them all.
If I was starting some one off it would be to the comedies that I turn and my fav is Taming of the Shrew.
Not forgetting A Midsummer Night's Dream, just bliss. My Ashley was in that years ago.
My all time fav is a little known play called Pericles, I took Francis to see that in a wood, will have to post about it to tell you more, but I have a subject for a post now.
Romeo and Juliet is perhaps one of the easiest as we all know the basic story.
The old language can some times be hard for people new to it, so I will try to find another site that helps with that for you.
I worked on the G lobe,possibly the best job I ever did and in the summer months I can be found in the bear pit with my £5 ticket, you have to stand in the pit, but I love it.
Will post more about this over the weekend.
Stay away from the histories for a while till you get use to him more, they can be off putting as can Hamlet and MacBeth, just ask any British school kid as it always come up.
Much love
Lia
xx
http://www.alchemistmatt.com/shakespeare/shakespeare.html
Any way I hope all that helps.
Oh and there is a film version of Taming of the Shrew, starring Richard Burton and Liz Taylor and it is rather funny and fairly good.
Don't forget you tube which has so much of his work on there.
I found this site for you to help with the language, it it worth a good look as many words used today did in fact have a totally different meaning in the Elizabethan times.
For instance
aimed so near = guessed as much
bodkin = a dagger
bootless = useless
Once you get the hang of it you can very eloquently insult people and they don't have a clue and don't know whether to thumb you or stay away from you.
Elizabethan English was far more enjoyable and colourful, we are just lazy now.
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/Section/Shakespeare-Glossary.id-305499,articleId-30084.html
Much love
Lia
xx
I would love to read more Shakespeare too. Midsummer's Night's Dream has stuck with me since I read it in college. Wonderful!
Lia, thanks for those links!
Lia: Wow! You've answered a whole bunch of questions in your two generous comments and the links. I think I'll read Romeo and Juliet first.
What's the G lobe? Also, I'd love to hear about the bear pit.
Sarah: Midsummer Night's Dream is second on my list. We must have read some of Shakespeare's writing in high school but that's it for me so far.
Lia taught me more about Shakespeare in her two post than I have learned over a lifetime. THANKS!
Shaddy, don't forget his sonnets.
Gully
darksculptures: Lia's a dear, isn't she!!
Gully: Thank you, Gully, I promise I won't forget them.
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