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When I was studying Shakespeare in high school, it's always the tragedies, nothing but tragedies, unless you count Julius Caesar, which is historical fiction.
I'm planning to explore the rest of his work, but before I do, I would like you Shakespeare readers to tell me what other types of Shakespeare books that you encountered and liked.
So let's begin.
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First of all they aren't books.  But that is forgiven.
Second of all, read all of his works. They are all magnificent. Even his lesser works are light years beyond what most modern authors can even hope to acheive. He is a true master of the English language. No one before or since has managed to capture the beauty of a simple phrase and make it unforgettable. Tragedy or comedy notwithstanding.
I could sit and quote Shakespeare all day long, but you have probably heard most of them.
I particularly like 'A Midsummer's Nights Dream', but any and all of them are truly remarkable. There isn't a bad one among them.
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Wow, a response!
OK, it does make sense that I should read all of them before passing judgement.
Beyond the classroom, how can I find a guide to help me understand the dialogue? When I say that, I mean really understand, not some raw explanation on the other side of the page.
Thanks.
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Jul 09, 2016, 04:32 am
(This post was last modified: Jul 09, 2016, 04:33 am by joew771. Edited 1 time in total.)
I'm not sure there is a guide or class that can make someone 'really' understand Shakespeare, but there is all sorts of stuff online that may help.
Here are just a couple to get you started.
http://www.bardweb.net/language.html
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/...ybard.html
Search for 'understanding Shakespeare' or 'how to read Shakespeare' or something similar.
Shakespeare is poetry, so often it is the sound and flow of the words that are important, not only the meaning, so it isn't quite an exact science.
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(Dec 22, 2015, 14:50 pm)RobertX Wrote: When I was studying Shakespeare in high school, it's always the tragedies, nothing but tragedies, unless you count Julius Caesar, which is historical fiction.
I'm planning to explore the rest of his work, but before I do, I would like you Shakespeare readers to tell me what other types of Shakespeare books that you encountered and liked.
So let's begin.
By types, do you mean other playwrights of his period?
Because I would recommend a few of the earlier comedies by Ben Jonson--specifically, Bartholomew Fair and Every Man in his Humor--and a couple of his histories, especially Sejanus. Jonson was a much earthier type than Shakespeare, and his best stuff presents a much more "real" Elizabethan world in its many contrasting types of humanity.
Let's see: George Chapman is the nearest I've read in his tragedies to Shakespeare's feel for the music of English, though some of his plots slow down to a crawl as he gets into his Stoicism kick. Kit Marlowe has great poetry, but I find much else a bore. Check out this site for a ton of content to read of and by Elizabethan playwrights, if that's what you're seeking. But I have to agree with joew771. When it comes to human insight, music and fancy, Shakespeare can't be touched. The darker comedies, and some of the lighter ones (who can forget the glades of Arden, once you've lived there?) are unsurpassed.
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