While things may have changed now, I wasn’t truly introduced to Shakespeare until high school. When our media studies teacher, Mr. Park, whipped out copies of Macbeth I was intrigued. I can definitively say that the moment I fell in love (as per my gothic heart) was upon reading the initial stage directions:
‘Thunder and Lightning. Enter three Witches.’
The stage had been set for a moment of excitement amongst the otherwise painfully mundane school day. We weren’t reading Shakespeare for an English exam (something we’ll come to later) but rather simply enjoying the play as instructed by the preface to the First Folio:
‘Reade him, therefore; and againe, and againe…’
To see his plays performed is obviously encouraged, but to pour over the text is often undermined. Reading the text of a drama is just as (if not more) important. And this would prove truthful when I came across my second Shakespeare play: Romeo and Juliet. A play you study at GCSE English, I had the unique experience of experiencing it twice weekly for I was a drama student. Our English teacher, Miss. McIntyre, showed us Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation on a frequent basis; much to the delight of many girls in the class. Is it any wonder I received a postcard of praise for my understanding of the play when I also got to perform it. I can still picture myself and Leon ‘biting’ our thumbs at each other.
Shakespeare plays have influenced just about all parts of culture; from literature to cinema. By reading his work, not only will you be a dab hand at quizzing, you’ll also be better equipped at spotting the references everywhere else. While I said my first proper introduction to the bard was in high school, I received a minor lesson when watching Doctor Who. Martha Jones’ first journey with the Doctor takes place in Elizabethan England. Now much more aware of his work, I laugh audibly at the back-and-forth references in that episode.
One of my favourite writers, Sylvia Plath, was hugely inspired by the works of William Shakespeare. Her poem ‘Full Fathom Five’ takes its title and premise from The Tempest; Ariel’s song to be precise:
‘Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.’
What most people don’t know is how Shakespeare has influenced our language. He is credited with inventing words such as ‘hurry’ and ‘eyeball’. This further proves just how prevalent William Shakespeare is to society today. He underscores everything we do, which is why it is so unfortunate that he sometimes becomes synonymous with pretension.
Schools have a lot to answer for in making once avid readers hate the act itself. Individual-led reading will always be superior in terms of fostering an enjoyment and potential future desire for deep analysis. Shakespeare plays are immensely fun, but because they are forced upon people in an institutional setting, we naturally begin to despise it.
There are many adaptations available to watch online; some modernised, some not. If you need some additional assistance there are books and resources to guide you along the way. But I would strongly advise you refrain from secondary literature until you understand his work on your own. Leaning on the footnotes often included hinders your ability to work through the language; language that isn’t as complicated as often thought. Read the work aloud!
Aside from his plays, the Shakespearean sonnets are a must read. Though I am a poet, I find that much of his best verse occurs in his plays. With a much greater grasp on the bard I will often seek out literature that references his work in some way. Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead takes two minor characters from Hamlet and thrusts you into a world of absurdity and existentialism. Despite the many adaptations and reworkings of Shakespeare’s works that exist today, the chance to do something new is a real possibility. James Ijames’ Fat Ham is another fruit from the Hamlet tree. Many playwrights are doing truly exciting things with his works. As a dramatist myself, I would love to someday produce my own spin.
While the theatre can often be prohibitively expensive, Shakespeare plays are quite often produced on the cheap. You’ll sometimes find performances in parks or public spaces for free! A bucket list destination should be, of course, The Globe. Go and feel the thespian coursing through your veins! And before you write off reading Shakespeare as being ‘old-fashioned’, remember that ‘what’s past is prologue’.
Agree that a lot of Shakespeare’s best poetry is in his plays. In fact, I don’t think any of the Sonnets hold a candle to the poetry we see in Macbeth.