I'm reading my first works of fiction since 1998...

[Chaotic42]

It's Shakespeare. I was at the mall and saw a book containing Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth for $6.

I've never read anything by Shakespeare. Anything I should know before reading this stuff?

 

[johnjohn320]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
It's Shakespeare. I was at the mall and saw a book containing Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth for $6.

I've never read anything by Shakespeare. Anything I should know before reading this stuff?

You never went to high school? :Q

 

[DaveSimmons]

Othello was a good read, along with the sonnets. I haven't read any of the others.

 

[monk3y]

I enjoyed Macbeth... Never read Othello or King Lear.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
You never went to high school? :Q

I did. We didn't read any Shakespeare. I watched a video of Macbeth, as best I can remember. IIRC, classic literature was covered in English I, which I didn't take.

 

[BeauJangles]

Hamlet is incredible. Read it slowly and enjoy

 

[spunkz]

i prefer dave barry

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

Couldn't tell ya, I slept through most of em when we read them in english class.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
You never went to high school? :Q

I did. We didn't read any Shakespeare. I watched a video of Macbeth, as best I can remember. IIRC, classic literature was covered in English I, which I didn't take.

What kind of highschool does not have any Shakespeare reading requirement?

 

[brigden]

All the works you've got are wonderful. After you've finished, pick up Romeo & Juliet, and my favourite, Julius Caesar.

Enjoy.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: minendo
What kind of highschool does not have any Shakespeare reading requirement?

I skipped 9th grade, which is where they do the Shakespeare stuff. Now that I think about it, I remember that there were quite a few of his works on the list of reading for that year.

I was only in 9th grade for a few days.

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
It's Shakespeare. I was at the mall and saw a book containing Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth for $6.

I've never read anything by Shakespeare. Anything I should know before reading this stuff?

Have a dictionary close at hand...there's a lot of archaic, abstract usage and since he invented a LOT of words, you may have to look them up. This isn't as much the case with the prose you find in his comedies as much as it is the poetry you find in use with the royalty...which your book is FULL of.

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

I guess I did read part of Julius Caesar, it was pretty good.

Et tu, Brute?

 

[datalink7]

Read Hamlet slowly and carfully. It is a great read but if you haven't read Shakespeare it is confusing (or at least it confuses me).

Then watch the movie Hamlet with Kenneth Braghn (spelling?).

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: MadCowDisease
Have a dictionary close at hand...there's a lot of archaic, abstract usage and since he invented a LOT of words, you may have to look them up. This isn't as much the case with the prose you find in his comedies as much as it is the poetry you find in use with the royalty...which your book is FULL of.

There are notes at the bottom of each page. Like "Haply means 'perhaps'". Looks like a darn good value for $6.95.

 

[Bowmaster]

IMHO Romeo & Juliet is easily one of the best works ever.

For the very very lazy person, watch the movie (1968 version with Olivia Hussey - NOT leo's version):
Netflix: Romeo & Juliet

Just watched it again recently!!!

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
You never went to high school? :Q

I did. We didn't read any Shakespeare. I watched a video of Macbeth, as best I can remember. IIRC, classic literature was covered in English I, which I didn't take.

wtf, what kind of english program doesn't read at least 1 shakespere play in 4 years??!


well the 4 that you have are pretty good in my opinion, hamelt and othello being my two favorites.

 

[HappyPuppy]

For some reason I enjoyed The Merchant of Venice the most. We read so much Shakespeare in the 9th grade I got sick of it.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: minendo
What kind of highschool does not have any Shakespeare reading requirement?

I skipped 9th grade, which is where they do the Shakespeare stuff. Now that I think about it, I remember that there were quite a few of his works on the list of reading for that year.

I was only in 9th grade for a few days.

I skipped 9th grade as well, but we read Shakespeare in 8th-11th.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: minendo
I skipped 9th grade as well, but we read Shakespeare in 8th-11th.

What can I say? We went to schools in different parts of the country.

We read lots of poetry, all of which I forget. They focused a lot on writing in class, moreso than reading, IIRC.

Of course, this was 6-9 years ago.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: minendo
I skipped 9th grade as well, but we read Shakespeare in 8th-11th.

What can I say? We went to schools in different parts of the country.

We read lots of poetry, all of which I forget. They focused a lot on writing in class, moreso than reading, IIRC.

Of course, this was 6-9 years ago.

I just thought it was in the norm to study Shakespeare for at least two years in high school. I know I did in SC/IN, my sister did in IN, and my brother did in TX.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Bowmaster
IMHO Romeo & Juliet is easily one of the best works ever.

For the very very lazy person, watch the movie (1968 version with Olivia Hussey - NOT leo's version):
Netflix: Romeo & Juliet

Just watched it again recently!!!

She flashes her breasts in that one!

 

[Chaotic42]

Well, I've been reading Hamlet.

Someone needs to translate that stuff into English.

 

[edjam]

Othello is ace. As are Macbeth and Hamlet. Othello though is such a well written revenge tragedy that it's just nuts more people don't know about it.

Also try out John Webster's Duchess of Malfi for some really really gruesome revenge stuff.

 

[Cashmoney995]

Shakespeare is much better read out loud than read silently. That said, shakespeare is understood best by the actor protraying a roll in his works than someone reading it.