How do I understand what is being said in Shakespeare's works? I can discern the meaning of some parts but not everything is clear.
Easiest way is to read an annotated copy and watch a high-quality performance.
>>24115706This. Shakespeare is best watched rather than read.
>>24115667Read a German translation. Modern German is closer to 17th century English than modern English is.
>>24115706This, get a Folger, RSC or Norton.
>>24115738Can most people with english as their mother tongue just go to a Shakespeare play without knowing anything about it and understand what it's about? I'm ESL and I saw one at the globe when in London and I could understand jack shit.
>>24115667project gutenberg has copies of the plays in text which may help you read it better
>>24115738I disagree. You have to do both and many times to really understand.
>>24117854>Can most people with english as their mother tongue just go to a Shakespeare play without knowing anything about it and understand what it's about?Depends on the play, but they'll almost certainly miss out on a lot. You only have to put in a little effort memorising some old words and getting used to his syntax, but after that it's all quite easy. If you don't understand a passage, beak it down and think about it for a while.
>>24115667It might become more clear if you read it out loud. That's what people do with medieval works in my language and it helps a bit. Otherwise you will simply have to learn, or perhaps get an annotated copy. Are copies with notes for outdated language not a thing in English?
>>24115667Read a translation to Modern English.They really should get a top tier translator like Emily Wilson to translate Shakespeare to a modern modern language.If you can translate Homer, you can translate Shakespeare.
>>24115667Most editions have a glossary and notes with interpretations of difficult passages, just keep consulting those. Even Wordsworth editions have enough for you to understand everything. Also, keep a good dictionary on hand. I used to struggle with Shakespeare but now I can get 95% of it on a first read.>>24119931I agree with this, it's definitely helped me with Middle English too. I used to find Chaucer incomprehensible but learning medieval pronciation makes it much more intuitive.
>>24115706>high-quality performanceany compilations & recs for each play?
>>24118441The worst/best part is that even when you grok the language, the content and meaning is so rich that it's still often difficult to follow lol. It's like chewing fudge. You want to take small bites and savor them. I don't actually like fudge.
>>24119933>Emily Wilson to translate Shakespeare"To be or not. Thats a question we all ask ourselves. Some say its nobler in the mind, some say it's not. In life there is slings and arrows and grunting. Dreams may await us after we die."
>>24120141holy kek
>>24115667Read it a little bit slower, that should help. Reread the section again and keep a dictionary nearby to reference in case any of the archaic terms go over your head. You really should just learn to read it as it is rather than get a modernized version.
>>24115667Don't get filtered. It pays off to read Shakespeare. One piece of advice I can give is read a plot summary beforehand. That might not be the best advice for everyone but it can prove useful for written works that are hard to parse at first look and help you get a general sense of what is actually going on. Keep in mind there are certain works like Romeo and Juliet where that's not really necessary because of how straightforward the plot is, or Julius Caesar because the events are already known and recognizable.
>>24115667There are many books or essays and such of peoples various interpretations. A lot of it had hidden themes and meanings.
>>24115738A lot of the jokes and intended meanings will go over your head if you haven’t read an annotated copy. Shakespeare wrote his plays to be watched but over four hundred years ago
