Why then, 'tis good to post: ye Shakespeare threade

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > Why then, 'tis good to post: ye Shakespeare threade

Sally: Jan 9, 2007; Don't post Small Dash!

Falstaff Infection posted:

No worries! Not everybody shares my bizarre Falstaff fixation.

I also love Falstaff. And this thread reminds me that I had a Read Shakespeare Together thread I should get running again.

# ¿ Dec 8, 2014 01:16

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 04:48

Sally: Jan 9, 2007; Don't post Small Dash!

Favourite Falstaff moment: when he takes credit for Hotspur's death.

# ¿ Dec 8, 2014 02:55

Sally: Jan 9, 2007; Don't post Small Dash!

AYC posted:

Isn't it generally agreed that we appreciate Shakespeare more for his language than his plots? R&J seems to be the prime example of this.

I dunno, man, it's the intermingling of both that appeal to me. The intrigue in the histories, the pathos in the tragedies--not all of his plays blow my mind, but those that do definitely are a combination of clever story-telling and clever use of language. The plot doesn't necessarily have to be deep, but it's well told. King Lear, for example.

# ¿ Dec 12, 2014 05:55

Sally: Jan 9, 2007; Don't post Small Dash!

Stick Insect posted:

As someone who speaks English as a second language, I recommend not reading Shakespeare but watching a (movie of a) play instead. I prefer having subtitles too, so I can learn both the spelling and pronunciation of some of the weirder words.

Another tip is to spoil the ending and maybe read a summary. This way, even if you miss a few lines here and there, you won't lose track of the story and you know which characters are important and which are not. Having a play subtitled "A tragedy" means you know it'll end badly, and some of them, such as Romeo and Juliet, outright give away the ending in the first minute. If you want to watch a play again, you can probably find a different edition on youtube or something, just to keep things interesting and see what different interpretations are possible.

If you actually want to try reading, get one of those "The Oxford Shakespeare" editions. Half the book is analysis, I skipped that. But the other half is the text of the play with 50% footnotes explaining the meaning of various words. I found that pretty helpful.

As someone who speaks English as a first language, this.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2015 20:10

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