Reading Shakespeare

Reading ShakespeareA simple guide

Four Issues for the modern reader

1. Words2. Sentences3. Wordplay4. Implied Stage Action

Words

1. Unfamiliar words Antiquated (we no longer use them)▪ Parle

Discussion▪ Soft

▪ Hold How do I know this?

Footnotes

Words

2. Geography• Elsinore▪ Hamlet’s Castle

How do I know this? Footnotes

3. Words that have a different meaning3. Rivals (1.1.14) ▪ Companions

How do I know this? Footnotes

SentencesConsider the meaning: The dog bit the boy. The boy bit the dog.In English, meaning is

dependant on placement of words.

Because of this, unusual arrangements can confuse a reader

Shakespeare shifts this for his rhythm

Actors will read this to help with meaning

At home, reading aloud will help.

Sentences

English builds like this:

Shakespeare will switch these:

Subject VerbHe Goes

Verb SubjectGoes He

Sentences

English builds like this:

Shakespeare will do this:

Subject Verb ObjectI Hit Him

Object Verb ObjectHim I Hit

Sentences

Shakespeare will also separate words that usually belong together:

The sentence should read:“When he combated”

Shakespeare will write“When he the ambitious Norway combated”

Wordplay Puns

Play on words that sound the same but have different meanings

Son/sun Claudius asks his “son”

why his mood is so cloudy, to which Hamlet answers he is “too much in the sun”▪ Hamlet is not Claudius son

and is not happy being called that.

Implied Stage Action

Notice there is very italicized stage action. Shakespeare will write the stage action right into the lines – this is how actors know to: Move across the

stage Shiver because of

cold Shake hands and

hug Do a spit take

Printing a book

Published Text history

1603 – Quarto (Bad) – this includes different names and only 2,300 lines

1604/05 – Good Quarto

1623 – 7 years after death – First Folio