HOW TO READ SHAKESPEARE
IT’S NOT EASY
Shakespeare is not easy to read and understand.
First of all because it is meant to be performed and
watched.
There are three main reason why people struggle
to understand Shakespeare• Language and vocabulary• Omission • Inversion (subject/verb)
LANGUAGE
Shakespeare wrote in “Early
Modern English” which is
not that different from
“Modern English”
THOU, THEE AND THY –YOU, YOU, AND YOUR
These words dropped out of our language a couple
centuries ago, but Shakespeare uses them. The verb
that is used with “thou” changes as well.
Example: “ Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more
wit,
Wilt thou not Jule?“
• Translation: You will fall backward when you have
more wit, Will you not, Jule?
VOCABULARY
The Oxford English Dictionary credits Shakespeare with
introducing nearly 3,000 words into the language.
Besides introducing new words, Shakespeare makes
use of obsolete words, like “ycleped” (called) and “wight”
(man).
Scholars estimate Shakespeare’s vocabulary at between
25,000 and 29,000 words, nearly twice that of the
average college student. The normal working vocabulary
of a speaker of English is around 5,000 words.
3 PROBLEMS WITH SHAKESPEARE’S WORD
CHOICE
First - he uses words that no longer exist in the English we speak.
Second - he uses words that are in our language, but now have a different meaning to us.
Third – he uses words that are in our language, but we simply don’t know what these words mean – you should look them up.
OMISSIONS/CONTRACTIONSFor the sake of his poetry, Shakespeare often left out letters,
syllables, and whole words.
It was often for the purpose of rhyme or syllabus count.
These omissions really aren't that much different from the
way we speak today in conversation. • “Goin’ to class?” Are you going to class?
• “Already been.” I have already been to class.• “And?” And how was it? (or And did you enjoy it? or And what happened
in• class? etc.)• “Whatever.” What business is it of yours? or It was a most enjoyable
class,• perhaps the best one of my academic career, etc.
COMMON CONTRACTIONS
'tis = it is
ope = open
o'er = over
gi' = give
ne'er = never
i' = in
e'er = ever
oft = often
a' = he
e'en = even
INVERSION
Sometimes Shakespeare inverts the subject and verb, or even
goes a little bit further to change the wording around in a
sentence completely.
For instance, he might write, “Went I to Bellarmine.” instead
of “I Went to Bellarmine.”
Now its your turn:• I ate the sandwich.Rewrite the sentence by changing the order of the words but not the meaning of the sentence. How many can you come up with?
STRATEGIES
Be prepared to re-read and remember that no one understands
everything about Shakespeare (or any good text) on the first, second,
or even tenth reading.
Don’t begrudge the difficulty of the language—the language is the
point!
Remember that it’s a play, so try to visualize it. Read the parts aloud.
Attend a performance or watch a filmed version of the play. Don’t let
the performance, however, substitute for the pleasure of reading, and
don’t forget that every performance is also an interpretation.