Why Shy Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare’s work and a high school student never mix well together. Students often fear reading his plays; shying away from the pages due to the fact that it’s written in Old English. However, you have to face your fears. There are many ways to cope with reading Shakespeare’s plays and also understand and enjoy them.
I found it helpful to reread certain lines or even acts when they were assigned. As you first start to read Shakespeare, it is extremely difficult to get use to the way he writes, but as time goes on, it does get easier. You might read over a soliloquy and ask yourself, what did I just read? Being that we don’t speak this type of language anymore, it’s important that you pick apart the lines and reread two or even three times if you have to. It does take time, but it is most definitely worth it.
Seminar circle is a great way to interact and talk about what we just read. We all get into a circle and discuss what was read that previous night. Ideas, thoughts, and questions are passed around, and students feed off of others’ responses. If you have no idea what was said in the assigned act, this discussion helps tremendously. You are able to listen to other students’ comprehensions of what they read and get a better understanding. You aren’t subjected to thinking one thing, many students have different views on what they understood and got out of the reading. It is a great way to share your thoughts and clear up confusion that you may have.
You can also use Sparknotes as a helpful tool for Shakespeare. If you read a scene and still don’t understand what is going on, Sparknotes is great option to use. It summarizes each scene and act to where it’s put into words that a high school student can easily understand. It really helped me to validate what I had just read and I recommend using this. This resource is not a replacer though; you should never just read Sparknotes and not the assigned act.
Another great technique is to use is Youtube. You can always go on and watch the different scenes from the play if you need a better understanding. As a visual learner myself, I found this helpful. I was able to see it acted out along with all of the stage directions and how the characters interacted with each other.
The way Shakespeare writes is very interesting and different, but you can’t let that overwhelm you. His style is very unique and I understand why English classes still read his works today. Although the Old English is difficult, I think it’s great that it is still taught in today’s classrooms. Shakespeare is a very classic author; he has very many famous lines still said today. As you read Shakespeare, just remember to take your time and know that you aren’t going to click with everything. To truly get comfortable with what Shakespeare writes, it does take time.
I found it helpful to reread certain lines or even acts when they were assigned. As you first start to read Shakespeare, it is extremely difficult to get use to the way he writes, but as time goes on, it does get easier. You might read over a soliloquy and ask yourself, what did I just read? Being that we don’t speak this type of language anymore, it’s important that you pick apart the lines and reread two or even three times if you have to. It does take time, but it is most definitely worth it.
Seminar circle is a great way to interact and talk about what we just read. We all get into a circle and discuss what was read that previous night. Ideas, thoughts, and questions are passed around, and students feed off of others’ responses. If you have no idea what was said in the assigned act, this discussion helps tremendously. You are able to listen to other students’ comprehensions of what they read and get a better understanding. You aren’t subjected to thinking one thing, many students have different views on what they understood and got out of the reading. It is a great way to share your thoughts and clear up confusion that you may have.
You can also use Sparknotes as a helpful tool for Shakespeare. If you read a scene and still don’t understand what is going on, Sparknotes is great option to use. It summarizes each scene and act to where it’s put into words that a high school student can easily understand. It really helped me to validate what I had just read and I recommend using this. This resource is not a replacer though; you should never just read Sparknotes and not the assigned act.
Another great technique is to use is Youtube. You can always go on and watch the different scenes from the play if you need a better understanding. As a visual learner myself, I found this helpful. I was able to see it acted out along with all of the stage directions and how the characters interacted with each other.
The way Shakespeare writes is very interesting and different, but you can’t let that overwhelm you. His style is very unique and I understand why English classes still read his works today. Although the Old English is difficult, I think it’s great that it is still taught in today’s classrooms. Shakespeare is a very classic author; he has very many famous lines still said today. As you read Shakespeare, just remember to take your time and know that you aren’t going to click with everything. To truly get comfortable with what Shakespeare writes, it does take time.