Shakespeare SOS: Tips for reading the Bard in school

Let’s set the scene:

You’re in English class on the first day of school and the teacher is going over the syllabus. You flip immediately to the section on homework assignments and reading lists (because…duh) and there it is. Shakespeare. Eerie horror music plays. You blink, shake summer cobwebs from your head, and look again at the syllabus as the horror music swells. You pinch yourself so that you’ll wake up, but it’s not a nightmare. You do have to read Shakespeare.

If you feel a little panicked, don’t worry. You’re in good company, guaranteed. And while Shakespeare might seem intimidating, especially when an important grade hinges on your ability to understand and interpret the 400-year-old guy, he doesn’t need to be. Here are some tips that I hope will help, whether you’re already familiar with the Bard or not. Everyone is different, so these may or may not be helpful and/or applicable to you, but hopefully there’s at least something that you find useful!

1. Breathe. Yes, Shakespeare’s work is 400 years old, and he writes a little differently from how we speak today, but I promise it’s still English. Try not to let the fact that it’s Shakespeare get to you. Psyching yourself out about it isn’t going to help at all.
2. Read a summary of the play you’re supposed to read. No, it’s not cheating (unless you have expressly been asked not to, or unless you do it in place of reading the actual play which you SHOULD NOT DO!), and you may find it’s extremely helpful. It can free up your brain from spending so much energy on just trying to figure out what the heck is happening and instead help you focus more on the language, the characters, the themes, and all the lovely things that your teacher likely wants you to pay attention to. Even if you think you already know the story, it’s worth looking up a good summary and reading about it ahead of time.
3. Watch a film adaptation of the play. You may hear the phrase, “Shakespeare was meant to be watched, not read.” I can’t really argue with that factually, however much I may think there are more constructive ways to explain this idea. The point is, these are plays. Watching them can make them much easier to understand. Audiobooks are another option in addition to or in place of watching a filmed version of the play.
4. Don’t stress about understanding every single reference (or, as your English teacher might call it, allusion), every single word, or every joke. Here’s a dirty little secret that your teacher may not tell you: You’ll miss things. Everyone will miss things. Shakespeare experts whose career it is to read and analyze Shakespeare miss things, too. And that’s okay. Don’t get so caught up in understanding every single thing that you miss the basic gist of what’s going on. Don’t know why characters keep saying “marry, indeed” when they’re not talking about marriage? That’s okay. Don’t know what “forsooth” means, or why every character in Shakespeare is apparently “cousins” with every other character in Shakespeare? That’s okay, too. Put a pin in it. Maybe make a mental note (or an actual note) to ask about it – or not – and then move on. It’s not going to affect whether Hamlet dies or whether Romeo and Juliet fall for each other. If you want to use Google or look at footnotes, that’s fine, but don’t feel like you have to. If you’re having a hard time as you’re reading or you feel like reading footnotes etc. are slowing you down far too much, focus on keeping your momentum as you read. You can always come back after your first read through and look things up. This analogy might not entirely make sense, but if reading Shakespeare is like building a bridge, don’t spend ages intricately decorating its panels before you actually build the thing. Just don’t do it. (This, by the way, is another reason reading a summary ahead of time can be so helpful.)
5. Try to avoid reading “modern English translations” of Shakespeare. If you feel you need them, go for it, but I would encourage you to at least try reading the original text on its own first. Those “modern translations” remove the heart of the text, so I’d recommend trying without them. If you’re still not understanding as much of it as you’d like, reevaluate at that point.
6. Break it up. If you’re struggling, try to avoid putting yourself in the situation where you have to read the entire play in one afternoon. Take it one scene or one act at a time, then give your brain some space to process and think about it.
7. Read it. Seriously. SparkNotes, YouTube videos, and Wikipedia cannot give you the same information and experience as the actual play.
8. When all else fails, remember: at least the play is short. Do your best, stick with it, and if you’re having a negative experience, keep reminding yourself that you’re reading a play that is 2-3 hours long.
9. If you do have a negative experience, keep in mind that it may have had more to do with your class and situation than with Shakespeare. Don’t give up on him!

Best of luck on your adventure with Shakespeare!