Shakespeare--a new must

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shayna
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Re: Shakespeare--a new must

Post by shayna »

Shakespeare's work is beautiful, and always will be seen as such. It is complex and while he was unconventional is verbiage or what have you, his poetry continues to astound me every time I see it.
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salberson 10
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Post by salberson 10 »

Deep and incitful - its necessary for everyone to atleast try him once in my opinion!
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DickDatchery
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Post by DickDatchery »

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Shakespeare's strikingly original use of language is one of the many reasons to read him. I'm always glad to see others still appreciate Shakespeare. I find many people think he is famous mainly because he is required reading in English classes or rated highly just because it is traditional to do so. On the contrary, I think he is one of the most gifted students of human character literature has ever produced, and his appreciation and understanding of all types of people and human situations is profound. Also, he is just entertaining, using wit, puns, repartee, farce--whatever will get the audience laughing. It's unfortunate that the reading styles of many people do not allow for the patience and sustained effort needed to become comfortable with Shakespeare's language. That's probably the biggest obstacle to a wider appreciation of one of the greatest writers ever.
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darkandstormyknight
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Post by darkandstormyknight »

I think almost everyone goes through a period of hating Shakespeare when they're forced to read him in high school. I think my problem was that he was so well known that I felt a little intimidated by his reputation. Anyways, I got over that eventually and now I'm a bit of a Shakespeare addict. I haven't read them all, but I really liked "Hamlet".
On a different note, has anyone read "To Be or Not To Be: That is the Adventure"? It's a choose-your-own-adventure type story that's based off of "Hamlet" and I find it hilarious!
And also "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" (a play from R+G'd perspective) is hilarious as well, I need to see a staged version at some point!
Yeesh I guess I really am obsessed with Hamlet haha.
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Post by kitsune1997 »

I don't have to start doing that. I'm already reading all of his works before I go to sleep. Every night. With no failure.
I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.
Jorge Luis Borges
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Alleyeb
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Post by Alleyeb »

I love Shakespeare but must admit that it hasn't always been the easiest for me to understand. This is especially true for when I was first introduced to it in high school. My advice: keep reading it until you get it. Sometimes I have to read a play twice before completely grasping the meaning and with each re-read you get a little more out of the language used.
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Post by Acwoolet »

Very interesting! I definitely believe that reading his works helps one to grow. Whether true or not, you're still reading literary genius!
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Post by smittycaitlin »

My favorite one of Shakespeare's works is A Midsummer Night's Dream. The first time I read it, I was in the 7th grade and I have gone to see the play on several occasions. It takes a lot of patience to read his works but if you take the time it is completely worth it. Just yesterday I decided to read over some of Mabeth which is another one I read during school.
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Post by Bookaholic14 »

From age 12 I was a fan of Shakespeare's works. At age 13 I prepared a speech about his life and writings. Although I thoroughly enjoyed writing the speech, as did my teacher, my classmates found it rather boring. Perhaps his work is something that, for the most part, requires a patient and more mature audience. I found Shakespeare’s use of nouns, verbs, and general writing fascinating. With so few words, he managed to paint a vivid picture and bring his writing to life. I enjoyed the quick, sharp witty banter in Much Ado About Nothing. It has been a few years since I have curled up with any writings by Shakespeare, but I think I may do just that this weekend.
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Post by KateNox »

Oh how I adore Shakespeare! Macbeth and King Lear remain my favorites till the day! I have read it for my lit class and we analyze it so much, only to uncover more, more, and more layers underneath of these dramas. Masterworks.
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Taylor Razzani
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Post by Taylor Razzani »

When I was in high school my English teacher gave us an assignment to write a report on a shorter piece of literature from a list he gave us. When I chose Shakespeare's sonnets everyone kind of looked at me funny, I think one guy even asked if I was crazy, jokingly I assumed. But I never understood the aversion to him. He writes beautifully, there is so much depth to his plays, and they are actually quite entertaining! I found it easy enough to read if I took my time and you aren't going to get everything in one read, but that's the beauty of it! More people should definitely read Shakespeare and not be afraid of him.
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ThatIsTheQuestion-2B
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Post by ThatIsTheQuestion-2B »

I agree with everyone in this topic-- Shakespeare is truly an interesting and satisfying read.
The one thing that I absolutely love about Shakespeare is that when you crack open a play, you must be prepared to hunker down. Shakespearean language does not come naturally to most - myself included. I read Shakespeare very very slowly and believe this is how Shakespeare should be read. I am normally a very fast reader. I zoom through books sometimes within days. That's just how I read. But, a bit like life, you have to stop and smell the roses - and that is what Shakespeare is. It requires in-depth thought, and that takes time. Let me tell you how refreshing it was to take almost a month and a half to finish Twelfth Night. I knew that I devoured every last morsel of that play, and I felt satisfied.
To read Shakespeare you must take your time. It's relaxing and enjoyable. It's that hour or two of your week that you can truly slow down, take a breather, and immerse yourself in Shakespeare.
Thank you for this discussion.
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futrzak13
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Post by futrzak13 »

This is very interesting post. I remember reading Shakespeare in school, I guess I have to go back to it :) I agree that learning second language makes us smarter too :) thank you for this post
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Manahil_Bhatty
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Post by Manahil_Bhatty »

I've studied various Shakespearean texts over the course of 6 years, and while this is the first time I've come across the study that you mentioned, I'm not surprised at the findings of the research! The Bard's creative genius challenges the mind, kindles a lingering curiosity in the brain, and leaves a lasting impact on the reader. Keen to learn more about the effects of Shakespearean works on the mind, I came across another study that stated that challenging literary works (the study sampled works from Eliot, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, among others) encouraged the brain to shift up to a 'higher gear', so to speak, igniting 'electrical activity', and acted as a 'rocket-booster' for the brain. A summary of the study was mentioned in an article by The Telegraph, 'Shakespeare and Wordsworth boost the brain, new research reveals', if anyone is interested to read up on it :)
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KeyGen4
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Post by KeyGen4 »

When I was in high school, and forced to read works by Shakespeare, I found it hard to understand. When the story line was revealed during class discussions it sounded interesting, but I wasn't seeing it with my own two eyes. I eventually came across a book that told the same Shakespeare stories but in an easier way to understand. I fell in love with the story 'As You Like It.' When I became an adult I decided to try again to read the original words of Shakespeare in stead of a re-worded version. It felt as though I was reading a new story from what I tried to read as a teen. My understanding of the words as they were meant to be read had greatly increased.
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