Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedIs Shakespeare's writing incomprehensible?
Results so far:
| Yes | 24% | 298 votes | Total: 1225 votes | |
| No | 76% | 927 votes |
Yes
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesThis is a yes and no answer - Shakespeare, ever the great debate catalyst.
The obvious answer is that these are plays, not meant to be read like a storybook. Seeing the play definitely requires less thought and more instant enjoyment. You get out what you put in and seeing the play, feeling proud of yourself that you understood it and telling everyone that you went to see a Shakespeare play certainly has its rewards.
But if we do not stop there, we realize we are lucky that we can read them, with stage direction included, as this gives us the time and ability to research every word and nuance to death, to get as much from Shakespeare as he intended and, in many instances, did not intend!
It does, though, appear almost incomprehensible in written form to the untrained and frankly scared eye. "This is another language!" people cry, and then complain that it's irrelevant and unimportant and discard it. This is an extremely common misconception, as Shakespeare's words are in fact from the very same language we speak today. It's the arrangement that causes this lack of comprehension, and the arrangement is now outdated and unfamiliar. Once you understand the style, it is much simpler to read and understand the basic story being told.
But the real work and joy comes from research. Like all writing and art generally, knowledge of the artist and his/her place in history and society, brings a whole new meaning to the art and opens a new world. You can research the theatre of the 16th century, its audiences, architecture, technology', and role in society and the impact all of these things had on playwriting at that time. We can research Shakespeare the man, if this is indeed who even wrote the plays attributed to him, that's a whole other story! We can find out the rules of writing then, his patrons and their requirements, his need for payment and the effect of this on play content. It is endless and each piece of new information leads you off on another branch of comprehension and enlightenment.
The trick is, don't be scared. You are not wrong for enjoying Shakespeare films only. You are not wrong for not having read a single line of his work but having devoured his biography. Art in general suffers from its elitist positioning and cuts itself off from the simple pleasures of a surface observer. If we all stop listening to the critics, we can stop feeling guilty about not getting' art and get about the business of enjoying it however it fits into our lives.
Learn more about this author, Jamie Blais.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
No
To me, Shakespeare was always incomprehensible. Yes, that is not the best opening sentence for one writing to the "No." side.
Why were his works indecipherable? Or more pointedly, why were they indecipherable to me? Because, to get right to the point, I was lazy. First off the introduction to Shakespeare was in high school, not always the best time to introduce hard work, and a hard work, to a 'regular' student.
"Okay class, I want you to open your book to page 25 where we will find one of the most well known Shakespeare speeches, from Hamlet. Act 1, scene 2.
I looked down at the page. I saw words, some not in an English I knew and in addition, it was not prose but poetry. It was really depressing to boot. Three strikes and you are out!
"...How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't, ah, fie, 'tis an unweeded garden That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this.
An unweeded garden? I thought he was talking about how depressed he was, how did that turn into talking about weeds and grossness? And not good gross, like teenagers love but garbage type gross. Ick.
And the comedies? Much Ado About Nothing was much ado about 'huh?'.
"BENEDICK: This can be no trick. The conference was sadly borne; they have the truth of this from Hero; they seem to pity the lady. It seems her affections have their full bent. Love me? Why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured. They say I will bear myself proudly if I perceive the love come from her. They say too that she will rather die than give any sign of affection." That is supposed to be funny?
Flash forward, not necessarily many years later. Life hands you more experiences. Life and school educates and informs to a level of comprehension way beyond that of a teenager. The words now make sense. The sentiment is understood at a much more visceral level. .
Shakespeare writes about love, life, passion. He gives the reader the lows of despair, the highs of elation. His words are the actions of the soap opera, the romance novel, real life. He is not a writer you can throw at young people without explanation of a kind they can understand. His writings are to an audience of years and experience far advanced from that of most school age readers. He is not a writer you can expose to a young class of students without advance preparation.
"Kids, wait until you read this play, these words. It may be different than what you know and yet it is not much different than when you read Harry Potter or see Star Wars. Even though some of the words are new to you and the foreground different than real life, the background truths are about a life that we all know."
Give a reader the context and an explanation and see how much more accessible and understandable the writings of this most prolific and extravagant writer becomes.
Learn more about this author, Carol Levy.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
