I very firmly believe that if you can read and understand Shakespeare, you can read and understand almost anything (although you may have problems in quantum physics). Shakespeare can be used as a pivot point for mythology (Midsummer's Night Dream), marriage, Greek Tragedy (Titus Andronicus), Italian Comedy, Elizabethan culture and history, Catholicism, and English history. Then, of course, there's the poetry rhymed and unrhymed (iambic pentameter). If you can write a Shakespearean sonnet (there are other forms like Italian), you can write any kind of poem. Scottish history (Macbeth), the world of fantasy (fairies, monsters, ghosts, sprites, witches, as in The Tempest, Midsummer's Night Dream, Hamlet). Want an exhaustive list? Give me a week or two...
However, I will be the first to admit that reading a Shakespeare play for the first time is no easy going. Sure, Shakespeare was writing in English--the English of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Our language has changed a lot, for various reasons. Granted, Shakespeare is not the easiest person to read, but I really think it's well worth the effort. It could be worse after all. Trying reading the original Canterbury Tales.
One of the things that Shakespeare is most lauded for his his use of language. He can be rude and pungent and then turn around and give us the most achingly beautiful passages about love or give us chilling passages about death, revenge, jealousy...It goes on. His language is full of images and metaphors we still use today. For example (taken from a BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/teache
A dish fit for the gods - Julius Caesar
A foregone conclusion - Othello
A laughing stock - The Merry Wives of Windsor
A sorry sight - Macbeth
All that glitters is not gold - The Merchant of Venice
All's well that ends well - All's Well That Ends Well
As dead as a doornail - Henry VI
As pure as the driven snow - The Winter's Tale / Macbeth
At one fell swoop - Macbeth
Bloody minded - Henry VI
Cold comfort - The Taming of the Shrew
The dogs of war - Julius Caesar
Eaten out of house and home - Henry V, Part 2
Fair play - The Tempest
Fancy free - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Flesh and blood - Hamlet
For ever and a day - As You Like It
Green-eyed monster - Othello
High time - A Comedy of Errors
I have not slept one wink - Cymbeline
I will wear my heart upon my sleeve - Othello
In a pickle - The Tempest
In my mind's eye - Hamlet
In stitches - Twelfth Night
In the twinkling of an eye - The Merchant Of Venice
Lay it on with a trowel - As You Like It
Lie low - Much Ado About Nothing
Love is blind - The Merchant Of Venice
Milk of human kindness - Macbeth
More fool you - The Taming of the Shrew
Mum's the word - Henry VI, Part 2
Neither here nor there - Othello
Send him packing - Henry IV
Set your teeth on edge - Henry IV
The Queen's English - The Merry Wives of Windsor
There's method in my madness - Hamlet
This is the short and the long of it - The Merry Wives of Windsor
Too much of a good thing - As You Like It
Tower of strength - Richard III
Vanish into thin air - Othello
There's more, but I'm going to stop there.
Another thing that makes Shakespeare so challenging is the fact that Shakespeare's use of symbolism is not always clear and obvious. For example, cite Ophelia's use of flowers before her suicide. There are still debates about the significance of those flowers, and how they apply to the person they are given. Also, keep in mind that most Shakespeare, (his sonnets excluded), were meant to be performed, not read. The meaning an actor gives to his or her character can be lost to the reader.
However, I digress. Shakespeare is important to the understanding of western literature for many reasons. A. He has stood the test of time, and has not been forgotten. B. Some critics would argue (particularly Harold Bloom) would argue that Shakespeare redefined the way people understood human psychology, and was able to probe deeper into the human psyche then any author before him. C. Shakespeare is universial, not in language, but in themes. Once one has surpassed the trappings of language, it is not hard to understand the various human themes shakespeare touches upon in his works. Shakespeare, though he may not have intended it, was not just a wonderful playright, he was very intuitive when it came to the human spirit. Thus, a great deal of his works still can effect the modern reader, and still influences literature today.
What kind of literature, you ask? Ho ho!
A HIT! A VERY PALPABLE HIT!
The language is that of the 16th century (though not in verse), so it could prove troublesome for less dedicated readers. I liked running into lines from the play; it was like a little game.
Naturally, any retelling of the master is going to have some detractions and this book is no exception. However, Fielder does some really interesting things with both her heroine and Shakespeare's characters that I really appreciated. Not only does she make Ros interesting, she makes her smart and driven as well. Methinks Shakespeare would approve. Additionally, Benvolio gets a good deal of the spotlight, and Mercutio turns out to have layers. Even Tybalt comes off as more than a quick-tempered jerk. Paris is (as I've always suspected) stupid, and Rosaline herself is worthy of Romeo's worship, even though he's not really worthy of her.
Delightfully, Fielding is is mostly faithful to the play--which, as an Enlgish major, I've read about fifty million times--but there toward the end, it seemed like she was going for something so outrageous I considered throwing the book across the room. Fortunately she reined it in, but it was close. A quick, witty and overall enjoyable read, especially for those who'd like a little more substance in their teen romances. If you like this,be sure to check out Dating Hamlet, Fielding's sequel in the same vane.
PLAYER: In our experience, most things end in death.
Last, but far and away not least, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is likely the best play I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The play tells the story of Hamlet through the eyes of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, his oft-confused friends from his youth. These bumbling characters are fantastically written, as they continually use wordplay reminiscent of the Monty Python gang to discuss extremely deep subjects such as metaphysics, despite the fact that they likely don't know much of what they're talking about.
In Hamlet, R&G are so minor that their names are interchangeable. Stoppard plays on this theme to explore what life is like for two characters who are no more than background in somebody else’s great drama. Everyone’s greatest fear, I think: that ultimately, they are insignificant.
Witty, sad and undeniably brilliant, Stoppard manages to make Hamlet FUN again! If you like this, check out other plays by Tom Stoppard. Arcadia is one of my all time favorite reads (and that's saying something!).
IN SUMMARY:
People who have studied Shakespeare:
- Have a broader view of the world in general.
- Have little trouble in other literature classes.
- Do well in logic and philosophy.
- Appreciate other art forms as well: music, drama, art, costume, writing.
- Have an easier time grasping the concepts of character, plot, irony, universal truth, advanced vocabulary, etc.
- Usually go on to college studies; can better judge what is a good book.
- Understand concepts in clear speaking.
- Have a broader view of important historical events.
- Have a greater understanding of human nature (greed, faithfulness, love, power, gentleness, poor choices, honesty, integrity, popularity, danger, patriotism, selfishness, self-sacrifice, etc.)
- Generally kick ass.
- Still not convinced? Check out http://www.metalshakespeare.com
