Why is Shakespeare hard reading?

Some readers find Shakespeare’s writing difficult because the English language was different at that time. It is not because of ignorance or illiteracy. The only reason is that many words have changed their meanings over these centuries.

Which Shakespeare is easiest to read?

Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth are pretty easy. There have been SO many adaptations of the play, so when you are reading, it’s easier to follow. If you are a beginner, then checkout Spark Notes while reading because Shakespearean English is difficult.

Which languages did Shakespeare study?

As was the case in all Elizabethan grammar schools, Latin was the primary language of learning. Although Shakespeare likely had some lessons in English, Latin composition and the study of Latin authors like Seneca, Cicero, Ovid, Virgil, and Horace would have been the focus of his literary training.

Is Macbeth difficult to read?

By William Shakespeare The plot isn’t overly complicated, since the tragedies tend to be more straightforward, and this plot is basically Man Meets Witches, Man Kills King and Many Others; Man is killed. Like a lot of Shakespeare’s plays, it’s easier to watch than it is to read, but even then it’s not super easy.

Is Shakespeare taught worldwide?

Shakespeare is taught all over the world, both in English-speaking and non-English speaking countries.

Is it hard to read Shakespeare’s language?

For many people today, reading Shakespeare’s language can be a problem—but it is a problem that can be solved. Those who have studied Latin (or even French or German or Spanish) and those who are used to reading poetry will have little difficulty understanding the language of poetic drama.

What skills do you need to read Shakespeare?

Others, however, need to develop the skills of untangling unusual sentence structures and of recognizing and understanding poetic compressions, omissions, and wordplay. And even those skilled in reading unusual sentence structures may have occasional trouble with Shakespeare’s words.

Why are some words in Shakespeare’s plays so unfamiliar?

Some are unfamiliar simply because we no longer use them. In the opening scenes of Hamlet, for example, we find such words as parle (i.e., discussion, meeting), soft (an exclamation meaning “hold” or “enough” or “wait a minute”), and marry (an oath “by the Virgin Mary,” which had by Shakespeare’s time become a mere interjection, like “indeed”).

Why are Shakespeare’s sentences so complicated?

Shakespeare’s sentences are sometimes complicated not because of unusual structures or interruptions or delays but because he omits words and parts of words that English sentences normally require. (In conversation, we, too, often omit words. We say]