Beyond Shakespeare

I think it is mainly because Shakespeare is so old, but there is really a lot more than just the straight plays that should be examined when learning about this work. The language and culture are so different now than they were when Shakespeare was alive, and therefore some extra effort is required. I am a strong believer of reading a plot summary before diving into the play of choice. Recently, I have also pulled up a character list (with descriptions) while reading so that every time a new person was introduced I could double check that I understood who everyone was. With all the linguistic helps it is not difficult to get an edition of any Shakespeare play that has built in definitions and allusion helps. Out of everything that I can easily do to better understand this literature, I am going to make an effort to read out loud. (Roommates, friends, hope you are ready for some Shakespeare sessions!)