Muahaha! I can understand Shakspearian Language!

[Leb]

I like Shakespeare. I've always liked reading old novels, plays, and short stories by many authors, but Shakespeare is one of my favorites. I've only read two of his plays, though--I read Hamlet in eighth grade on my own, and this year (my freshman year of high school) we read Romeo and Juliet in English class.

I looked up "wherefore," and you're right--it's supposed to mean something to the amount of "Why are you/why do you have to be [Romeo]?" instead of "where" which some people must confuse it as. Juliet means "Why do you have to be Romeo? Pretend you're not in the family you are and refuse your name, because a name means nothing," or at least that's how I've always thought of it.

[Jitterbug]

I studied Shakespeare in University. It would have been really fun if the Prof hadn't been terrible. The things you pay for.

Anyway, Shakespeare is no problem, it's chatspeak I can't understand.

[Jitterbug]

Contrary to popular belief, Shakespearean characters do live in the real world, and the only difference in their speech is that it's better than real people.

Actually, this is not accurate. Shakespearean language was REAL LANGUAGE, when it was written. They lived in the real world and they spoke like real people. Also, they didn't speak better than we do, in fact, in most cases it was just the same or worse. A lot of Shakespearean plays were written to appeal to the common people as well, so a lot of the language is very rude by their standards. Especially the comedies.

In Shakespeare's time, the lower classes would have to stand at the bottom, right in front of the stage (standing room only). Frequently they weren't impressed by the play unless there was the occasional rude joke or incident thrown in. If they didn't like what they saw, they would usually express their displeasure by throwing things at the actors. And this was usually rotten fruit and vegetables.

However, there are a lot of really beautiful lines in Shakespeare, it just takes a more focused read to find them and understand them.

I saw an excellent adaptation of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' I had read the play in High School, but hadn't really enjoyed it until I saw that version of it. Now it's one of my favourites. Hamlet on the other hand...Let's just say Keanu Reeves does not have the talent to pull that off.

And yes, playing certain roles are extremely difficult, and the actors who do so convincingly should be applauded for their efforts.

[Plushie]

We did A Midsummer Night's Dream last year in English in Yr8.
It was so funny we had to modernise one of the scenes.
I think I was Hermia or was it Helena.
But I didn't really like how our English teacher taught it.
I have got her two years in a row actually! Shes hates my work even though English is one of my best subjects.
This year we are doing Romeo and Juilet. Hopefully it is will be better this year. I have split classes with two different teachers so I'm hopefully the other teacher teaches that rather than the other teacher. I think the other is going to do short series. Woohoo! Wonder if I can pass neopet stories off...hehe
I would rather read them myself in my own time but if I'm forced to read Shakespeare class it will kill two birds with one stone.

[sara]

pseudo said:

Actually, this is not accurate. Shakespearean language was REAL LANGUAGE, when it was written. They lived in the real world and they spoke like real people. Also, they didn't speak better than we do, in fact, in most cases it was just the same or worse. A lot of Shakespearean plays were written to appeal to the common people as well, so a lot of the language is very rude by their standards. Especially the comedies.

I was talking about Shakespearean characters, not Elizabethan people. Yes, Shakespeare had an atrocious sense of spelling and grammar (in fact, he couldn't make up his mind how to spell is own name). But while it is argued that people naturally speak in iambic beats, I assuredly do not speak in rhyming pentameter on a regular basis, and I doubt the Elizabethans did either.

Also, SHAKESPEAREAN (not Elizabethans per se) characters do say things better than we do. Try to say this quote from Sir Falstaff "Brevity is the soul of wit" in a more efficient and elegant way.

EDIT : There were a zillion conventions of the Elizabethan theatre - for example, walnuts were a popular snack in Elizabethan times, and the floor of the theatre was covered in walnut shells. That was convienient for the theatre's owners as it spared them the cost of getting something besides a dirt floor. Also, Elizabethan plays were two hours long without intermissions, and the theatres didn't have bathrooms, so you can imagine what the theatre smelled like.

[Jitterbug]

Um, alright, but I have no idea what the point of that last bit was...