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This is also exacerbated by the didactic approaches people like OP (and most teachers) take, about why the students -should- enjoy Shakespeare. I bet I would h

This is also exacerbated by the didactic approaches people like OP (and most teachers) take, about why the students -should- enjoy Shakespeare. I bet I would have liked it more in school (rather than much afterwards, when I became acquainted with the Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta, though props to the teachers who set up field trips there) if instead a teacher had said "Okay guys. We're watching a movie today. It's going to be a little hard to understand, but don't worry too much about it; it's less the words and more the performance. There won't be a test, but we will discuss it afterwards. I'll have subtitles on to help with understanding; it's kind of interesting to see how English has changed since this was made, but how it still has themes you'll recognize, and can still be emotionally charged even when you don't fully understand everything being said. It may be a little challenging given that, but I think you're up to it", and then put on Branagh's Hamlet.

generj 5y ago
I not only agree with your post but also want to heartily endorse the Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta. They go to great lengths to ensure everyone in the audience understands e.g. that Romeo and Juliet has loads of raunchy humor. I’m confident I could attend a play I have never read and understand the emotional and plot bones of it at Shakespeare Tavern. And in my experience their food only helps me in my understanding of the play! All for a quite modest price.
hamburglar 5y ago
I’d have gotten a lot more out of Shakespeare if they started by going through a deep line-by-line analysis of all the oblique and double meanings of an annotated rap song on genius.com (nee rapgenius.com) and then said, “ok, now we are going to do the same thing to find all the clever double entendres, jokes and allusions in Shakespeare”

generj 5y ago

I not only agree with your post but also want to heartily endorse the Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta. They go to great lengths to ensure everyone in the audience understands e.g. that Romeo and Juliet has loads of raunchy humor. I’m confident I could attend a play I have never read and understand the emotional and plot bones of it at Shakespeare Tavern. And in my experience their food only helps me in my understanding of the play! All for a quite modest price.

hamburglar 5y ago

I’d have gotten a lot more out of Shakespeare if they started by going through a deep line-by-line analysis of all the oblique and double meanings of an annotated rap song on genius.com (nee rapgenius.com) and then said, “ok, now we are going to do the same thing to find all the clever double entendres, jokes and allusions in Shakespeare”