2 ms·

To give you a contrarian view on what most others are telling, I strongly advise you to go see a representation of it. Theatre is made to be enjoyed live sharin

To give you a contrarian view on what most others are telling, I strongly advise you to go see a representation of it. Theatre is made to be enjoyed live sharing a space with the comedians. It’s a very different experience compared to watching a movie adaptation of it. Reading would be perfectly fine if you are happy playing theatre director in your head but if you are unfamiliar with plays I advise you to go and see some before to get a sense of the space. It helps. Reading play is quite enjoyable because they are so short compared to a novel.

ghaff 4y ago
>Theatre is made to be enjoyed live sharing a space with the comedians. It’s a very different experience compared to watching a movie adaptation of it. I don't really disagree although going to see a theater production is a higher bar than watching a movie--and, unless it's a good professional production, a good version on film will probably be better quality. In any case, it's written for watching although of course someone may want to read an annotated version for deeper study.
- ncphil 4y ago
  During my college years I was fortunate to see several live performances of various Shakespeare plays every year, mostly student productions. They were all very good, and provided the context other commentors have mentioned. Back then, Olivier's films were the standard, but I agree with many here that Branagh's productions nail it every time and for me come close to the experience of a live performance. I was a Humanities major who concentrated on Medieval and Renaissance history and culture, so familiarity with Shakespeare was required. But I enormously enjoyed it, especially the classical references. My own Latin and Greek were embarrassingly weak, and remain so to this day. Sadly, I'll no longer be able to comfort myself with the mistaken notion that the Bard shared that shortcoming.

ghaff 4y ago

>Theatre is made to be enjoyed live sharing a space with the comedians. It’s a very different experience compared to watching a movie adaptation of it. I don't really disagree although going to see a theater production is a higher bar than watching a movie--and, unless it's a good professional production, a good version on film will probably be better quality. In any case, it's written for watching although of course someone may want to read an annotated version for deeper study.

ncphil 4y ago
During my college years I was fortunate to see several live performances of various Shakespeare plays every year, mostly student productions. They were all very good, and provided the context other commentors have mentioned. Back then, Olivier's films were the standard, but I agree with many here that Branagh's productions nail it every time and for me come close to the experience of a live performance. I was a Humanities major who concentrated on Medieval and Renaissance history and culture, so familiarity with Shakespeare was required. But I enormously enjoyed it, especially the classical references. My own Latin and Greek were embarrassingly weak, and remain so to this day. Sadly, I'll no longer be able to comfort myself with the mistaken notion that the Bard shared that shortcoming.