True, Shakespeare's works are some of the most cherished works of literature in existence. Before I ever read a work of Shakespeare (I read Romeo and Juliet for the first time in 8th grade), I had this notion that the plays would instantly captivate my interest and completely draw me into them. However, to my surprise, Shakespeare's choice of diction sounded like foreign language to me! I thought "Yea right! People are really into this?!" I was immediately discouraged, feeling that I would never be able to comprehend the complex and unfamiliar language. Because I was only in the 8th grade whenever I was introduced to Shakespeare, my classmates and I heavily relied on our English teacher to interpret the text for us. However, I was fortunate enough to to experience the world of Shakespeare, again, in high school. I say "fortunate" because it was in high school that I began to appreciate Shakespeare's wonderful talent and literature.
Once I reached high school, I felt that I would eventually need to attempt to understand Shakespeare; for this famous playwright's works are referenced worldwide. My first step in tackling the diction was utilizing the little footnotes and definitions provided in the text in school. Finally I was able to gain some sort of idea about what was going on in the plays. By the time I was a senior, I grew to love coming to English class and reading Shakespeare along with my classmates. I loved being able to visualize the play from my own customized perspective as students took turn reading different roles aloud. I knew I was 'transformed' when I was predicting what would happen next in "Macbeth" as I lied in my bed before I went to sleep!
From more and more exposure to Shakespeare and suggestions from my English teachers, I have developed my own method for comprehending the diction: Instead of trying to find the footnote definition for every single word as I'm reading along, I actually read through a character's entire line/soliloquy/lines and try to come up with my own interpretation of the selection. Then, I use the footnote definitions for terms I had trouble with, even with the use of context clues. Also, I write a brief, 2-4 sentence summary after each scene, to make sure I have an understanding of what is going on. This little technique has been quite helpful for me over the past couple of years, and it also helps me with other works of literature besides Shakespeare.
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That's a really great technique--writing summaries after every scene. I sometimes just add a couple words so I remember what happened. I'm glad to hear your appreciation for Shakespeare is growing, despite the difficulty of his works!
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