Stella's Advice on Studying Shakespeare

To take a Shakespeare course, or not to take a Shakespeare course. That is the great dilemma. Dear nonexistent younger sibling, I sure care a lot about you, even though I've never met you. That's why I'm here to impart a little sisterly wisdom upon you. I just finished taking a Shakespeare course at BYU and while it seemed somewhat daunting at first, I now feel as if the Bard and I are kindred spirits.

So, first of all my Shakespeare experience this semester was definitely non-traditional and while I'm typically disinclined to use any form of social media, I was required to use a social app on my phone to discuss the texts we read with my peers. I hardly even use Facebook. It's impressive that I'm even friends with our other siblings. For some reason I can never find you on Facebook though . . . strange. Anyways, I gradually began to realize that the social app, Slack, actually greatly enhanced my reading of the texts, as my peers were able to provide ideas that I had never even considered before. Some of the ideas that were bounced back and forth between myself and my peers actually resulted in questions that I proceeded to research for my papers this semester. While your professor might not use a social media app to facilitate your discussions, I would find someone in the class who you could converse with or even text with as you read your assigned texts!

We also read all of our texts on the Kindle app. First of all, my back appreciates my "smartphone" experience this semester, as the Professor came in with a rather intimidatingly large novel the first day of class and then presented us with the option of using the Kindle app instead. I don't regret this. You know that I am a bibliophile and that I love the smell and feel of a book, but I began to realize the advantages of using the Kindle app as a means of studying Shakespeare! I could highlight the passages I loved or wanted to investigate into the meaning of a little more, and then easily revisit these passages later. This was a HUGE asset when I was required to write my papers, as different themes were highlighted in different colors and it was easy to find the passages I wanted to include in my paper.

I know you're thinking "okay, but how can I contribute to the vast research that has already been done and Shakespeare and all his works?" I have toured the vastly inauspicious shelves of the library, and I too wondered how I would ever find a topic that had not been absolutely exhausted. Yet our use of social media in studying Shakespeare helped me to recognize that our contemporary world still explores Shakespeare through modern means. I did a rather traditional character analysis for my final paper, but there were many students who explored how Tumbler or even Pinterest affect or even transform our understanding of Shakespeare's timeless texts.

We were heavily encouraged to use non-traditional sources throughout the semester, so as I researched my own paper one of my favorite non-traditional sources were audiobooks and theatrical productions that were posted on YouTube. Both audio and video performances can be your best friend, as these are plays that are intended to be SEEN, not simply read! So get out there and watch performances and see how they are able to enhance your understanding of the plays you read. Even pictures were helpful as I cited them in my paper, as they helped to convey my argument in a visual manner.

I know you've probably fallen asleep by now, but perchance you are still not convinced that you should enroll in a Shakespeare class, I want to tell you about one of my favorite experiences this semester. After reading Henry V, we watched several short clips from different films in class and we interacted on a google doc as we watched the videos. We wrote down our observations concerning the lighting, acting, props, dialogue, and the camera angles and shots and interpreted how these different elements contributed to the play's meaning. I LOVED this in-class assignment!

Well, this class should be added to your schedule by now. I know that you'll learn to love the bard just as much as me, dear non-existent younger sibling. He's a pretty funny and dramatic dude, so he'll probably catch you off guard quite often.

Love ya!

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Riley's Advice on Studying Shakespeare

Dear Rees, 

I'm thrilled that you decided to study English (I confess, I was a little taken back since I know you hate to read...). But I understand that you signed up for a Shakespeare course - which can seem a little daunting at first. But don't worry, it’s perfectly normal to be nervous. Nevertheless, I thought I’d take this opportunity to pass along some of my wisdom. 

Shakespeare and his many works are timeless and therefore lend themselves to so many different disciplines. So, if you're human and you have interests (which, if I remember correctly, you are and you do...), Shakespeare can as easily apply to your life as it has mine.

 In my Shakespeare class, my teacher emphasized the use of media; so, we read the plays via e-books, we engaged in a weekly group chats, and we used a blog to discuss our insights. The ability for Shakespeare to exist in your pocket and on your iPhone, can attest to that unquestionable timelessness. If you ever have a question, or a concern, there are hundreds of others like you who are studying Shakespeare that can be reached within minutes. For example, I wrote a paper this semester linking "Romeo and Juliet" with hip-hop. That topic may sound like a reach; nevertheless, I was able to talk with countless people (friends and strangers) about it on the internet. Shakespeare is being taught and studied around the world - and it's such an asset to tap into that shared collective experience.

Therefore, as you go about in your personal research, you can reach out to various formal and informal sources to help you formulate your thesis and provide new insights and perspectives. I would suggest that if you have a more modern take on Shakespeare (by the way, a quick search on google found tons of sources about Shakespeare and The Beatles and even some on Simon and Garfunkel *wink *wink) informal sources can help you determine how Shakespeare is being either talked about now or appropriated for modern audiences. However, formal sources can help you situate your argument around pre-existing criticism and the World Shakespeare Bibliography can help you locate those sources. However, using informal media sources can also help you in your understanding of the plays as you read them. Kindle books can let you see what passages people are highlighting in the play and what’s being said about it. Similarly, websites like Sparknotes and Shmoop can help you explicate passages which are confusing and use archaic and/or dense language.

I assure you, whatever question you may have about Shakespeare, there is someone, somewhere with the same question. So, I challenge you this next semester to interact with nontraditional sources in order to satisfy your curiosity (who knows what has been said about Shakespeare and The Beatles) and to ease your worries. Shakespeare has great potential to help us understand the world around us – but that’s only possible if were willing to have those conversations with others and share our unique insights.  

Best of luck, 

Riley 

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Brett’s Advice on Studying Shakespeare

Hey kiddo, 

I had a really good experience studying individual plays with my partner. We studied Othello and because I had never read that play before, I really enjoyed studying it with freedom to focus on what I found interesting. However, it was also nice to have a framework within the class to refer back to, and a partner with whom I could converse. I encourage you to find a friend in the class who you can trade papers with for rough draft editing, who you can ask questions to without feeling dumb, and who you can touch base with when things don’t make sense. Regardless of what you are studying, this is SUPER helpful in college!

I suggest reading summaries of Shakespeare’s plays online before addressing the actual play—this might feel like cheating a little, but don’t worry! It is important to understand the plot before diving into the rhetorical and character analyses. Not only will it help you enjoy the story, but it will also help you enjoy the language Shakespeare employed. In approaching writing and researching about Shakespeare, I encourage you to start informally and move toward the formal articles. It is helpful to start with language that is approachable and understandable. In doing this, the more formal articles become easier to access mentally.

I really liked Slack and have enjoyed building comra1dery with my classmates. I don’t even know or recognize some people from a few of the classes I’ve taken this semester. It makes work boring and also makes it hard to learn if you don’t have anyone to discuss things with. By always having a large group of people to converse with, I have been able get any questions answered quickly and with multiple viewpoints.

I have also really learned from nontraditional sources. Don’t be scared to engage with sources like YouTube, Pinterest, Wikipedia, Spotify, etc. There is a massive world of Shakespeare on the internet, and so many people who know more than you do. Before this class, I wouldn’t have thought to research Shakespeare through video or media, but I have learned to filter sources for reliable, mostly reliable, and probably not reliable (but usually very interesting). Both nontraditional and social sources have helped me engage more with the contemporary conversation going on around me, rather than just looking at old books and articles. 

All my Shakespearean love,

BR 

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McKay's Advice on Studying Shakespeare

Dear Carter,

I heard you are taking Shakespeare this next semester and was a little worried. So I decided that I could give you some tips of what I did to enjoy and understand Shakespeare more this semester.

Probably the most rewarding experience that I had this semester was when our professor gave us the opportunity to pick any Shakespeare writing that we wanted and then basically do a book club with another student over Slack, a social media app. We picked certain times during the week where we would read the same part of the text and just dialogue with one another, researching things that we found interesting, and bounced ideas off one another. Let me tell you Carter, it was a blast! I learned so much! I felt like I needed to know as much as I could about the play we were reading (which was Julius Caesar) so I could help my partner and give valuable comments to our conversation. Overall, a great experience.

I know that one of your major concerns when it comes to studying Shakespeare is understanding it. That was one of my major concerns when I started this class too. One thing that I did throughout the course was that I would make sure I knew what was going to happen in the scene or act before I read it. I would read a summary from sparknotes, the edition we were reading, or some other source online. This way I didn’t have to worry about the content of the play and I could just soak in the beautiful language of Shakespeare. It took a little extra time, but totally worth it.

To better my ability in researching Shakespeare I started by annotating my text. I would color code my notes by literary devices, topics/themes, vocabulary words, etc. This gave me a repertoire of things to research and use in my essays. For example, in King Lear, I marked the passages yellow that had anything to do with a fool, which made it very easy to find passages about that topic when I was looking for resources in my paper.  I also cited every literary tool that I could spot in the play. So when I recognized the repetition in the speech of Lear was being done to enhance the crazy aspect of his character, I used that in my paper to show that not only the content supported my thesis, but also the literary tools Shakespeare used.

What was cool about my class was that we were able to use social and non-scholarly sources, which helped me have interesting dialogue and learn things that I never would have before. Non-scholarly sources are easier to read then the traditional published sources because they aren’t so wordy and get straight to the point, so it made reading about Shakespeare a lot more interesting and fun. This helped me think of ideas I never would have thought of by myself.

My class also focused on social-oriented learning, which really helped me because I was able to go to my peers for help and verification on my ideas without feeling weird. When you are expected to talk with your classmates about everything, it no longer becomes an issue to ask for help, so that was my favorite part about my class. If I were you, I would definitely take advantage of your classmates and try to converse with them as much as possible.

Well Carter, I hope this helps you! Have a blast this semester!

Love,

McKay

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Mary's Advice on Studying Shakespeare

Dear Nobody,

I'm shocked and proud that you finally chose English, and I'm so excited for you to take a Shakespeare class.  From what we've talked about already, I know you'll love it.  I understand why you're worried though.  Reading Shakespeare for a college class can be very different, but let me tell you that Shakespeare is about to get a lot more intriguing.

First of all, if you have a chance to chose a play, I highly recommend Richard III, because villains are great and that one has a variety of interesting characters who haven't all received a lot of critical attention.  While you're reading, it's super cool to look up images of the characters.  Artists have such an interesting way of looking at people and this can really help you get a sense of what's going on.
Also, pace yourself when reading.  Reading too much at once will probably cause it all to just fly over your head and you'll miss some awesome cleverness (Shakespeare is hilarious.)  Look at the footnotes too or else you'll probably miss a lot and get lost, but don't let them distract you and you really don't need to look up things you already know.   Getting some background too is helpful, and it doesn't usually spoil the story. It really helps to get that context, whether that means wikipedia-ing the history or else watching a version of the play first.  (Remember how I hated Rob Roy until I re-read it after researching Scottish history?  Now, I won't shut up about it.  It's basically the same for Richard III, except, well, it isn't quite Rob Roy).

I know the long paper is also worrying you, but I can guarantee that, once you get into the idea, you'll probably having a harder time shutting up that reaching the page amount.  But one vital advice: START EARLY!  You can do so much, but not if you don't have time.  Furthermore, research something that interests you.  Research was made much more fun when it meant scrolling through memes on my favorite social media site to collect resources. And yes, surprise! You can use more than scholarly articles. Heck, use Snapchat if you want.

Once you have that idea that's all yours, it's exciting to learn about and probe. Don't be afraid to get excited and geeky.  If your idea seems a little crazy at first, don't be discouraged, at least you know you're probably trying something new. Talk to other people about it.  Pretty much everyone knows about Shakespeare or had to read some play or another.  I talked to people online who I knew were reading Shakespeare and they had some great ideas and were very encouraging. Also, go to the library.  Even if they don't have a book on your topic and I can guarantee that there's a chapter somewhere there will help you analyse or prove a point. Don't worry that your sources don't exactly match  your subject, remember that it's a good sign if what you're saying hasn't been said before.  The great thing is though, you don't have to stick to the library either!  You can go directly to the scholars if you want and e-mail them.  Knowing you, that's something you'd have no struggle with.

So, don't worry, get excited, try new things, and get as deep into as you can.  Good luck.

-Mary

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Rachel's Advice on Studying Shakespeare

Dear Michael,

Wow! I am so excited that you decided to follow in my footsteps and study English! I mean, I feel like I got the short end when you chose to learn trumpet like Jeff instead of saxophone like me. I am glad you have enjoyed it, but I feel better now that you have chosen to study English! Some people might tell you that it is a pointless degree, but you will gain so many beneficial analytical, communicative, and writing skills that will help you in future endeavors, so it is far from being pointless. Plus, lots of girls major in English, so you will be set! ;)

Now, I know you see and hear that Shakespeare is a required course, and all you can do is think back to the teachers in high school that forced his works on you in an unflattering way. You disliked their teaching methods, and wished that you could do something else instead, like playing a video game. But what if I were to tell you that Shakespeare does not have to be awful and boring, and that you can learn just as much from different non-traditional sources as you could from scholarly sources and the text?

Technology and social media are everywhere today, and you can use them in your studies! Shakespeare is better enjoyed and understood when it is more than just read. You can find performances and interviews, pictures and quotes all over the internet that can help influence your learning and study. That really helped me! I looked up YouTube videos that discussed the theme of identity in King Lear, which gave me a great starting point that allowed me to read the text in a more focused way, for I started looking for themes of identity and familial inheritance, and I better understand that text as a result. I also saw a performance of Hamlet last fall that gave me perspective on the textual themes as we read it for class, and when I viewed the performance again, my love for and appreciation of Hamlet deepened because I had been able to experience it in multiple forms, and could compare the differences between live performance and filmed performance on the themes.

Writing about Shakespeare can be tricky, but there are many resources out there to help! Most importantly, choose a theme and text that interest you, or that you feel you have personally connected with. A Midsummer Night’s Dream allowed me to reflect on how my perceptions and emotions have been influenced by memory, which allowed me to see just how important memories are to shaping human experience and maturity. As I reflected on that, I found sources from social media that led me to discover someone creating a children’s book of the play. Her insights gave me the idea that I wanted to focus on in my paper, which was neat! Don’t discount non-traditional sources! Had I done that, my paper would be a sad lump.

Overall, Shakespeare is not as bad as you think! His themes are so relatable today, and some of his famous soliloquys are ingenious. All you need to do is enter your class with an open mind. Don’t let what others say scare you. Shakespeare can help you learn in ways you did not think possible! Because of what I learned about Shakespeare, I can now enter other fields with a more open mind than before. Best of luck, for you will love it!

Love,

Rachel

 

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Isaac's Advice on Studying Shakespeare

Dear younger sibling (who I am going to name Sir Albatross),

I got really excited the other day when you mentioned that you wanted to take Shakespeare next semester. Mom told me that you started to have some second thoughts though. Can I ask what it is you're hesitant about?

One of the biggest things to remember is that it's okay if Shakespeare seems like a different language at the beginning. You have really good resources, including Sparknotes and other websites, your peers, and your professor, that will help you to understand and enjoy his writings. Take advantage of these; they're not bad. In fact, learning the synopsis through online summaries can be really helpful, especially since when you don't have to focus too much on plot, you can focus more on how Shakespeare actually wrote the play. Another thing is to make sure you're highlighting things that stand out to you. He's so good with connecting with different people. Take what stands out to you and then run with it. That really helped me to enjoy some of his work that I hadn't read before this class, like Henry V or King Lear.

When you find something that really speaks to you, that's when you know you have something to write about. And you have to trust that it'll come. Believe me, if you know the synopsis beforehand, and you look for how Shakespeare wrote, and if you keep up in discussions with friends and the professor, you will always have some interesting topic that you can research and write about. I was able to write a paper about psychological analysis, and another one about teaching. Both of these came just from things that I noticed that I thought were cool and from things that I feel like I'm really interested in.

One thing I learned just barely is the importance of talking about these things with people from all over the place. Don't be afraid to bring up your ideas with your classmates, your friends, and even other professors. I was able to find a professor in Iowa who researched similar topics to my final paper, and I sent her an email. I realized how easy it is to reach out and see if people are interested in discussing Shakespeare, which a lot of people are. I think I could have reached out earlier and to more people online, either professors or enthusiasts, because it really isn't hard once you actually do it.

I want to tell you about one last experience to hopefully sell you on the whole Shakespeare idea. I remember you reading Hamlet in high school. Although you may or may not have enjoyed it, we watched a production of Hamlet for this class after reading it, with Benedict Cumerbatch as the leading role! What was more impressive, however, was not the play itself but everyone's interpretations that they saw in the production that we discussed afterwards. Trust me, Shakespeare becomes a lot better in college when people are more equipped to pick out interesting points. You really see the beauty in his rhetoric and in his plot. You're a smart kid. I think you'd get a lot out of it.

Anyway, good luck with your decision. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask me. I'm a hot mess, but I can at least tell you what I know from my experiences.

Love ya Sir,

Isaac

P.S. Shakespeare is rad, yo!

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Leah's Advice on Studying Shakespeare

Dear Sara,

I always knew you'd follow in my footsteps and become an English major! Since you'll soon be taking a Shakespeare class I thought I should give you some advice on how to handle the class well.

I think everyone is at least a little bit scared of Shakespeare...He represents high culture, a difficult version of English that makes us feel stupid sometimes.. But he is such a huge part of the history of the English language and the development of literature. After taking this class, I feel so much more confident in continuing to read Shakespeare and helping others to enjoy it as well.

My favorite thing that I was able to do this semester was memorize one of Shakespeare's sonnets. I memorized Sonnet 80 and then performed a video of it. It was a really fun way to engage with Shakespeare's writing because I had to put a lot of thought into the emotion, rhythm, meter, etc. Performing has never been my strong suit and so it took a lot of practice but it was also a lot of fun!

Because of the way that Shakespeare is written and talked about, many people have an expectation that it is going to be difficult and that his plays are something to suffer through. However, if you take a step back and have a positive attitude about it, it's much easier to tackle. You can go into a reading of Shakespeare with an expectation that you will enjoy it and that it will be a valuable experience! If you envision it this way, it is more likely to happen!

I've really enjoyed making reading Shakespeare a social experience. Talking about what I'm reading with others helps me to gain new insight into themes, characters, and symbols. I definitely would not have learned so much if I didn't reach out to others to discover what they were learning from the text.

When it comes to writing and researching about Shakespeare, make sure that you branch out--explore ideas that a lot of other people haven't. It's always nice to make new and fresh connections that will enrich the academic conversation that surrounds Shakespeare. There are so many valuable resources out there to help us understand, read about, and write about Shakespeare. But don't ever feel like everything that can be written has been written because you can always add something!

Seeking out social sources is a big help in the writing process as well. Librarians, experts, enthusiasts, anyone else who is interested in Shakespeare and his writings. They can all be of help when it comes to coming up with ideas for papers, blog posts, or personal writings. I know I bounced a lot of ideas off of Alex when it came to writing my paper about the connections between Star Trek and Shakespeare. It definitely made my paper better.

So although Shakespeare might seem daunting at first...just remember that there are so many resources around you. Turning Shakespeare into a social experience makes it much easier to understand and more fun to enjoy! I hope that you are looking forward to your Shakespeare class that will be just ahead.

Love,
Leah

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