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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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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Elise's Advice on Studying Shakespeare

Hey Taylia!

I know you didn’t have a great experience with reading Shakespeare plays in high school, but you should know that studying them in college is infinitely better! Don’t stress about the class—look forward to it!

This semester we read quite a few Shakespeare plays, all of which I enjoyed discussing with my classmates. The best experience I had, though, was finally reading Hamlet all the way through and understanding everything. We analyzed the characters, we talked about how we could change the play to better fit certain interpretations, and we discussed different themes. To top it all off, I even got to go see the National Theatre Live’s production of the play with Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet. (I knew you’d love that, considering how much we both watch Sherlock)

I think the best way to understand Shakespeare’s writing is to understand that even though his wording seems complicated, Shakespeare really did write to appease the masses. To achieve the popularity that he did means he could not have just been writing for the elite few. So when we find ourselves confused over lengthy, flowery speeches, that is probably what Shakespeare intends. In addition, cut yourself some slack regarding the differences in speech pattern and vocabulary! Hundreds of years have passed, so of course we will not immediately recognize every figure of speech. Just make sure that you find an edition of his plays that includes a glossary or index of terms at the back. They make reading a thousand times easier, and I don’t think that it interrupts the story very much.

When it comes to writing about Shakespeare, the fact that he did write for the masses comes in handy. Shakespeare knew the common man, and he portrays all the complicated nuances of human nature in each of his characters. If you ever struggle to find something new or interesting to say about a Shakespeare play, just try to imagine how it could be read differently if the protagonist is actually selfishor a coward. Or you could argue that the villain actually has a good amount of virtues in his character. Shakespeare allows his audience to interpret to a good degree each character’s potential motives. Coming up with new ideas to write on doesn’t have to be incredibly stressful.

If you take the same Shakespeare class that I did, then you are going to love it. You’ll have to come out of your comfort zone a little bit. Luckily, talking with other students or even family members and friends opens up a whole new way of thinking and writing about Shakespeare. People interpret things in such diverse ways, and if you’re brave enough to talk to them, they’ll likely inspire you  more than you originally expected. I wrote a retired professor about a paper he wrote decades ago, and he responded the next day with lots of support and encouragement. Being social means being successful!

Well, I hope this helps. I’m excited for you!

Love,

Elise

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