REVIEW: Don’t judge Shakespeare by high school English

I know this makes me a dork. I never went through a phase in high school where I thought Shakespeare was gibberish and impossible to relate to. However, I know many of my peers felt this way and still do, and I’m here telling you to give Shakespeare another chance.

I understand his language may be hard to read at first, but keep at it. You’ll begin to develop your own translator, and soon, you will be able to read quickly while still grasping the words’ meanings.

It may have been cool to hate Shakespeare in high school, but you’re not in high school anymore. At a higher academic level knowing Shakespeare is nothing short of impressive. Men, the ladies are always impressed by intelligence and Shakespeare is the easiest way to shape that desired image. Women would be surprised by how many men want a smart and witty girl, and the characters from Shakespeare plays can teach them how to be just that.

For all the amateur Shakespeare readers out there, I give you a list of plays in the order I think you would best enjoy them, starting with the easiest and most fun, progressing to darker plays with layered meanings.

1. Taming of the Shrew: This is my favorite of Shakespeare’s comedies, and in my opinion the most comical to read. This play was turned into one of my favorite musicals — “Kiss Me Kate” — and is the perfect play for strong women who run away from being controlled by men.

Kate is a shrew, and in those days a shrew was shunned by the entire town, but Petruchio decides to take a chance on her. The rest of the play is watching him try to break her fiery spirit like he’s breaking a wild horse. Though the ending suggests his trumph, many people have discussed whether she is ever tamed, but each one of you should find out for yourself.

2. Twelfth Night: I know many of you have seen “She’s the Man,” and if you like this movie, you’ll love the play. The storyline of the movie resembles that of Twelfth Night and are equally hilarious.

We love watching people make fools of themselves, and pretending to be macho in front of a group of men is the perfect scenario for that. The many love triangles existing between characters is also amusing, though sometimes hard to follow. This play is great for beginners who already have some background with the story.

3. Julius Ceasar: Reading tragedies may not be as fun as reading comedies, but they are fascinating to read, especially those with historical roots. Julius Caesar is more interesting to read than a history textbook, but still tells the tragedy of Caesar’s murder in a historical way.

4. Macbeth: This is a fun read, though tragic. Macbeth is almost comical in its sadness, probably because there are deaths right and left. Shakespeare kills off just about every member of the cast, and the witches dialogue is so absurd you can’t help but laugh even though they end up ruining the characters’ lives.

5. King Lear: This is my absolute favorite of Shakespeare’s plays. It is tragic, deep and full of intrigue, all wrapped up in one. Though reading Shakespeare is wonderful, seeing his plays performed is the truly best thing. His plays were meant to be performed, not just read, and it is through these performances we understand Shakespeare’s undeniable talent. I’m not going to spoil the plot for you on this one, hoping this will be enough of an incentive to read it and reap the benefits.

So there you go, Shakespeare in five steps. If you read these plays, or see them performed, have an open mind. I commend you for your bravery and promise you won’t be disappointed. 

Don’t agree with Kellyn’s list? Did you take the challenge and have feedback? Email her at kellyn.neumann@aggiemail.usu.edu

– Kellyn is the features editor for The Statesman, and is a senior majoring in English. Her column runs every other Friday. She loves reading both her Kindle and paperback novels.