Other than the King James version of the Holy Bible, no other collection of works has had greater impact on the English language than the plays of William Shakespeare. We quote him all the time, usually without even being aware of it. Here are a few familiar phrases we owe to Shakespeare’s genius: “wild goose chase,” “green-eyed monster,” “pure as the driven snow,” “seen better days,” “off with his head,” “forever and a day,” “good riddance,” “it is Greek to me,” “as good luck would have it,” “you must be cruel to be kind,” “love is blind” … I could go on and on!
Since I majored in engineering in college, I only time I read Shakespeare was in high school: ‘Julius Caesar,’ ‘Macbeth,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ and ‘Othello.’
In the early spring of 2023, I decided to read every play, in the order it was written. I knew I would need a little help understanding them, so I found used copies of ‘The Essential Shakespeare’ by Leslie Dunton-Downer and Alan Riding, and Harold Bloom’s ‘Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human.’ The former book was an invaluable aid in providing the historical context as well as concise summaries of every act. The latter was a peek into the thoughts of one of the greatest scholars of Shakespeare in the 20th century. Reading Bloom’s book is like attending university classes on Shakespeare.
For the plays themselves, I read the collection Delphi Classics has put together. It includes sources for the plots if the plays, criticism, and even “lost” plays that were probably written by someone imitating Shakespeare.
My course of action was this: read the historical background of a play in The Essential Shakespeare, then read the play itself. I would wrap things up with Bloom’s chapter on that particular work. It sounds like a burdensome process, but it was a joyous experience. Initially, I was concerned that Shakespeare’s language would slow me down, but to my surprise, I quickly adapted to his style. I was able to read most plays in a couple sittings. Hamlet took a bit longer! As I immersed myself in Shakespeare’s world, I gained an appreciation for his incredible gift of language. I found myself saying again and again, “Oh, so that’s where that came from!”
What were my big takeaways from this experience? First, not everything he wrote was a masterpiece. I do not see myself reading ‘Titus Andronicus’ or ‘Coriolanus’ again. But, I certainly don’t regret being familiar with them.
Second, Shakespeare is fun! He’s earthy, bawdy, full of puns and clever wordplay. I often found myself laughing out loud at some of his characters and scenes. In ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor,’ the buffoonish Sir John Falstaff sends the exact same love letter to two different married women. He’s found out of course, and they have great fun putting him into all kinds of uncomfortable spots. Here’s an excerpt from the play:
Mrs. Page: For shame! never stand ‘you had rather’ and ‘you had rather:’ your husband’s here at hand, bethink you of some conveyance: in the house you cannot hide him. O, how have you deceived me! Look, here is a basket: if he be of any reasonable stature, he may creep in here; and throw foul linen upon him, as if it were going to bucking: or — it is whiting-time — send him by your two men to Datchet-mead.
Mrs. Ford: He’s too big to go in there. What shall I do?
Falstaff: [Coming forward.] Let me see ‘t, let me see ‘t, O, let me see‘t, I’ll in, I’ll in. Follow your friend’s counsel. I’ll in.
Mrs. Page: What, Sir John Falstaff! Are these your letters, knight?
Falstaff: I love thee, and none but thee; Help me away: let me creep in here. I’ll never — [He gets into the basket; they cover him with foul linen.]
Third, no writer explores the human condition in such depth as Shakespeare. Practically every issue we argue about today, he has already plumbed. As Hamlet proclaims, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Is there anyone more haunted by his all-consuming pursuit of power than Macbeth? Is there anyone who is more destroyed through unfounded jealousy than Othello? Is there anyone who lives life to its fullest more than Sir John Falstaff? Who has better portrayed the pitfalls of romantic relationships than Shakespeare in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing?’ Despite the passage of centuries, human nature remains constant, and no one chronicles both the humor and the tragedy of it better than William Shakespeare.
As I got caught up in the beauty and excitement of his plays, I read through them fairly quickly. Now that I have read them all once, I can revisit favorites and take my time enjoying them. And that is my final takeaway: no matter how many times I will read Hamlet, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or The Tempest, I will always find some new and delightful aspect that I missed in earlier readings. Shakespeare’s appeal is eternal and universal, and it is available for the asking. You can easily find free eBook versions of all the plays; all you have to do is decide where you want to begin.
How was your experience of reading Shakespeare? Do you find him universal and appealing? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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