Reading Shakespeare

For most kids reading Shakespeare, and more importantly understanding his work, sounds like the most boring thing they could ever do. I, however, fell in love with and started studying the Bard at age nine. In the hopes that you find comprehending Shakespeare less unbearable, here are some tips for reading his plays and poems.
1) Have a positive attitude. If I could do it in the fourth grade, I promise you can too. Treat it like it will be fun!
2) Break it down. Take it sentence by sentence. Every time you reach a period, exclamation point, or a question mark, stop and think about if you understood it. It takes a while, but it is way more effective than just rushing through and hoping for the best.
3) Look words up. If a word confuses you, look it up. Even if it is a word you know but not in that context. http://shakespeareswords.com/ is a great resource; it contains the words Shakespeare used and their meanings as well as examples of where they are in his plays.
4) Do not view at as complicated. If you see it as complicated, that is how it will be. Remember, Shakespeare and his theatre group had to perform these plays for a vastly uneducated audience. Focus on the story instead of worrying about all of the little things.
5) Practice makes perfect. If you refuse to give up, soon it will be way easier.

I hope this helps!

-Jamie Kuhn