TOPIC: Shakespeare is Playing You

SPEAKER: Dave Collins, Professor of English, Emeritus

Shakespeare’s language, Early Modern English, can be confusing for people who haven’t spent a lot of time with the Bard.

Best advice? Don’t worry about understanding every word. Enjoy yourself and focus on the big picture. Sometimes understanding depends on knowing about ideas current in Shakespeare’s world. Sometimes a quick wit and a good ear are enough. Sometimes what matters is a good ear and a good heart.

We’ll look at an example or two in each category to see how Shakespeare uses language to get around our defenses–nobody likes to be preached to!–to move his audience toward his way of seeing the world.