The Real Reason We Don't Understand Shakespeare By Sarah West

Our recent study of the play Macbeth in english class has been a challenge at best. The characters were confusing, the Shakespearean language might as well have been foreign, and the long soliloquies seemed to last forever. As it came time to work on our final project (a performance) I decided to reread a specific scene in the play.

Frustrated for the second time, I decided it would be best to look at a translation (though I always intended to perform the original lines) to make sure I completely understood what I was saying and how I should be acting. So, as one does, I googled the act and scene and clicked on the first link I saw. Immediately, as I read the first lines I was pleased with what I found. The play was translated, I could understand it, but key Shakespearean words like "'tis" and "doth" and "hath" still remained, making it feel more authentic. I happily scrolled through the scene, only encountering a few larger words that I could not decipher, yet I completely understood what was happening. I then decided to compare this version on my computer screen to my playbook, so I could connect what I understood to what I didn't.

But to my surprise and complete and utter shock, I found no difference between the two. I had literally just read the same exact scene I had struggled to read and didn't understand twice before, and I didn't even think twice. I'd be lying if I said this did not completely baffle me, and I haven't spent most days since trying to figure out what happened. Did the fact that is was on a computer screen appeal to my technology focussed mind?

This may be true, but I feel the real reason this strange phenomena occurred was because I was under the impression the text was a translation. I was definitely more relaxed, focussed,  and confident going into reading that text. Often when I picked up the playbook that I knew contained confusing language I could feel the stress spread to my whole body, dreading what I was about to do. In that moment of mistaken identity, I was free from all of the stereotypes that surround that book that, I have now found out, psyche me out of actually being able to understand what's written in it.

This had lead me to believe the negative perception of Shakespeare among high school students may be the reason his work seems to be so hard to understand. Maybe it is not the language, but the source it is from that is affecting our perceptions of his plays and poems. Though that is an increasing difficult philosophy to prove since those stereotypes, that date back decades, are not likely to dissipate any time soon. I just know I am forever more calm about, and open to the idea of Shakespeare's writing.

How to Understand and Enjoy Greek Literature by Madison Levinson

Greek literature can be very difficult to read and therefore even more difficult to enjoy. Recently, in class, we read The Iliad by Homer. Although we did not read the entire epic, the books we did read of it were frustrating to understand and unpleasant to sit down and read. This left many people procrastinating reading it and put off the reflection questions until the night it was due. Students were scrambling for important quotes and asking others for their interpretations of the text. However, using the rest of this article on how to understand Greek literature, this last minute fright will be a thing of the past...almost as far in the past as the literature you will be reading!

Homer, author of The Iliad 

Since I have personally read The Iliad I will use that epic as an explanation for all of my tips and tricks. But first I will provide a brief explanation of The Iliad for those who have not read it, I wouldn't want anybody to be lost in an article about not getting lost while reading a text!

The Iliad was composed around 800-725 BC, and written by Homer anytime from 725-625 BC. The Iliad is the story of the final weeks of the Trojan war and the Greek siege of the city of Troy. The text follows characters such as Achilles, Agamemnon, Hector, Athena, Aphrodite, Apollo, and Hera. The Trojans and Greeks were fighting because Helen of Troy ran away with Paris, leaving the Trojan King with no wife, locking Troy and Greece into a war of seemingly no end. The poem follows the warriors and their decisions with the influence of the Gods while also teaching valuable lessons to the reader. So how did I figure out all of this information from the impossible epic? Well I am here to show you.

Step 1: Know who's who

An artist rendition of Helen of Troy, the cause of the Trojan War

The first step to understanding any difficult literature is understanding who you will be reading about. In The Iliad there were countless characters to keep track of and various spellings and nicknames for everybody. At the beginning of the book I made a character outline of each person and their relationship to one another as well as if they were Greek or Trojan. For example, Achilles, the Greek, was a warrior who hated the Trojan, Hector, for the murder of Patroklos, the best friend of Achilles. This connects three seemingly random characters to one another and explain their interactions with one another. Keep this character chart with you at all times to refer back to and refresh your memory.

Step 2: Know what you are reading

The second step to understanding difficult literature is to understand what you are actually reading. In The Iliad there are numerous rants and descriptions that can get somewhat lengthy and confusing. Often, I didn't know where the description ended and the actual story began. To prevent this confusion, it is beneficial to read a short summary of the story, like Spark Notes or Cliff Notes. By reading a summary of Spark Notes and then going back and reading the actual literature I had an idea of the chronological order of the story. Any interjections or descriptions were clear as to their end point and I was clear when the actual story picked up again.

Step 3: Do not focus too hard

The third step to understanding difficult literature is not to get caught up on all of the little details. In The Iliad it can be hard not to focus on every little word or every little sentence. It seems like every letter is somehow significant or meaningful. Greek literature is in fact no different than literature we read today. When reading a book do you take notes on every sentence and remember every line of dialogue? So why should you have to for Greek literature? There are often frivolous rants a character will have with themselves, gods, or other mortals. Not all of these sentences are important and necessary to the development of the story. Approach Greek literature as you would any other text and just read, don't worry about a sentence that may seem vague or obscure.

Greek literature does not have to be frustrating and difficult. The story lines are often full of plot twists and dynamic relationships between characters, making it an overall fascinating read. With these tips any reader can find the excitement in Greek culture and classics.