How I did it: I started by reading sonnets and got that part of the goal out of the way. But then a lot of time passed before I started on the plays.  I thought they'd be enjoyable if not enlightening, but I didn't like them at all.  I read two tragedies and two comedies and they were all very soap-opera-ish, with poor characterizations and far-fetched, unbelievable plots. 

The only thing I can say is that reading the plays in fairly quick succession did make the language easier to understand, and if I had to do it over again, I'd go straight from the sonnets to the plays without a seven or so month break between them.  But I doubt very much I will ever voluntarily pick up some Shakespeare again, and since I don't plan on taking a class that would assign it, it looks like, 'So long, Will' for me.

Dec 05, 2010, 10:33AM PST | 0 comments | 4 cheers