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Leaving aside the question of what you might mean by "Shakespeare's book", the fact is that most of Shakespeare's work was not meant to be read and is best understood if it is not read. That's because most of what Shakespeare wrote was plays, and plays are meant to be watched, not read.

If you want to get to know Shakespeare, get hold of the following films and watch them: Much Ado About Nothing (1994, stars Ken Branagh), Henry V (1989, Branagh again), The Taming of the Shrew (1967, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor), Richard III (1995, Ian McKellen), Julius Caesar (1953, Marlon Brando), Twelfth Night (1996, Imogen Stubbs and Helena Bonham-Carter), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999, Michele Pfeiffer), The Merchant of Venice (2005, Al Pacino), Hamlet (1996, Kenneth Branagh or 1991, Mel Gibson) and Romeo and Juliet (1996, Leonardo DiCaprio or 1968, Olivia Hussey). Don't worry about getting every word, just try to figure out what is going on.

After you've watched them a couple of times, you will realize that you recognize what's coming next and what people are saying and probably what they are thinking. You will know ten Shakespeare plays without reading one of them.

Shakespeare also wrote poetry which unfortunately cannot be acted out. Although you can hear people reading some of his sonnets out loud, for the most part you will just have to read it.

By the way, the above list of plays which are accessible by film is not at all exhaustive. If you want more, try Macbeth (1971, Jon Finch), Othello (1995, Lawrence Fishburne), The Tempest (2010, Helen Mirren), As You Like It (2007, Kevin Kline), and Titus Andronicus (called Titus, 1999, with Anthony Hopkins).

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14y ago

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