How people feel about Shakespeare?

Answer 1

I'm an expert and I say, "Don't be afraid of it." The biggest problem people have with understanding Shakespeare is the preconcieved notion that he was writing in a different language which ordinary English-speaking people cannot understand. This is rubbish. He wrote in English. Most of the time the words he used mean exactly the same thing they mean when you use them. Start out with that assumption and you'll find that you already understand most of it. If you start out expecting it to be incomprehensible you will find yourself not understanding "Who's there?", "I am sorry for my cousin", "I have done the deed." and other perfectly straightforward sentences.

Answer 2

I think that it's very interesting that the women in his life tended to live longer than the men. His mother lived to the age of 71, his wife to 67, his daughters to 66 and 77, and his granddaughter to 61. Shakespeare himself died at 52, his son at 11, and his grandsons at 6 months, 19 and 20 years. His father did live to be 70, but his brothers died at 46, 39 and 27. He had two sisters die in infancy and another die at age 8, but his sister Joan lived to a magnificent 77 years.

Answer 3

some people thought he was smart and brainy or sometimes a bit strange

Answer 4

Playwrights, directors, dramaturgs, English teachers, poets … everybody studies Shakespeare.

Answer 5

For the most part, it is what is described as heightened language, essentially poetry.