My Shakespeare Project


I’ve given this project a lot of thought. I have read a few of Shakespeare’s plays, seen a couple in the theater, as well as several film adaptations and loved them all. There’s something about Shakespeare that makes me want to find out more, to dig deeper. Reading all of his works is no easy task and if I am going to do this, I will do it properly. It is necessary for me to understand completely what I’m reading, to grasp everything. I can’t do this without some guidance and more context so I will be watching online conferences, classes, etc. and will also be reading a lot of supplementary material. If any of you has any recommendations about courses, videos, articles, books, etc., please feel free to let me know!

Shakespeare wanted for the public to SEE his plays, not necessarily to read them. It is certain that if I don’t see them they won’t have the same impact on me and I will not be able to discover everything there is to enjoy in them; therefore I will also see the plays (BBC adaptations, RSC performances available in its You Tube Channel and any other movie adaptation).

The First Folio published in 1623
This is a pretty extensive project, so there is no deadline. I don’t mind if it takes me years. It's not about doing it fast, it's about doing it right. 

I will read the plays published in the First Folio in 1623 and the two plays widely acknowledged to have been written by Shakespeare that didn’t appear in the First Folio: Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Two Noble Kinsmen and the poems.

The magic of the Internet is very useful for this type of thing. I have discovered some really cool videos, conferences, blogs and classes that will help me throughout this project.

Anyway, I will keep you updated and will publish my thoughts on each play (and poem) as soon as I have finished (for the moment because there is never really an end to Shakespeare) with a play and can move on to the next.

Wish me luck! (Advice is most welcomed).

Edit. First advice I got was "Shakespeare is a lifetime project". Yes it is! And I love it. :)

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List of posts, notes or reviews for this project:

1. Reading Hamlet
2. More thoughts on Hamlet

2 comments:

Sam (Tiny Library) said...

Good luck!
I think it's a great project - I haven't read a lot of Shakespeare but what I have read, I've loved.

Melissa Vizcarra said...

Thank you! :)