Answers to Go

SAN MARCOS PUBLIC LIBRARY 625 E. HOPKINS ST. 512-393-8200

Q. I would like to study William Shakespeare’s plays and literature a bit seriously. Can you recommend which play I should start with?

A. I actually recommend starting with Shakespeare’s sonnets, rather than his plays. They are short and fairly accessible. Reading the sonnets will also give you a feel for the cadence and meter of the language Shakespeare used. Once you have that rhythm in your head, the dialogues in the plays will be easier to read. You may even recognize some of his more popular sonnets. Here are the first few lines of Sonnet 116, “Let me not to the marriage of true minds / Admit impediments; love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds, / Or bends with the remover to remove.” Sound familiar?

When you’re ready to tackle one of Shakespeare’s plays, start with a popular and accessible play, such as Romeo and Juliet. The story of star-crossed young lovers who can only be together in death has inspired countless adaptations and retellings.

Because Shakespeare’s plays are meant to be seen as performances, I would recommend watching a theater performance or even a movie adaptation after you read a play. A great place to watch Shakespeare’s plays online is shakespearesglobe.com. In fact, you can watch a 2019 production of Romeo and Juliet filmed from Shakespeare’s most famous stage, the Globe Theatre, for free through March 31st.

If you’d rather read a more light-hearted play than the tragic Romeo and Juliet, go for one of Shakespeare’s popular comedies, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare’s comic fantasy of four lovers who find themselves bewitched by fairies is a sly reckoning with love, jealousy, and marriage. There are several popular movie adaptations you may enjoy watching after reading the play, such as the classic 1969 Peter Hall production starring Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, and Ian Holm. There’s also the popular 1999 Michael Hoffman production starring Christian Bale, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kevin Kline. You could even go for a loose high school adaptation, such as “Get Over It” (2001) starring Kirsten Dunst.

For more book recommendations, call or email the library at 512-393-8200 or smpl@sanmarcostx.gov.