HOW CAN I LEARN TO ENJOY SHAKESPEARE. A lesson on how to read Shakespeare.

How can I learn to enjoy Shakespeare? Have you ever asked that question? You are not alone. Millions have asked the same question.

MAKE SURE TO READ THE REST OF THIS DESCRIPTION!!!

We are all told that Shakespeare is the Greatest writer to have ever lived. But high school Shakespeare, or home school Shakespeare, can put many of us off. Shakespearean language can seem difficult which makes Shakespeare's plays hard to understand.

The truth is, that you CAN learn to enjoy Shakespeare. His words have more beauty than almost anything else in the English language and, once you begin to learn how to understand Shakespeare, then you will be lit up in wonder at the treasures that you can find.

IMPORTANT NOTE!!!
This video is done as a lesson on Shakespeare. Set some quiet time aside, switch off your phone, and get ready to follow along as we look at a speech from Richard II.

You will want a copy of John of Gaunt's speech from Richard II, Act II Scene 1. It is better known as the "Sceptered Isle" speech if you wish to search for it online. There is a transcript below but it would be better if you had a copy which you can highlight.

THE SPEECH

Methinks I am a prophet new inspired
And thus expiring do foretell of him:
His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last,
For violent fires soon burn out themselves;
Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short;
He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes;
With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder:
Light vanity, insatiate cormorant,
Consuming means, soon preys upon itself.
This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,
This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings,
Fear'd by their breed and famous by their birth,
Renowned for their deeds as far from home,
For Christian service and true chivalry,
As is the sepulchre in stubborn Jewry,
Of the world's ransom, blessed Mary's Son,
This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,
Dear for her reputation through the world,
Is now leased out, I die pronouncing it,
Like to a tenement or pelting farm:
England, bound in with the triumphant sea
Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds:
That England, that was wont to conquer others,
Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life,
How happy then were my ensuing death!

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[peterwilliams]

Tristan, thank you, thank you thank you.. I did what you suggested and read the speech myself three times. This is the first time I have read out loud any of Shakespeare’s words. It felt good. I have been to see many Shakespeare plays over the past 40 years, but I have never really appreciated their brilliance. You have opened a window for me and I love it. I have watched your videos on Richard the third and Iambic pentameter and they have been so educational. I hope you do produce more videos in the future, they are so valuable. Thank you once again. Peter.

[tristanandtheclassics]

This video is designed as a proper classroom lesson or lecture on understanding Shakespeare. Set some time aside and learn to love Shakespeare 💘

[bradchristy]

Absolutely RIGHT! Read thrice and amazing things do happen! Tristan has, with this single video, proven himself a Masterful Teacher. Never in my entire 75 years of life have I been blessed with such wisdom! Upon my last reading, I found myself moved, understanding, appreciating (though admittedly only minimally at my current skill level), and LEARNING the true importance of Shakespeare to my English language and my personal educational growth. Bless Tristan and his marvelous work. My heartfelt thanks!

[jameswhyte]

Great delivery of a great speech. Wonderful breakdown, thank you.

[petersuitch]

Tristan, you are a brilliant teacher! What I would greatly appreciate in a course would be a brief background discussion of the play, and then an analysis of just some of the more difficult speeches. Especially a play, like King Lear, which I found very difficult to understand. Thank you so much for all the hard. Work you have put in!

[Beesmakelifegoo]

I am loving how you read.
It’s so wonderful to learn how extraordinary Shakespeare is Today.
Thank you, it’s much appreciated.

[juliasweeney]

Wonderful! WOW, you cracked my mind open. Thank you Tristan ❤

[JCthaRevolutionary]

We Love You Tristan… These videos have definitely opened up my mind to Complicated Literature and have literally changed the way I view different types of Literature. Thank You.

[retribution]

Started by reading a few sonnets which really resonated with me. Picked one, learned it by heart, read some analysis to understand but better. Then read and learnt by heart Soliloquies which really appealled to me. Then read Macbeth with a commentary on each line. Take it slowly, chew it, savour it.

[emilywilliams]

Tristan I loved this video! Thank you! It really increased my understanding of this iconic speech I’ve always loved but didn’t understand at the level you explained. Please do more detailed analyses of Shakespeare monologues when you can. Also love the way you explained iambic pentameter as “flowing speech”. It’s lovely. Many thanks again. 👑

[gommine]

Thank you for making this course! I read Richard II last year, following the programme of another YouTuber. We were doing Shakespeare in chronological order, I read several plays but then I had too much on and had to put the Bard (and the bookclub) aside. This video has given me the motivation to resume the project by myself.

[Holmnielsen-]

Wonderful Shakespeare! I would take a course!!

[terririley]

Wow!!! Wow!!! Wow!!! Tristin, you are brilliant!!! I never thought I would ever enjoy Shakespeare, but your explanation and interpretation helps me finally see why Shakespeare is thought to be so brilliant!!! Thank you so much!!! I will be looking for your course!

[PompadourSamurai]

I'm a fan of this channel and binged a good amount of videos. My only suggestion for you is to keep the volume of your videos in mind. This one is quiet, I had to listen to it on headphones. It could be the result of how you recorded it. Not sure how audio 'mixing' works for youtube, but try to find a baseline video of the right audio volume and get the other videos to match it by editing it when needed to. Keep up the good videos and see if making some more shorts will help with subscriptions.

[pattube]

I think Shakespeare was meant for the ear as well as the eye. 😀Hence I read Shakespeare sort of like how I read a modern screenplay. I try to imagine how the words will appear if they were a film (or something similar). As such, it's helpful to watch great actors deliver lines from Shakespeare (e.g. Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen). Or to watch a great Shakespearean adaptation like Branagh's Hamlet.

[carolynwestlake]

It’s so interesting, I’m looking forward to learning more.😊

[adyshih]

You and your channel is the reason that I picked up Shakespeare again in new year of 2022, the last time I read them seriously was more than 5 years ago and now I am about 54 yeas old and very grateful to find someone like you to help a reader like me from Taiwan where Shakespeare resources had not been very accessible and now I live in HK and do have chance to watch actual plays and the world of youtube during pandemic period is really a blessing for people never get to see Shakespeares real plays. I really like the way you think, feel, and explore in a way to guide the reader to appreciate true classic and I have learned so much from you just watching a few episodes: your way of thinking about the criteria of classic and gothic novel are all really insightful. Even I have been reading classic for some decades but never really thought about the underlying reasons that I keep reading them on and off as if my essence of life can be reflected through my relationship with how I read these classic books that have been living in my you Mr. Teed.

[kadressmoothoosamy]

Thank you, Mr. Tristan.Words do not flow when the heart is full .

[janicemacdonald]

O yes…more please!! Yearning now for Understanding Shakespeare…thank you so much!

[ruperttristanblythe]

I have never been into Shakespeare. This video was so good. You explain things so well. I really got into the video.