Making Elizabethan plays understandable and fun to read
Site & Infrastructure Issues
- Original site was “hugged to death” and often unavailable; several people used the Internet Archive mirror.
- One commenter asked about suitable free CDNs for small hobby sites; Cloudflare was the only one with first‑hand experience.
Value of the Elizabethan Drama Project
- Strong appreciation for freely available, well‑annotated editions of non‑Shakespeare Elizabethan and Jacobean plays.
- Some see it as the kind of passion project that “renews faith in the internet,” especially for giving cultural, historical, and classical-allusion context.
How Hard Is Shakespeare/Early Modern English?
- Experiences diverge sharply:
- Some find Shakespeare “perfectly comprehensible” modern English once you adjust.
- Others, including strong readers, find even basic comprehension extremely difficult, describing it as “word salad.”
- Non‑native but highly literate English speakers often report less difficulty, possibly due to language‑learning habits and etymological awareness.
Translation vs. Original Language
- One camp argues plays should be translated into contemporary English, comparing this to Beowulf or Dante: otherwise many readers effectively have no access.
- Opponents insist Shakespeare is (early) modern English and that the value lies in the original wording, puns, and verse; translations are seen as flat and “penitential.”
- Middle position: keep originals but provide side‑by‑side modern paraphrases and annotations; this is praised as very helpful.
Performance vs. Reading
- Many argue Shakespeare “comes alive” in performance; watching good productions is recommended over reading scripts, especially for beginners.
- Others say even live productions can be opaque without prior reading or notes, especially in dense comedies.
- Several describe specific teaching methods: reading aloud in class, multiple readers, acting, pausing to explain vocabulary and cultural context.
Culture, Context, and Allusion
- Several stress that the main barrier is cultural, not purely linguistic:
- Heavy use of Ovid, mythology, politics, contemporary jokes, and sexual innuendo.
- Modern students often lack this background, so detailed notes are crucial.
- Some liken reading Shakespeare to “foreign language on easy mode” and find joy in the slightly alien grammar and semantics.
Pronunciation, Accents, and OP
- “Original Pronunciation” (OP) is highlighted as revealing lost rhymes, puns, and bawdiness; some find it transformative, others see it as an interesting but niche curiosity.
- Multiple accents (regional British, American, etc.) are seen as valid and often delightful for performance; RP is viewed as just one tradition, historically over‑privileged.
Education, Canon, and Alternatives
- Multiple commenters recount being turned off Shakespeare in school by unsupported silent reading and over‑analysis.
- There is debate over whether forcing difficult originals on all students is elitist gatekeeping or valuable intellectual training.
- Some suggest starting with more accessible plays, modern adaptations, or even other early modern authors instead of defaulting to Shakespeare.