How to Enjoy Shakespeare Book

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this 100-page guide and realize that I was taught Shakespeare the wrong way, that is to say, the most common way of reading one play at a time. I was never given in overview of the various machinations of plot, character, imagery, etc. Consequently, I always found Shakespeare difficult to understand.

With this guide, however, now I understand his basic devices, including language, and how his uncommon events (rise of empire, assassination, etc) and uncommon figures (dukes, kings, queens, generals) were really at their core just vehicles for expressing humanity: joys and sorrows, triumphs and defeats.

My main qualm is that including a few figures-- especially of the characters--would have added some zest to the text.