Does this make sense to anyone?

shakespear sucks the big one, when you are forced to analyse every single little word he uses and why, you begin to hate the stupid gimp

Umm... In fact, no it's not. The only thing that makes Shakespeare a bit difficult for most to read it's because the language is old (and I don't mean it's Old English, it's not, it's Modern English). But as for the other parts of S-peare's language, it's quite easy for a foreigner to understand. All you need to know are a few words (e.g. you = thou) and you'll be fine. Take me for example, I'm a foreigner (so is Jana) and we both love S-peare. If that's not good enough for you, take my mum. She's not exactly very good in English, she gets by but is not "excellent" at it... And she loves reading Shakespeare in the original language. Compared to a lot of other English writers (read: writers who write English), the language isn't that hard for foreigners to understand.

I don't see your point about translating one of S-peare's greatest sonnets into "plain" English... And of course it's about metaphors and using different ways to express normal things... That's why it's called poetry. BJ do that too, you know. I could translate any BJ song into "plain" English, what would be the point? The genius is in the way the words are used to express something. And it's not about the wording, it's about giving it the beat and the rhyme... Sonnets are very regulated, that's also one of the reasons why the language is such in them. And the sonnet you quoted... Imo, the point about that poem is not going on and on about someone so wonderful and sweet (this one was actually written about a man, I'm told), but the twist comes in the end... This "so lives this, and this gives life to thee" imo nullifies (is there such word?) everything the sonnet said thus far. The point of the poem is not to praise the muse, but to praise the poet. He is the one giving eternal life to the things he writes about. And this, imo again, is what makes S-peare so genius. And besides,

it's Shall I compare...

Personally, I like his plays more, too. But I can't not appreciate the genius behind the sonnets, too.

You think that to have the gift of writing, you need to have a University degree? HA! And the fact that he should've been an aristocrat... even bigger HA! I realise your point about the peasants at that time, they couldn't read or write, I presume that's what you mean by that. But there were exceptions, and it's never as simple as that. And I think it's beside the point anyways. I can totally appreciate the fact that you don't think S-peare was Shakespeare. I'm torn about this too. But it doesn't matter to me.

The thing is, actors sometimes write their own lines, or change the existing ones to fit them better. (I would assume this, not being an actress myself). I think they probably did. And who knows which draft or version the plays that exist today are - we don't have the original manuscripts.

Ah. You've been brainwashed, I see When I went to Stradford, I was awed!!! All my mates went shopping or summat, I went to the house and spent the day there



(a reality check tho: The Bard lives on!)

While I don't agree with the point of S-peare putting non-natives off English, I can totally see your point about the British doing so! Exactly why I never read Finnish literature...

Even tho I'm a student of English Philology (and literature as part of that), and I've had to analyse his plays to death, word for word, I still love his works. I won't be put off that easily I don't see the point of analysing poetry that closely... Why he used a certain word instead of something else... That's not what he was thinking at the time. He just picked up a word, wrote it down and voilá!

i obviously had to study him for years on end but it didn't put me off. In fact in some ways i'm much better suited to english literature/language than I am history and would probably enjoy it all the more.

You make the point about shakespeare being incomprehensible to foreigners - well how is that any different to music in some ways. For example how would some people interpret dylan's use of language, or even more localised music, such as Irish folk music etc...

you can't really deny that shakespeare was able to use words in a way previous writers had not. but his works were not just comedies, plays, sonnets... they were history, politics, they had social elements

it's less of a photograph of the time he was writing, but a portrait