CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA
The face of your screaming high school nightmares.

Hey, this is a column about reading, books, stuff printed on dead pulp, that sort of nature, right? It was inevitable that literature's big elephant in the room be addressed at some point. I am, of course, talking about the El Barderino, Willy Shakes, Big Billy-S — England's most prolific playwright, William Shakespeare.

I suppose it's too late at this point to convince you of changing your mind about him. You've probably already set your opinion in stone; he's either the relic of a curious historical era with some archaic writing style, or a gigantic pain in the ass for your English class. While I can't do much about your stubbornness, I'd also like to remind you of the more interesting aspects of Shakespeare and why, even if you can't understand his works, you still gotta love the man.

His Dialogue Is Thickly Layered With Historical References
Probably the biggest part of Shakespeare's incomprehensibility is his extensive use of historical and literary references all within his body of works. Hamlet, the character, and his princely, educated ways, seems to warrant a lot of references to the Ancient Greeks and obscure myths. And you know what? That's awesome. Trying to understand Shakespeare invariably turns into history lessons, not one filled with dates and locations, but legends and poetry. If you're even remotely interested in the history of literature, Shakespeare's references will keep you occupied, like a web of intrigue.

It's A Fun Trip In The World Of Etymology
You roll your eyeballs, wondering what worthless vocabulary the bard may have created. And then you find out that “eyeballs” and “worthless” are just two of many more words created by the Bard. English never quite had a concrete set of vocabularies, or standardized spellings; the Bard's creation and interpretations are what shaped a lot of the English language today.

Shakespeare Was Raunchy
Painter: “Y'are a dog.”

The older Apemantus: “Thy mother's of my generation. What's she, if I be a dog?”

Yes, that is a self-deprecating yo momma joke in a Shakespeare play. It isn't all stuffy academics; Shakespeare's dirty jokes are as funny as laughing at a fart is universal. His characters were quite sharp-tongued; carrying some serious verbal punches. There are enough burns in his volume of plays to warrant a book… and actually there exists a compilation of Shakespeare's finest insults.

His Best Works Are Adapted Comprehensibly
Even if the finer secondary points of Shakespeare's writing don't appeal to you, the stories can still be enjoyed through their adaptations. And no, I don't mean in forms like Kenneth Branagh's four-hour film adaptation of Hamlet (starring a young Kate Winslet, it's worth a watch). You can start with an adaptation as loose as The Lion King, and it's following the basic plot structure of Hamlet, or the Amanda Bynes vehicle She's The Man, essentially a carbon-copy of the Shakespeare comedy The Twelfth Night. If you carry the want of reading his works without carrying an appendix to understand his metaphors, the various plain English comic book adaptations of the bard's plays are a fun option as well.

You might hate Bill Shakespeare for making life difficult in English class, but I implore you, even though you're lightyears away from high school and having to pick up Macbeth again, that you once again approach this playwright. This time, do it with a song in your heart, with the intention of being entertained and informed, rather than being forced to “work.”

Reading Between The Lines explores books that you may have missed out on that are worth your while. If you have a book to suggest, email Eshaan at e_gupta@fanshaweonline.ca.