How I Fell in Love with Shakespeare

Like most teenagers, I was made to read Shakespeare in high school. Specifically, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. But the copies we were given had two sides - on the left page was the original Shakespearean, and on the right was a modern translation, designed to help us follow the narrative and better understand the ancient dialogue.

But all it really did was make me lazy. I didn't understand a word of the original, and the assignments that followed did not require me to, so I read only the modern translations in order to follow the narrative.

Did I understand the story? Yes.

Did I enjoy the reading experience? Nope.

I chalk this up to being a teenager who, despite being a big reader, was not quite as obsessed with literature the way I am now. But most obviously, the reason I didn't enjoy my time with these plays was because I wasn't reading them the way they were intended. When Shakespeare's stories are boiled down to a simple prose with simple dialogue, it can become abundantly clear how simple - and sometimes silly - his stories are. It can be hard to feel the emotions of the characters when they are written as flat, hollow portrayals of their otherwise three-dimensional original renditions. I didn't care for Romeo and Juliet - in fact, I scoffed at their "love" and rolled my eyes at their "tragic" ending. But I knew enough to complete my assignment and that was that.

By 26 years old - roughly a decade after my first read through - I decided it was time to have another go. I had an idea for a series I wanted to write inspired by Shakespeare stories, and knew I couldn't do my concept justice without doing the research. So I purchased a collection of Shakespeare's most iconic plays in a gorgeous red hardbound copy and began with both the inspiration for my new book and my longtime nemesis - Romeo and Juliet.

The first page alone shocked me. One line in particular made me wonder why Shakespeare is so adamantly glued to the high school curriculum.

Sampson: "... when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids, and cut off their heads."

Gregory: "The heads of the maids?"

Sampson: "Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt."

(Act 1, Scene 1)

Translation: "I'll either cut off their heads or I'll take their virginities. Make of that what you will." An admittedly clever pun on maiden-heads, but we're letting children read this? But I digress...

What struck me as most exciting on this first page was that ... I understood what I was reading. I didn't have a cheat sheet this time, no handy modern translation to help me along. I HAD to read the original and it was nowhere near as intimidating as I'd expected. Sure, I reread some lines on occasion, trying to figure out the grammar or what the old school words meant in that context, or sometimes even just to marvel at the brilliance. Regardless, I moved through the story with rapt attention. I was hooked.

And it wasn't even the story that gripped me - though I did enjoy it much more this time around and had learned to appreciate its message - but what really kept me interested was the writing itself. In case you hadn't heard, Shakespeare is a phenomenal writer. It is hard to explain exactly how he does it, but I believe it's the way he can convert so much raw, human, timelessly relatable emotion in so few words. And not just any words, but the most beautiful choices available.

I still swoon sometimes over my favourite lines, of which I will list below.

“That most are busied when they’re most alone.” (Act 1, Scene 1)

“Away from light steals home my heavy son, And private in his chambers pens himself, Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out And makes himself an artificial night.” (Act 1, Scene 1)

“What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?” “Not having that, which, having, makes them short.” (Act 1, Scene 1)

“I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.” (Act 2, Scene 2)

“My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words Of that tongue’s utterance, yet I know the sound." (Act 2, Scene 2)

“O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.” (Act 2, Scene 2)

“Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring; Your tributary drops belong to woe, Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy.” (Act 3, Scene 2)

“O happy dagger! This is thy sheath [stabs herself]; there rust, and let me die.” (Act 5, Scene 3)

That third quote in particular is my absolute favourite. In our modern tongue, those lines would be written thusly:

"What's making you so sad?"

"The absence of love."

Same sentiment, sure, but does it hit the same? Not in the slightest.

I had heard tales of Shakespeare's excellent use of puns, metaphors, allusions to Greek mythology and, of course, his sparkling wit but in the modern translations, I could never appreciate exactly what he had done. It took reading his own words for me to finally see the punchline as it was intended and I even found myself giggling from time to time.

After finishing the written play, I finally watched the iconic Baz Luhrmann adaption Romeo + Juliet and oh gosh, what a movie. Flamboyant, chaotic, hilarious, emotional and ahead of its time - in short, a perfect adaptation that captures the true heart of Shakespeare's most famous work. I've been told that to really understand Shakespeare, you must see it performed, as that is of course how it was intended. Watching this movie confirmed for me that those people aren't lying. Hearing the dialogue I'd read only days before spoken aloud really helped me to feel the emotion behind every intonation and facial expression. All of a sudden, the famous balcony scene - of which is a sweet moment in the script - becomes a truly captivating, romantic dalliance between two young, naive, lovestruck teens, desperate for a moment alone and a chance at love.

Seeing it for myself made it feel real in a way it never had before. Mercutio's death (spoilers ;P) left me hurting inside. The lovers' untimely deaths at the finale stunned me to silence. If there was one thing Shakespeare knew, it was human emotion. Existing in the futuristic year of 2026, I have seen many a television program, motion picture, and even a few stage plays in my time. I read extensively in many genres. I know stories. I know good dialogue. I know when a story makes me feel something. The fact that a play from over 400 years ago can still make me feel so much, is exactly why his works are timeless.

Like humans, stories grow old, their relevance fades, but emotions never die. We know the same loves and passions today as would have been seen in Shakespeare's time, and he captured those feelings in a way that even now, we still relate to, believe in, adore. And he did all that with words. I too am a writer and yet my mind could never conjure thoughts the way his did. Perhaps there will never be another writer quite like him.