Julia answers “I'm 13 years old and was wondering if I am...”

Winnie asked this question about Hamlet:

I'm 13 years old and was wondering if I am too young to read Hamlet. I genuinely want to see what the big fuss on Shakespeare is about and have heard that many people view Hamlet as his best work. Also, what edition would you recommend for me?

Julia Hi Winnie!

When I was about your age I picked up an edition of Midsummer Night's Dream that included the original text along side a modern english "tr…moreHi Winnie!

When I was about your age I picked up an edition of Midsummer Night's Dream that included the original text along side a modern english "translation" so that you could compare the two. It was hard! but fun! :) It was written 4 centuries ago, and the english language has changed quite a bit since then, and lots of people struggle with it.

The No Fear Shakespeare series from sparknotes is a great place to start! http://nfs.sparknotes.com/

Also, these are plays and sometimes more of the meaning can be gotten from a good acting performance, rather than just reading the text. For Hamlet, I would recommend the Laurence Olivier's 1948 version http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040416/ . It's an older black and white film, but is well acted, and they manage to capture the themes of the story both visually and by delivering Shakespeare's beautiful lines.

I'm so excited for you! Shakespeare is so much fun, and Hamlet is most certainly my favorite.

~Julia(less)

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