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Do native english speakers understand Shakespeare?
For context: i speak english as a third language, and I am now reading Shakespeare's King Lear (First Folio edition, 1623).
Not gonna lie, I am struggling a bit with the archaic language and convulated syntax, but with some effort it is perfectly comprehensible. I love his poetic metaphors.
Now, with the current discourse around falling literacy rates, I find myself wondering: do native english speakers (high school students/university students) still understand Shakespeare?
*Edit*
Wow this thread gained much more attention than I had anticipated 😅. Thank you for your input! Just to clarify: i am well aware of the differences between Elizabethan english and the contemporary idiom. My question pertained more to whether it is still comprehensible to native speakers in spite of this. Secondly: I wish I could see Shakespeare on stage! But alas! I live in a remote part of Sweden without access to professional stage performances. I also really enjoy READING "the bard." The language is simply fantastic, and I like imagining the scenes for myself.
#entertainment
source
For context: i speak english as a third language, and I am now reading Shakespeare's King Lear (First Folio edition, 1623).
Not gonna lie, I am struggling a bit with the archaic language and convulated syntax, but with some effort it is perfectly comprehensible. I love his poetic metaphors.
Now, with the current discourse around falling literacy rates, I find myself wondering: do native english speakers (high school students/university students) still understand Shakespeare?
*Edit*
Wow this thread gained much more attention than I had anticipated 😅. Thank you for your input! Just to clarify: i am well aware of the differences between Elizabethan english and the contemporary idiom. My question pertained more to whether it is still comprehensible to native speakers in spite of this. Secondly: I wish I could see Shakespeare on stage! But alas! I live in a remote part of Sweden without access to professional stage performances. I also really enjoy READING "the bard." The language is simply fantastic, and I like imagining the scenes for myself.
#entertainment
source
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