Cracking the Shakespeare Code

Understanding Shakespeare's Plays

• The author uses the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to illustrate the points in the text.

Difficulties in Understanding Shakespeare

• One reason for the difficulty in understanding Shakespeare's plays is the use of old English language, which is unfamiliar to modern readers.
• Another reason is that Shakespeare often uses complex metaphors and imagery, making it hard to understand his writing.
• The third reason is the use of words with multiple meanings, which can be confusing for readers.

Literary Devices

• Oxymoron is the term used to describe the placing of words next to each other that seem contradictory.
• Iambic pentameter is the pattern of rhythm, or meter, that Shakespeare used in his poems and plays.
• Blank verse is the term used to describe the style of writing that Shakespeare used in his plays, which consists of unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter.

Shakespeare's Time Period

• Elizabeth I was the queen who ruled during the time when Shakespeare was writing his plays.

Making Shakespeare Easier to Understand

• Knowing the historical context of the play can help make it easier to understand Shakespeare's plays.
• Familiarizing oneself with the language and literary devices used by Shakespeare can also make his plays easier to comprehend.