So, I Was Wrong About Shakespeare

I've long felt that Shakespeare is overrated, which is probably an unpopular opinion to have. I never saw the romance in Romeo and Juliet, and had little patience to read his other plays (although, I do like some of the movie adaptations that came out in the 90s and early 2000s).

But as I have said before, I am willing to admit when I am wrong, and I was wrong in assuming that all of Shakespeare's Sonnets would be icky and romantic.

The Sonnets

As a part of my Master's, I am going to be a teaching assistant for a course called Literature and Culture, which will be looking into how poetry reflects the time in which it was written. Shakespeare is a good example of how writing reflects culture, and after reading his sonnets I can see why they were chosen for the course.

Shakespeare was interested in more than love, but that was also among the many themes he wrote about. His sonnets also discussed life, death and legacy--what a person leaves behind, and what is worthwhile. These are heavy topics, but I found that the sonnets were easier to read than his plays. So, if you struggle reading Shakespeare's plays but want to read his work, I recommend the Sonnets! The Pelican Shakespeare addition edited by Stephen Orgel was very easy to read and the footnotes helped when some things were unclear.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, they will be somewhat infrequent over the next year, but I will try my best! To share your thoughts, questions or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

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