As part of my Going for 101 in 1001 list, I have a goal to read one of Shakespeare’s plays and then watch an accompanying movie adaptation.  Through junior high and high school, we studied one Shakespeare play a year – whichever play was being performed that season at the local theater.  For living in a small town, it’s always impressed me that there was a great theater nearby.  

Each play that we studied was interesting in its own right, but as a young student, sometimes it was a struggle to understand the language and plots and complexity of everything.  Then there was the added pressure that there would be essays and tests and some kind of analysis of intertwining themes that would make my head spin.  Sure does take the enjoyment out of a story, doesn’t it?

By setting this goal, I was curious to see if I could enjoy Shakespeare for enjoyment’s sake and understand the language and the storylines much easier as an adult.  Would I see things as humorous without cliff notes telling me it was funny?

My friend Mindy had a copy of The Taming of the Shrew so I borrowed it while Chris and the kids were at the grandparents house last weekend.  Fortunately, it was a copy that had little footnotes to explain words not common or not used at all in today’s language.   This adult sure did need them!  

I was able to read it in one afternoon and evening and I must say, it is much easier from adult eyes and experiences than from junior high eyes and experiences.  Wow!  It was funny, too.  And oh my word – the humor was so infused with innuendos!  And I thought today’s entertainment was too risque.  They didn’t talk about that in junior high English class!  

The fun part was then watching the play come to life in the movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (?).  Certainly, it wasn’t entirely by the book with the play, but it mostly was.  I must say, she played a great shrew.  

All in all, a fun goal to complete!  I just might check out A Midsummer Night’s Dream next.  I am not much for tragedies because life holds enough tragedies on its own, but comedies I like.

Going For 101 in 1001