Speech Analysis

It's understandable why people sometimes get a little overwhelmed when reading Shakespeare. You've got to contend with versification, poetic license, archaisms, words that we don't even use any more, and grammar and spelling that were in a state of flux when the works were written. If you do a close reading of any given speech, however, with a little work you can begin to see what Shakespeare was doing. These analyses are designed to help you—not to give you all the answers, but simply to demonstrate a method you can use for yourself. After all, these speeches are just a smattering of what the Bard wrote.

You may also be interested in the SRC's "A Quick Guide to Reading Shakespeare" for some further help.

Selected Readings

Introduction (You really should read this first)
Hamlet To be or not to be....	Overview	Line Analysis
Macbeth Is this a dagger....	Overview	Line Analysis
Julius Caesar Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears....	Overview	Line Analysis
Romeo and Juliet But soft! What light through yonder window breaks....	Overview	Line Analysis
Richard III Now is the winter of our discontent....	Overview	Line Analysis
The Merchant of Venice The quality of mercy is not strain'd....	Overview	Line Analysis
The Tempest Our revels now are ended....	Overview	Line Analysis
Twelfth Night If music be the food of love....	Overview	Line Analysis