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It is modern English, it is generally comprehensible, but it isn't easy for the modern speaker. The main reason is that Shakespeare is full of familiar words that have secondary meanings that are uncommon or unusual for us now. So we find it hard to parse because a word we tend to use as a verb might be a noun, for instance.

An example off the time of my head would be the word "fast", which we usually use to mean "quick", but Shakespeare uses to mean "held tight". Speaking of "quick", he would use that to mean "alive".

If you really think about each line you might be able to work it out without notes, but that doesn't make it very easy to read.




That meaning of fast is still current in phrases such as 'hold fast to'.

Similarly for quick. There is a relatively recent film called The Quick and the Dead based on a 1973 novel of the same name. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quick_and_the_Dead_(1987_f...

If you are moderately well read most such words should not pose more than momentary difficulties.


Hmm, I always interpreted the title of the movie with the current/conventional meaning of 'quick'.

There are two kinds of people. Those who are quick on the trigger. And those who are dead (because they were not quick enough ..)

It was an entertaining movie! Several big name stars.


I guess I'm not moderately well read.


>I guess I'm not moderately well read.

At least you're honest about it. Assuming you aren't just being sarcastic. A lot of people never read much beyond whatever is required for their schooling but pretend otherwise.




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