Having left (Secondary school) with..nothing, I have to admit that as a youth Shakespeare had absolutely no appeal for me at all. The only books I remember reading at that time was, Chopper, Hells angels and Skinhead.
It wasn't until I started working at the Theatre Royal in York that I basically became aware of his existence! I found out that I was entitled to free tickets for the performances (If they weren't fully booked) and by this time I realised that I had better educate myself..for free.
I ended up watching quite a few Shakespeare plays on my own and really getting into them. to be sure, you have to listen and decipher the language and it makes one's brain hurt a lot, but I really started to dig that crazy sh*t, man.
My personal favourite is Richard the III. I just love the treachery, the deceit, lying, monstrous murderous ambition of Dick the sh*t even though he was from around these parts. (Lived in Sheriff Hutton in a big f**k off castle)
Shakespeare did a hatchet job on Richard because old Will was writing for the Tudors and Richard was a Plantagenet. He lived in very dangerous times.
