So I just bought the works of Shakespeare, where do I start?

Start with the comedies -- A Midsummer Night's Dream, All's Well the Ends Well, or Twelfth Night. These include mistaken identity, running through forests, and happy endings.

Once you begin to fall into Shakespeare's languistic style, you can begin reading the tragedies. Start with the more famous ones -- Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet.

Then, peruse the histories: Julius Caesar, the Henrys, Anthony and Cleopatra (which is considered a tragedy, but also falls into history) and is excellently descriptive and rich.

Good luck. If you start reading one play and don't like it, find another one to try and go back to the first one later. Also, try to see the movies or stage versions as often as possible. Plays are meant to be seen and this will help you with understanding the language.

Good Luck!

Hamlet is generally regarded as Shakespeare's masterpiece, but it's probably not a good starting point. I really think you'd be wise to get into a Shakespeare class so that you can get some background about drama, especially tragedy; but if that's not feasible, another way to begin would be to see some of the plays performed. Some recent films with contemporary settings (Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo di Caprio and Claire Danes, Richard III with Ian McKellan, a version of Hamlet set in modern New York) might be a good introduction. If you're determined just to start reading on your own, I would suggest Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, or Macbeth as a beginning--all tragedies. R & J is often used in schools as the first play students read, partly because the characters are about the ages of high school (or middle school!) students, so that the class can identify with them. However, the other two give a better picture of Shakespeare's usual tragic structure and other elements. As for the language, I used to tell my classes that if they could read the King James Bible, they could read Shakespeare (especially if their book had good footnotes :) ).

I'd agree that you should watch them being performed as much as you can before reading.

Then I'd start with Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night and Much Ado about Nothing. They're all story-driven but with great moments of language. Plus they give you a good idea of the different genres he wrote in.

I'd come to the history plays last, once I'd got used to some of the dramatic conventions Shakespeare uses and start with Richard III.

The first thing I would say is Shakespeare wrote his plays to be watched not read so if you have any way of watching them (theatre, DVD whatever) I would do that before you read them.

As to which one to start with, that really depends on what floats your boat:

-if you live love stories try Romeo and Juliet

-if you like lots of blood and guts go for Titus or King Lear

-if you like a laugh start with Comedy of Errors (classic mistaken identity)

-if you want an overview of British history head for the History plays (Henrys IV, V etc)

Hope you enjoy them

I'm not a great fan, but I think you should just start at the beginning. I done that when I decided tae huv a read at the Bible. Sometimes ye will get offy bored, but now and again, a wee gem will come along!! Guid luck, Shakespeare must be great, so many folk huv ranted on aboot him!!!

As You Like it or Midsummer Night's Dream. Have fun with Shakespeare, he was kind of a funny guy~! Starting with these comedies will help you stomach the historical ones later on....

If you like drama though, King Lear is absolutely exquisite.

I would start with the scottish play whos name cannot be spoken

(Bearing in mind you have not read Shakespeare that is MacBeth)

I think you should start with Hamlet.....and if you want to save the good for last then read that later.

Start with Romeo and Juliet....that's not the best but most definitely the most popular one.

The Tempest. I learnt that in yr 9. It aint a long play to read so thats why i think you should start reading that one first

Start with A Midsummer Nights Dream, it is a comedy, and a good one.

Well Done for doing this and Good Luck.