On “wittiness” in Shakespeare and grouchiness in me

For Christmas I was given the RSC Complete Works of Shakespeare. My plan is to read one play per month and, in about three years, to have experienced the Shakespeare canon.

The first section of the volume contains the comedies. Thus far I have read four, and am finding myself consistently irritated by those short scenes in which minor characters reveal important plot points while indulging in witty banter. The puns, double entendres, and deliberate misunderstandings are really getting under my skin.

The problem, I think, is that I am too apt to read for information and plot development. I want to get through the language to extract detail, but Shakespeare wants me to also savour the language, enjoy the wit.

In this age of cell phones and email, we are losing the ability to hear the tones in what is being said. The problem is more serious than just the loss of a witty turn of phrase. We are losing subtlety, depth, and, ultimately, the skill to understand what the other person is really saying and to make ourselves understood by others.

Information comes to us in many forms. “Just the facts” is but a small part of what we need to know.

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