Which Version of Shakespeare is Best for You?

Shakespeare remains one of the most printed authors, up to date. But it can be overwhelming to find the right edition of a Shakespeare book to buy, even after you have chosen the play. This is simply because there are so many options. There are footnotes and endnotes and notes that make you turn the book sideways to read, and plain english and side-by-side and abridged and adapted versions, as well as straight Shakespeare (which includes virtually no words but those of the Bard).

Below is a quick quiz of sorts to help you find out what versions of Shakespeare's plays you would be the most enjoyable, engaging, and comfortable for you. For each answer, there are short explanations and more information about finding and reading that type of work. The answers also act as a sort of stepladder (left to right, from Modern Translation to Just Bard's Words on the quiz), so as your familiarity and fascination with Shakespeare grow, your reading will most likely follow this track.

Modern Translation First

For this level and readiness for challenge, you should consider first reading a modern translation version of Shakespeare's text. After gaining a full understanding of the plot and characters, you can move onto reading Shakespearean language with a solid foundation. That way, you can focus on the language and appreciate it to its full extent. Versions will differ based on the play, but should be pretty easy to find; some are even free online.

Abridged/Side-by-Side

You are becoming accustomed to Shakespeare's language and style, quite a feat. However, don't feel the need to rush to straight Shakespeare. There is much merit in an abridged version that will take less time to read, and could be more enjoyable while presenting a more reasonable challenge. Alternately, side-by-side versions which have the Shakespeare on one page and the modern translation on the other could also be helpful (probably the most famous example would be the No Fear Shakespeare series). That way, if you need to look at a plain language, it is there––but you also can ignore it if you don't find that you need it.

Notes at the Bottom of the Page

For this level and commitment, you might like to try a version which prints explanatory notes at the bottom of the page. This way, the notes are immediately accessible but do not interfere with your reading of the text. There are also versions which print notes on one column of the page and the Shakespeare on the other column, but those can often be visually confusing. Beware of versions that require you to turn the book sideways to read the notes; it proves absolutely impossible to get in the groove of reading Shakespeare when you have to turn the book to read every single note. Both the Arden Shakespeare and the Signet Classic series (as well as the Dover Thrift Editions) include footnotes at the bottom of the page.

Notes in the Back

A published version of Shakespeare where notes appear in the back of the page would probably be best for you. At your level, you probably will not need most of the explanatory notes, but if you do, they will be very accessible at the back of the book. You might consider the Shakespeare series of Harrison and Dover Wilson to find this format.

Just the Bard's Words

Wow, you are a Shakespeare expert! Because you have a reference source available if you ever need it (an occasion which will probably be very seldom), you are free to read an unedited version of Shakespeare's work. Reading the work as authentically as possible is a great accomplishment, and will feel like one. A version you could look into would be the Folger Shakespeare library texts.