I’ll admit it … I like Shakespeare.   

It all started when I was in middle school and my mom made me watch the Reduced Shakespeare Company - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.  At first I resisted - the “arms crossed, I can’t believe I have to sit here and watch this” kind of resistance.  But then something happened, I realized that Shakespeare was interesting.  The Reduced Shakespeare Company made it really funny and easy to understand.

Take Hamlet, as an example - 

Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, seeks (and ultimately takes) revenge on his uncle.  Why? Because a Ghost - who is probably Hamlet’s deceased father - tells him that his uncle murdered his father.  To make matters worse, his uncle also married Hamlet’s mother.  

Hamlet has some bad luck - most caused by his own indecisiveness-

• The Prince of Norway wants to attack Denmark to avenge his own father’s death. (Hamlet’s father killed the King of Norway) 
• Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius - the Lord Chamberlain of his uncle’s court and the father of the love of his life.
• Ophelia - the love of his life - kills herself.
• Hamlet’s mother accidentally drinks poison meant for him.
• Hamlet is killed in a sword-fight with Ophelia’s brother (the sword is poisoned so it takes a long time for him to die)

Sounds brutal, right?  

Well check out the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s version of the play (you’ll love it):