When I was in junior high, Shakespeare just never made any sense. There is poetry in there, at least that’s what my teachers said.. All those thees and thous just didn’t stick. I grew up with lowered cars, churros, and KROQ’s Poorman. Names like Portia and Desdemona just didn’t roll off the tongue very well. Thank God for Charles and Mary Lamb. If it wasn’t for their story versions of Shakespeare classics, I would never actually understand how good Shakespeare is. Sure some would consider that the Cliff Notes way, but honestly anyway you can get people to appreciate great literature is a good thing.
Now I’m starting to read up on this brother/sister writing team. Murder, lost love, super close brother-sister relationship. No wonder they were able to re-write Shakespeare tragedies and comedies. They lived it.