To really understand Shakespeare, you need to see his plays live on stage and explore the theater experience during Shakespeare's lifetime. It's a sad fact that today we normally study Shakespeare's plays out of a book, but it's important to remember that the Bard wasn't writing for today's literary[文学的] audience; he was writing for the masses, many of whom couldn't read or write.
要真正理解莎士比亚，你得现场观看舞台上的戏剧表演，还要发掘那个年代在剧院看表演是一种什么样的体验。不幸的是，我们今天往往只能通过书籍学习莎士比亚的戏剧。但要记住，这位诗人不是为今天有文学品味的观众而创作；他为（当时的）普罗大众写作，这些人大多不会读书写字。
Exploring the theater experience during Shakespeare's lifetime gives you a fuller understanding of his plays.
体验莎士比亚时期的戏剧能让你对其戏剧有更全面的了解。
The experience of visiting a theater and watching a play was very different in Shakespeare's time. You were not expected to be still and silent throughout the performance like you are today. Rather, it was the modern equivalent[相等物] of going to see a popular band.
在莎士比亚的年代，到剧场看戏跟现在大相径庭。在表演过程中，你无需像现在一样安静地坐着。相反，那倒像现在去观看一支流行乐队表演。
Major Differences:
The audience would eat, drink and talk throughout the performance.
Theaters were open air and used natural light.
Plays were performed in the afternoon in the daylight.
Women never performed and the female characters were often played by boys.
Plays used very little scenery[舞台布景], instead using language to set the scene.
主要区别：
观众在表演过程中会吃吃喝喝，随意聊天。
剧场是露天的，采用自然光。
戏剧表演在下午天还亮的时候进行。
女性不能登台，女性角色一般由男孩扮演。
舞台背景很少，通常用语言作介绍。
Top Ten Most Important Plays (in chronological[按年代顺序排列的] order):
Romeo and Juliet (1594-1595)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595-1596)
Much Ado About Nothing (1598-1599)
Henry V (1598-1599)
Twelfth Night (1599-1600)
Hamlet (1600-1601)
Measure for Measure (1604-1605)
King Lear (1605-1606)
Macbeth (1605-1606)
The Tempest (1611-1612)