Do you like Shakespeare?

I LOVE Shakespeare! I love most of his works, but my favourite is Hamlet - one of the greatest works in all of English literature. I also adore the sonnets, I'm even doing my Advanced Higher English dissertation on Shakespeare's treatment of love in the sonnets. There's a reason why Shakespeare always has his own section in every Waterstones and that reason is, ladies and gentleman, that he is awesome. So yes, in short, I like Shakespeare.

Wow, good for you about the sonnets; never began them (yet) myself. I am exploring the issue of love within the plays at the moment though, specifically within relation to madness.
Can I ask why you like Hamlet especially? Personally, I always loved the identifiable struggles that we see the hero endure, and we in part suffer along with him. I found Hamlet to be one of Shakespeare's most relatable characters, presented as the 'Renaissance Man'.

I think I studied The Tempest // Romeo & Juliet // Midsummer Night's Dream // Macbeth and out of all of them I only liked Macbeth. I never understood the fuss about Romeo & Juliet it is one of the most tedious books I have ever read and I absolutely loathed it.

From what I've *heard* about Hamlet, it seems like a play I'd enjoy. Idk I understand why Shakespeare was so influential, but personally only a handful of plays have ever appealed to me and I wish I had experienced a lot more authors at school instead of just learning about Shakespeare for 4/5 goddamn years.

OH his sonnets were brilliant though, no denying that.

I think his name has become rather associated with boredom and schoolwork, but I'm sure there are more people that like Shakespeare out there than most would think.
I personally love the plays, and actually still find some of the jokes quite funny, but I think the dated language puts most people off.
Anyways to the point, do you like Shakespeare?

You should start reading the sonnets, they're "beautiful". Hamlet is perfect for love in relation to madness, haha. Why I like Hamlet the most? It just has everything; revenge, madness, love... it's a fantastic story which gives an invaluable insight on the human character and presents the dangerous of revenge. The characterisation is better than any of his other plays, I believe, and the language is exquisite. I also find the soliloquies particularly touching. Oh, and Claudius is my favourite villain. I agree with you regarding the identifiable struggles that we see Hamlet endure but, personally, I often get agitated at Hamlet's inability to seek revenge and kill Claudius as that is, ultimately, his downfall. I also find the ending of particular interest. I could go on forever about Hamlet!

Haha, but then would we read Hamlet and love him so if he was able to quickly take revenge and kill Claudius?
I found insights into the history of Elizabethan/Jacobean attitudes to killing a king quite interesting to help better understand the revenge aspect of the play you liked.
I will adhere to your tip on the sonnets though and make a start on them when I get a chance

Are you hoping to study English at university? Or are currently studying English?

I hate reading Shakespeare, but enjoy productions of his plays.

I am studying English at A level, if A level can really be called studying.
It's an option I've considered and would probably love, although I ultimately wish to follow a career in law so have different conversion courses available to me, unless I wish to take a degree in law itself of course.
Would you recommend it for someone who's interested, or are there considerable drawbacks, such as say having to select a book to study from what may be a reasonably uninteresting time period?