Tough-O-Meter

We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)

(7) Snow Line

You can definitely do this. You may need to do a few mental calisthenics and pack your parka, but we totally believe in you. Sure, the language is old-fashioned, but it doesn't have those long speeches about philosophy like Hamlet, and there are lots of fight scenes to keep things exciting.

The English history is a bit confusing, what with all those Henrys and Fifths and Sixths flying around, but we totally have a cheat sheet for you, complete with the names of all the kings in this time period as well as Shakespeare's plays about them. Our handy little guide also explains why someone can be named Richard and called York by all his pals, which is totally useful info and—believe it or not—happens all the time in Shakespeare.