Corpsey
bandz ahoy
youre stressing out too much. if it feels like homework its a waste of time doing it. if youre consulting every footnote youre wasting youre time. the key to reading shakespeare is locating the rhythm. it often helps, i find it helps, to read aloud or subvocalise, using different voices, comedy ones are good, for each character. im not saying its always easy but it has musical qualities, and grasping that is the key to comprehension. 'locking in' to the rhythm to use a phrase used in the percussion thread. it clears up many more ambiguities than glossaries and footnotes.
Yeah, this is why seeing a Shakespeare play performed is (or can be) fun even if you haven't read the play and don't really know what they're talking about the whole time. I like to at least think I'm understanding everything I can about what I'm reading (and especially since Shakespeare's language is so often praised), but as you say I'm losing the sense of vitality and enjoyment in consulting the glossary every other line.