--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obviously we had to study Shakespeare at…" description: "\"Obviously we had to study Shakespeare at school, but to be honest, I was not a fan. I found the language very difficult, and I didn't enjoy watching it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/samuel-barnett-15432_business_obviously-we-had-to-study-shakespeare-at_554398.jpg" --- # Obviously we had to study Shakespeare at school, but to be… ![“Obviously we had to study Shakespeare at school, but to be honest, I was not a fan. I found the language very difficult, and I didn't enjoy watching it or studying it. I auditioned five times for the Royal Shakespeare Company early on in my career, and I didn't even get past the first rounds.” quote by Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/samuel-barnett-15432_business_obviously-we-had-to-study-shakespeare-at_554398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/samuel-barnett-15432_business_obviously-we-had-to-study-shakespeare-at_554398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/samuel-barnett-15432_business_obviously-we-had-to-study-shakespeare-at_554398.jpg) > “Obviously we had to study Shakespeare at school, but to be honest, I was not a fan. I found the language very difficult, and I didn't enjoy watching it or studying it. I auditioned five times for the Royal Shakespeare Company early on in my career, and I didn't even get past the first rounds.” [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal taste can differ from academic expectations; perseverance may lead to future opportunities. **In simple terms:** Dislike doesn’t mean inability; keep trying. Key Takeaway Pursue interests despite initial dislike. Themes personal growth perseverance education Mood thoughtful determined Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - applying for roles - self‑assessment - skill development Key Concepts subjective preferences career setbacks audition experiences Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to persist? - How can you reframe challenges as growth? A Different Perspective Initial dislike may hinder effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Fan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fan/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Rounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rounds/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) ## Related quotes > [One day, out of irritation, I said, you know all of those years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, all those years of playing kings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/one-day-out-of-irritation-i-said-you-know-all-of-those-years-with-the/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I've done maybe twelve of Shakespeare's plays. I was with the Royal Shakespeare Company for years. Whatever influence that has never leaves you. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/i-ve-done-maybe-twelve-of-shakespeare-s-plays-i-was-with-the-royal/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [I'd love to do Shakespeare. I've been asked to do Malvolio but for one reason or another haven't been able. On a school trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dennis/i-d-love-to-do-shakespeare-i-ve-been-asked-to-do-malvolio-but-for-one/) [Les Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dennis/) > [My middle daughter is with the Royal Shakespeare Company and was on Broadway several years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/my-middle-daughter-is-with-the-royal-shakespeare-company-and-was-on/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [I did a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company. People say, 'Why aren't you doing theater anymore?' And I say, 'Look, my kids have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-did-a-season-at-the-royal-shakespeare-company-people-say-why-aren-t/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I don't think I have had a big break, although joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1986 opened up new horizons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mccabe/i-don-t-think-i-have-had-a-big-break-although-joining-the-royal/) [Richard McCabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mccabe/) > [Peter Hall was just organizing the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was going to be an ensemble, it was going to be in repertory, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/peter-hall-was-just-organizing-the-royal-shakespeare-company-it-was/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [I'm a pro! No, what I mean is I have performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. I have been all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-nayyar/i-m-a-pro-no-what-i-mean-is-i-have-performed-with-the-royal/) [Kunal Nayyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-nayyar/) > [I think you have lots of actors who would much rather do a wonderful part at the Royal Shakespeare Company, but then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morfydd-clark/i-think-you-have-lots-of-actors-who-would-much-rather-do-a-wonderful/) [Morfydd Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morfydd-clark/) > [My dad, when he was young, did Shakespeare in school, and my mom was a little bit of an artist, but everybody was pragmatic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ato-essandoh/my-dad-when-he-was-young-did-shakespeare-in-school-and-my-mom-was-a/) [Ato Essandoh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ato-essandoh/) > [Once an actor told me he went to the Shakespeare School of Acting, and I said, 'I went to the Shakespeare of Acting, too'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-clarke-duncan/once-an-actor-told-me-he-went-to-the-shakespeare-school-of-acting-and/) [Michael Clarke Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-clarke-duncan/) > [I had a very bad first experience of Shakespeare at school, and, now I'm determined to put that wrong right and just make Shakespeare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-gomez/i-had-a-very-bad-first-experience-of-shakespeare-at-school-and-now-i/) [Michelle Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-gomez/) > [Because I was writing verse, my instructor suggested I study Shakespeare. The Shakespeare teacher insisted you couldn't understand the text without seeing it on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamey-sheridan/because-i-was-writing-verse-my-instructor-suggested-i-study/) [Jamey Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamey-sheridan/) > [When we study Shakespeare on the page, for academic purposes, we may require all kinds of help. Generally, we read him in modern spelling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/when-we-study-shakespeare-on-the-page-for-academic-purposes-we-may/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [You go to school, you get a master's degree, you study Shakespeare and you wind up being famous for plastic glasses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-jessy-raphael/you-go-to-school-you-get-a-master-s-degree-you-study-shakespeare-and/) [Sally Jessy Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-jessy-raphael/) ## More by Samuel Barnett > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I've definitely learned that if you want to have power as a woman in Shakespeare's time, and it's still relevant today, that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/i-ve-definitely-learned-that-if-you-want-to-have-power-as-a-woman-in/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [ \[Elijah Wood\] has got such a broad outlook. 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I feel very fortunate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/i-feel-like-i-ve-gotten-more-than-a-lot-of-people-will-ever-get-i/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I'm a Brit and I just put myself on tape, back in London, for a very distant American project that I thought I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/i-m-a-brit-and-i-just-put-myself-on-tape-back-in-london-for-a-very/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [ \[Elijah Wood\] is a really fully-rounded, amazing human being, and I feel incredibly lucky, especially given how closely we have to work together. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/elijah-wood-is-a-really-fully-rounded-amazing-human-being-and-i-feel/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [With Millais's paintings, it's microscopic; when he does hair, it's extraordinary: you can see every strand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/with-millais-s-paintings-it-s-microscopic-when-he-does-hair-it-s/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [ The great irony to Dirk \[Gently\] is that he sees connections in everything, but the one thing he fails and struggles with most is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/the-great-irony-to-dirk-gently-is-that-he-sees-connections-in/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [ \[Dirk Gently\] just doesn't understand social cues. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/dirk-gently-just-doesn-t-understand-social-cues/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [ One of the joys of this show \[Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency\] is that each of those characters could be starring in their own… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/one-of-the-joys-of-this-show-dirk-gently-s-holistic-detective-agency/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [ I think Dirk \[Gently\] thinks that he's a brilliant detective, but he's the worst detective, ever. He does have this particular skill, which I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/i-think-dirk-gently-thinks-that-he-s-a-brilliant-detective-but-he-s/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [The Pre-Raphaelites, while very bothered by what the establishment thought of them, also utterly rebelled against it. In everything - social, sexual, emotional -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/the-pre-raphaelites-while-very-bothered-by-what-the-establishment/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [To me, Elijah Wood is one of the best actors of my generation. 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