What exact edition of Shakespeare’s works should I read?
I have the complete works of Shakespeare in a Barnes & Noble edition. As you could imagine, I find it difficult to read because I’m unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s Early Modern English.
I know there are modernized editions, but I specifically want to learn to understand Shakespeare’s original language rather than read a modern-English translation. Ideally, I’d like an edition with extensive footnotes explaining unfamiliar vocabulary, phrases, idioms, references, and context.
I realize this may be ambitious for a beginner, but I’d like to learn how to read Shakespeare without assistance eventually. I’m happy to start with a single play and work from there if that’s the better approach.
I’ve looked at Arden, Folger, Cambridge, Norton, etc., but I’m finding conflicting opinions about which editions are best for this purpose.
What edition would you recommend for someone whose goal is to learn to read and understand Shakespeare’s Early Modern English, rather than have it translated into modern English?
I’d especially appreciate recommendations for a specific edition of Hamlet to start with. I’d rather spend more on one good annotated edition than buy something that doesn’t really help me develop the ability to read Shakespeare independently.