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 Level
We're not going to mess with you: this play ain't easy to read.
In addition to the old time-y language and weird historical idioms (you don't hear about many people trying to induce labor with the clever application of apricots these days), it's no easy task to keep track of what's going on. Where's the Duchess? Where are her kids? Wait, are the kids dead? Not yet? Hold up, those aren't even her real kids?
Takeaway message: pay attention, and above all pay attention to who knows what—so much of this play revolves around people trying to keep their own secrets and then to keep it secret that they know other people's secrets.
The good news? It's totally doable. If you stay on your toes and keep your eyes peeled for helpful footnotes (which, by the way, you're gonna want, so get a decent edition, folks), you're in for a treat. There's a reason lots of scholars rank Webster as second only to Shakespeare in the pantheon of Renaissance dramatists.