Want to Improve Your LSAT Reading Comprehension Score? Try Shakespeare
Ready to study the right way? We incorporate the latest discoveries in learning science into our LSAT course to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your prep. Want to see? Try the first session of any of our upcoming courses for free.
To many people I’ve encountered studying for the LSAT, the Reading Comprehension section is the toughest to study for. How do you get better at reading, after all?
But as you might guess, LSAT Reading Comprehension involves a lot more than just reading and understanding passages. You’re actually being tested on your logical analysis, the speed and efficiency of your close reading, and your ability to extrapolate from facts you’re given.
Which means it’s absolutely something you can improve.
There are a few big strategies I advocate for when it comes to LSAT Reading Comprehension—annotating passages, taking a Logic Games-style “Big Pause” to synthesize information before tackling the questions, and so on. But there’s one that comes into play on every single Reading Comprehension passage out there:
Reading for the scale.
And as it turns out—surprise, surprise, coming from an English major!—I think that reading some good old fashioned Shakespeare can help you get better at reading for the scale.
Let’s talk about what exactly reading for the scale is, and then how Shakespeare can help.
Reading for the What?
Fundamentally, the LSAT is a logic test—so even on the Reading Comprehension section, you’re actually being assessed (to a degree) on how well you can pick up on the logic underneath difficult passages. Most passages have arguments, with the author taking one side or another and supporting their points with evidence.
That’s how we get the scale. It’s a measure of the two sides of the argument that you’re examining, including which side gets more evidence and which side the author supports. For example, let’s say an LSAT Reading Comprehension passage looks at the claim that the LSAT is the best test ever. Proof for those in favor: Ben loves it! Proof for those against: his friends are tired of hearing about it!
And while that covers the argument, your scale also needs to include what the author thinks. It’s not enough to bring up both sides of the argument: 9 times out of 10, the author will take a stance themselves.
So when you’re reading a passage, you should be asking yourself…
- What’s the argument here?
- Which side has the most evidence?
- Which side does the author agree with?
Once you’ve got those questions answered, you’re looking at the scale of the passage.
(It’s tempting to think that the side with the most evidence is the side that the author agrees with, but this isn’t necessarily the case!)
What Was That You Said About Shakespeare?
As Shakespeare said, “the best sometimes forget.” And speaking of Shakespeare—brushing up on your tragedies, comedies, tragicomedies, and comitragedies could actually help you improve on your LSAT Reading Comprehension!
How, thou asketh?
Many of Shakespeare’s plays involve characters in sticky situations who wax indecisively, and at length, on their options. Or said less poetically: tons of Shakespearean monologues involve characters trying to figure out what they should do. These soliloquies can be a slog, full of difficult vocabulary and confusing grammar…
So just imagine how good you’ll be at LSAT Reading Comprehension if you can find the scale in Shakespearean speeches!
Let’s try it with a famous monologue of Hamlet, the massively indecisive prince of Denmark:
To be, or not to be- that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep-
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die- to sleep.
To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub!
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life. (Act III, Scene 1)
Most of us probably recognize this speech—and the two sides of the argument that Hamlet is deliberating here. We’ve got “To be” on one side and “Not to be” on the other, that much is clear… But where does Hamlet fall?
When reading for the author’s opinion in a difficult passage, you’re better off searching for keywords that indicate agreement or disagreement than trying to absorb every detail. This excerpt has at least two big signposts that indicate what Hamlet’s thinking. Can you find them?
The first is “’Tis a consummation / Devoutly to be wish’d.” (The slash just means a line break—it’s a poetry thing.) Whether you know what every word in this phrase means or not, you can probably translate it more or less as “That’s something we can wish for”: in other words, he thinks that whatever he was just talking about, the “Not to be” option, was a good thing.
But that’s not all she wrote. Soon after, Hamlet says “Ay, there’s the rub!”: again, even if you’re not too familiar with the English language in 1599, this is clearly a “not so fast!” moment as Hamlet shifts sides from “Not to be” to “To be.”
Without diving into most of the language of the passage, we’ve pulled out the basic scale—the two sides of the argument, as well as Hamlet’s perspective—by focusing on keywords that express opinion.
Now it’s your turn. Try opening up your favorite Shakespeare play and analyzing its big speeches from a distance, reading for the scale. This way, you can practice for the LSAT and enjoy great literature at the same time! ?
Which Shakespeare monologue did you analyze? Let us know in the comments!
Don’t forget that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person LSAT courses absolutely free. We’re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here.
Ben Rashkovich
is a Manhattan Prep LSAT instructor based in New York, NY. He’s a graduate of Columbia University, and he scored a 172 on the LSAT. He enjoys the mental challenge and logical acrobatics of the LSAT—and he feels that studying for the test can teach everyone to approach problems more rationally. You can check out Ben’s upcoming LSAT courses here!