The best piece of advice I read when starting out on this project was, when reading the histories, find a good stage or film adaptation to watch while you're reading through the work, marking interesting passages to return to after you're done watching.
This is a good idea, but since my goal was to read every word of Shakespeare's plays and sometimes quite a bit gets left out in modern performances, I realized that skipping around was both confusing and counter to my goal.
So, the following is how I've been approaching the histories:
1) Read a summary of each scene, using a reliable crib note-type site. This isn't a mandatory step, but if the language intimidates you (and there's nothing wrong with that - it sure as hell intimidates me), having a summary helps you get a lot more out of the scene. You understand the overall action and can actually enjoy the words. My favorite site for this is Shmoop because they use a lot of humor to get their point across.
2) After reading the scene summary, read the scene and underline anything that grabs you. This doesn't have to be the usual famous monologues, just lines you like. In King John, I took to underlining all of Lady Constance's fantastic burns.
3) Continue through the entire play this way and pat yourself on the back when you're done. Good work.
4) Find a stage adaptation to watch, following along in your text if you so choose.
5) Write a one or two sentence summary of the play. Your future self will thank you when you aren't able to remember King John from Richard III.
6) Wait a few days. You deserve the break. You can start on something else if you can't stand to be away from the Bard for even a minute.
7) THEN find something else to reinforce what you just read. I like listening to a short podcast or lecture, but you could also find a comic book, online game or quiz, or have a discussion with someone else who has read the play. If you're the creative type, you could even make something of your own.
8) Move on. You're done!
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