“How well he’s read, to reason against reading!”- William Shakespeare In September of 2008, Professor Michael Mack gave a speech to college freshmen at the Catholic university of America about his opinions on the importance of reading Shakespeare. Mack forges an effective argument that though reading Shakespeare is troublesome, it is well worth the effort through his use of counterclaims and rhetorical devices. The first technique that Professor Mack uses to advance his argument is his use of counterclaims. In the third sentence of the very first paragraph, Mack opens fire on the counterclaim, before he even addresses his allegations for why reading Shakespeare is favorable. “The obvious argument to the contrary is that reading Shakespeare is hard work- and not particularly rewarding, at least the first time round.” (Why Read …show more content…
“Why do you feel the way you do? Have other people felt this way before? What have they done about it, and how has it turned out?” (Why Read Shakespeare?, lines 118-120) Mack uses these questions to help him further explain how reading Shakespeare is beneficial to fully integrating your head and heart. The questions make the reader contemplate their own life, make them think that by reading Shakespeare, his plays, stories, and sonnetts, they will live a better life. In lines 66-75, Mack reasons that “...great books were thought of as mirrors.” He uses an analogy that is universally understood, to help the reader better understand his point of view. “What is more, as we hold the volume of Shakespeare in front of us, we see that it reflects not only the world around us, but also ourselves.” (Why Read Shakespeare?, lines 70-72) Professor Mack goes on to further explain that by reading Shakespeare, we can find a character that we relate to, or even a storyline in some cases. Shakespeare makes art, and art is supposed to make the viewer feel
Shakespeare is a very old and classic type of literature which is great if you like that kind of writing. Although these reads can be very interesting and stimulate the brain I do not think that students should have to or be forced to read these pieces. The first reason is that most students have trouble reading these pieces because of the language they use throughout the writing which leads to not understanding the work. Another reason that students shouldn’t have to read Shakespeare is that these writings can be very inappropriate at times which is sometimes not suitable for a school environment. The final reason students should not have to read Shakespeare pieces is the fact that most students aren’t going to be excited about reading these pieces of literature.
In today’s world the quality of the art form called writing is said to be somewhat diminishing, it is important for English literature to keep some studies of classic literature, such as Shakespeare. I think well rounded education must have a strong foundation in both modern and classical literature, for the foundation in classical literature, an in-depth study of Shakespeare’s works would be more than sufficient. Not only was Shakespeare so skilled in his writing that he has become a significant point in the history of literature, but a majority of his works were written on such basic human themes that they will last for all time and must not be forgotten.
Micheal Mack gave a speech to a freshmen class at CUA on september 2008. His speech was constructed of an effective argument that reading shakespeare is hard work but worth the effort through his use of rhetorical devices and how he appeals to his audience.
Shakespeare’s language is so different from the slang teens use today so by reading his plays, it can improve teens’ speaking abilities. If teens were to read Shakespeare’s plays, it could expand their vocabulary and they would use more academic
Shakespeare is Important William Shakespeare’s plays are being made into box office film hits at an incredible rate. Films such as Much Ado About Nothing with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, Hamlet with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, Othello with Laurence Fishbourne and Henry V with Kenneth Branagh have been seen by a surprising number of teenagers. Often they have not understood it all, or even half of it, but they have been affected by the powerful characters and by the Shakespearean magic which has affected audiences around the world for centuries. They want to know more, they want to understand, and what better motivation can any teacher ask for than that students WANT? That alone is sufficient reason for any English teacher to start a course in Shakespeare.
As students we can concur with you that the works of Shakespeare are some of the most challenging that we are obliged to study in school. He does not seem to use English at all and his works are almost always lengthy and tragic. However, you can benefit from reading and understanding his writings. The fact that you as a student dislike Shakespearean Literature is something that we are well aware of. As you get more involved in reading his works though, you will be able to developed sharpened comprehension skills, better understanding his style of writing and you feel a sense of fulfillment.
Shakespeare’s tragedies have been studied and recreated time after time in the 400 years since his career. However, through this time, it has become increasingly difficult to keep students engaged with interpretations of decent relevance and relatability. Magnus Cross discusses the magnificent adaptation of Macbeth by Mark Brozel and its importance in today’s English education.
If one were to examine any two different high schools in the United States, there will surely be innumerable differences between them. Everything from the core curriculum, to the diversity of the student body, even to the food served during lunch will surely be distinctive to the individual school. However, there is one similarity that one can be sure exists between the two schools: the study of Shakespeare. It is nearly impossible to find a school that does have its students read and analyze a myriad of texts written by the prophetic author: from his thoughtful sonnets to his lively comedies to his renowned tragedies. Shakespeare is so widely studied in schools because he is a literary genius - coining much of the modern English language and
Dominic, C. Catherine. Shakespeare's Characters for Students. Detroit - New York -Toronto - London: Gale Research, 1997.
Shakespeare is a good role model because he influenced dozens of writers after him. However, by focusing only on Shakespeare, “we are ignoring the following four hundred years of excellent writers such as Maya Angelou, Aldous Huxley, and F. Scott Fitzgerald” (Healy p.). As the times change “,” so should the relevance and topics of education. Similar to how cursive is no longer part of mainstream education, “,” Shakespeare is the handwriting of the past and to catch the attention of the modern day student education should be relevant to the learner.
This connection between the writer and reader is strong because the reader feels comfortable to the writer because the writer understands what the reader can go through. As a teenager, you encounter many problems that will tug at your heartstrings and your emotions. These strong emotions make you feel weak and small but, knowing that there is a solution and someone who can relate makes you feel sane. To conclude, students feel closer to Shakespeare because he understands life's troubles, students will want to read him because he lets them know that with any problem there is a solution and it will get better. As a young adult, they need to know that advice so they can keep pushing and be a better
Reading Shakespeare is a wonderful experience and can teach you a variety of life lessons. Reading plays like Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of The Shrew, etc. teach you not only knowledge, but lessons that will impact you in your future or even now. Shakespeare gives you a “form of truth” and shows you what it is like in the real world to experience things such as, love and happiness, but can also show you the bad side of the world
You have to read the lines over and over, But like anything else, time and effort bring an understanding. Students go into it because it is a requirement, but I do think they end up enjoying it” (Tumiel). Shakespeare has made students think analytically for
In his book Shakespearean Tragedy he explores this first thought into more detail and to how he believes Shakespeare manipulates the audience’s opinions.
Shakespeare’s plays were written in the 14th and 15th century in England, yet until this day it still has a huge influence on American English class. Why? Well because Shakespeare has a universal appeal with a rich language, complex characters with a theme that is timeless. Shakespeare should be taught more, one play per semester because it is part of American literature culture, it challenges students reading levels and as it expands students vocabulary and enriches their speaking. Shakespeare plays are relevant today as the themes of the plays involved what teenagers like and experience such as love, betrayal, courage,politics and corruption.The themes can be set in such basic forms that the plays are universal and timeless, it can set in