Why Is Shakespeare Still Relevant Today

Many of today’s high schoolers who are required to read Shakespeare often ask the question, “Why do we need to read this? What can I get out of a book that’s 400 years old?”. Simply put, the answer is in the ideas of his works, and how many of them are a universal concept that is still taught around the world today, just by different means of course. The previous statement can be shown just by looking at the literature of any past people or civilization. There are always these common tropes, ideas, and devices used throughout the world in these works, and the messages are still all too important even today. And one of the biggest lessons one learns from Shakespeare can still apply even in today’s society. For example, In Hamlet, the theme of revenge is, and will always be, relevant somehow in society.

In one of his most famous quotes, Confucious says it this way, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” Even with this knowledge in mind, many people take it upon themselves to dispense what they see as the righteous judgement that people need. Or maybe it has a more sinister motive and is fueled by anger or rage. The point is, all of these feelings and motives are, like I have said with the overall theme, are universal. Take the tragic events of 9/11 as a good example of how far people will go for revenge and the unforeseen repercussions that emerge from taking