Why We Still Study Shakespeare The first reason as to why we still study Shakespeare today is because every play that Shakespeare has written touches on relevant issues that can still be seen in today’s society. Craven, a professor from UTSA had once stated: “The language is rich, the characters are complex and many of his basic themes – love, treachery, honor, bravery and political intrigue – still resonate today” (Tumiel). It is common knowledge that high school students fall in love, are overly dramatic, have jealous feelings, face discrimination and act out from passion, so why wouldn’t this content be relevant for them? For the people who try to reason that society 450 years ago is nothing like today’s is to dismiss every religious text, all ancient mythology and everything that was not written recently (Strauss, 2015). Arguably having students study Shakespeare’s plays can be for the betterment of civilization. Shakespeare’s plots are commonly about …show more content…
The intricate language, involved plots, and settings of the plays create new ways of thinking for students. By giving students the chance to study the plays by performing them, they can take creative risks, this gives the students confidence and a greater understanding of the text (Kitchen, 2017). When a student first starts studying Shakespeare’s work, they have to put effort into it in order to understand it. Mark Bayer, an educator that teaches Shakespeare explained, “The language is so dense, so rich, the first couple plays they read are difficult. Not because the language is archaic, but because it is semantically dense. 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
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
For as long as people today can remember there has always been Shakespeare in the classroom. Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest playwrights of all time and deserves to be presented as so, however his work is very old and as times have changed so has English. Teens don’t understand his work and struggle through these units in school. The least that should be done is changing a few allusions for an easier and deeper understanding for young minds. Teachers always talk about giving their students the tools that they need to succeed and this update is one of those necessary tools. In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change
These plays are presented as slightly distorted mirrors of reality, so by having audiences invest themselves so deeply in the understanding of the literature, they are likely to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the worlds they live in. By pushing the imaginative burden onto the audience, Shakespeare is able to make commentary on human nature and human history without being held responsible for its implications. Because the audience is encouraged to fully embrace their role in the production, any commentary and critique is aimed towards themselves and their inability to effectively understand, resulting in an increased appreciation for Shakespeare himself, and the complexity of literature as an art
Students who read Shakespeare are most likely not going to understand it for a while which is understandable. Even after they learn how to read it they still have to be able to comprehend it and this is where most students get lost. The language used throughout the writing is so old and nonsensical that the students can't understand it.
To start off, Shakespeare made his plays to entertain and not to study. According to Powell, Shakespeare’s “plays are not meant to be taught like this.” Shakespeare made his plays to entertain and let people escape reality. In addition, Powell stated, “ Shakespeare made students feel stupid and not
Do you think Shakespeare should be taught in schools? If you say no, then let me tell you why you are wrong; most people believe that Shakespeare shouldn't be taught because it’s hard to comprehend or that doesn't relate to us, the readers. But in reality, it gives us a new perspective on how people must have lived back then or on how they responded to situations that we might never have to go through in our lives. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, we are introduced to two young adults that are enemies but they fall in love to show that love is blind and that is true love might exist ( even though they moved on from their previous crushes, Rosaline and Paris ) , this gives me the first situation I want to talk about, which is the problems teenagers or people in general have to deal with and those are love and relationships or commitment . People who say that it doesn't relate to us, please let me explain why it wrong; first, everyone, who has been in a relationship will know that relationship aren't always perfect because you will have problem, arguments, and obstacles.
Dominic, C. Catherine. Shakespeare's Characters for Students. Detroit - New York -Toronto - London: Gale Research, 1997.
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 motvation can any teacher ask for than that students WANT ? That alone is sufficient reason for any English teacher to start a course in Shakespeare.
and that is to have a common knowledge in our societies. So many diverse groups of people can be brought together with Shakespeare's plays, for discussions, arguments, and more. The timeless ideas that are put into his plays are something that everyone can relate
Across the Universe of Time: Shakespeare’s influence on 21st century society. It is harder to imagine a more universal writer than William Shakespeare. Rarely, if ever, is one of his many plays not being performed anywhere in the world and similarly rare is the tertiary English student who has not examined his work at length. His plays, sonnets and poems are common fodder for high school English departments across the globe.
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.
Shakespeare’s plays are a product of the Elizabethan theatrical context in which they were first performed. A lot of pressure was put on Shakespeare as he wrote his plays because he was not allowed to upset the royal family. His style would have been different than others in those times and a lot more thought has gone into his writing than people listening would think. Usually, the audience take for granted the cleverness and thought of Shakespeare’s writing, however, now we have studied and gone into great detail about Shakespeare’s writing, we can appreciate it more than they did:
The impeccable style and craft of Shakespeare’s writing has always been looked upon with great respect, and it continues to serve as an inspiration to writers and thinkers today even as it did when it was being first performed in London. Shakespeare’s modern audience, however, is far less diverse than the one for which he originally wrote. Due to the antiquity of his language, Shakespeare’s modern readership consists mostly of students and intellectuals, whereas in Shakespeare’s own time, his plays were performed in playhouses packed with everyone from royalty to peasants. Because of this, Shakespeare was forced to write on many different levels, the most sophisticated of which appealed to his more elite audience members, while the more straightforward and often more crude of which appealed to his less educated viewers, and the most universal of which still appeals to us.
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
Throughout the United States and the entire world people are aware of Shakespeare; however, many people wonder why society wants their citizens to continue to read William Shakespeare’s plays and poems. Shakespeare continues to influence today’s environment and brings people together by speaking of a common author that most people know. All across the world, students must read at least one of Shakespeare’s works; which often develop those children who read his works into better writers. During the Elizabethan Era, William Shakespeare experienced an uneventful childhood and had a basic education; however, his life still seems to be shrouded with mystery and raises the argument that he was not only the most successful, but also the most mysterious playwright, actor, and poet from that time period.