Persuasive essay: Topic- Should students continue reading Shakespeare in school?I Shanel levy,certify that I have personally completed this assignment based on my own personal efforts. I understand if I use outside sources, I must properly give my source(s) credit using the APA format and my paper should not include more than 20% of direct quotes from other sources. I understand if I do not provide proper credit to outside sources, I will be documented for plagiarism and be required to resubmit a new assignment. I will not divulge the content of this assignment or any of my work, generallyor specifically, to any current or future James Madison High School students.4/26/2018Many …show more content…
Some may say that students should continue reading Shakespeare because he teaches readers about the human condition, while other might disagree. Students should not read Shakespeare in school because his work is hard to comprehend, and there are many different cultures of literature out there that students can acknowledge. One reason why students should not read Shakespeare is because it is hard to comprehend. For instance, according to article “Kill Bill; Why we must take Shakespeare out of the classroom” by Mark Powell. In paragraph 1 it states, “ his words were chosen to be spoken or heard, not to be read and deadened behind a desk-they wither when performance is removed.” Furthermore, in paragraph 5 it also states, “ English teachers agree that Shakespeare's language isn't intended to be desk-bound; it's crafted for stage.” This reveals that Shakespeare is not meant to be read, it's meant to be staged. Also, the audience understood Shakespeare through sounds and pictures, not his words since it was confusing to …show more content…
For instance, according to article “ Teacher: Why I don’t want to assign Shakespeare anymore (even though he’s in the common core)”- Valerie Strauss. In paragraph 10 it states, “ What I worry about is that as long as we cling to one man’s view of life... we promote the notion that other cultural perspectives are less important.” Also, in paragraph 11 it states, “ Why not teach translations of early writings or oral storytelling from Latin America or SouthEast Asia other parts of the world.” This demonstrates that there is much more literature out there that does not just stick to one white man’s viewpoint from centuries ago. Also, there is literature that has the same culture and traditions as students, so the students can feel more connected and interested when reading it because they feel like they can relate more. Others may say that students should continue reading Shakespeare because he teaches us about the real world we live in. For instance, according to “Why read Shakespeare?”- Michael mack. In paragraph 6 itstates,” We think of biology, chemistry, history...Well, as with these subjects, Shakespeare offers us a lens on the real world in which we live.” This indicates that Shakespeare is teaching us subjects that are significant and beneficial in life. But, they are wrong because our
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
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
In my essay I will be looking at what Shakespeare has done to make us
Shakespeare was and is an extremely crucial figure in the English language. Period. Some may say that “Shakespeare’s use of the English language is irrelevant in today’s modern world”(Dusbiber 1), or simply “Shakespeare is useless”. Some may also refute that there are other great writers out there that are from all sorts of different cultures, that can teach students of different ethnicities the same ideas and same topics that Shakespeare teaches, which may be the case for some people. However, if you look at the
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.
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
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.
Reading Shakespeare is beneficial in that it helps build one?s comprehension skills. Shakespeare?s works are written in old English and so because of this, it is hard to understand. You will have to translate while reading. This is good because it improves your understanding capacity. It is excellent training for the brain. It will also help you to better understand and comprehend other works of literature. Doing this will help you to raise your grades, and who does not like good grades. With out it, you may not get into the collage you want or are capable of getting into.
Dominic, C. Catherine. Shakespeare's Characters for Students. Detroit - New York -Toronto - London: Gale Research, 1997.
MrCrea, Scott. The Case for Shakespeare: The End of the Authorship Question. Westport: Praegar, 2005. Print.
Shakespeare is one of the world’s greatest writers, if not the greatest. His plays have brought a powerful meaning to literature and his language shows deep emotions for the characters personalities. Today, his stories live on and are currently part of the required English curriculum. Some believe, though, that his language is too difficult and a change needs to be made. Several schools and festivals have decided to bring modern language into Shakespeare. So, is Shakespeare too hard for today’s students. Is it important for Shakespeare’s original language to still be included in text to prove its meaning?
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:
Shakespeare consists of classic tales, as some would say. He uses such a beautiful language and a strong depiction of his characters, atmosphere, background and even the overall message he tries to send through his productions. Specifically, Hamlet is a very important play because it covers a broad range of themes that we encounter today in the 20th century ranging from love, betrayal, politics, war, death, insanity, espionage and so on. Shakespeare’s work was a form of art and you can get a lot out of his
William Shakespeare's Relevance Today For as long as formal education has existed in Britain it has been a largely standard assumption that teaching the works of William Shakespeare is relevant and necessary. Perhaps the relevance of his writing is taken for granted, perhaps it is necessary to re-examine the role of Shakespeare for the modern audience. There are indeed many people who question the relevance of this 440 year old playwright to a 21st century audience, taking it even as far as perhaps the greatest heresy of all, questioning the necessity of GCSE pupils learning Shakespeare at all.
Literature is an art form, it is entertainment, history, and a medium of self-expression. There is something magical about the creative power that is within literature. With words alone, literature illustrates the rise of nations, the fall of tyranny, the power of true love, and the tragedy of unescapable fate. When discussing timeless literature, it is almost impossible to not bring up the works of William Shakespeare. However, while some are enthusiastic about discussing Shakespeare, many can’t help but sigh. Some find his work outdated, his language cumbersome, and question: for what purpose is society so fixated on his work? Despite complaints from a few contemporary readers, Shakespeare’s work exhibits quality and thoughtfulness that is