Should Shakespeare Be Taught In Schools

Shakespeare is well-known throughout the world today, as it is taught to teenagers in their high school years. The relevance of Shakespeare’s play in today’s day and age is up for great debate as to whether or not it should be taught at all. Many believe that it is a necessity to English class and the overall English language, while other believe it to be a waste of time and energy considering how difficult it is to understand. Shakespeare is no longer relevant in twenty-first century classrooms; therefore, it should not be a requirement in English classrooms. Many English teachers are told that they must teach their students Shakespeare without their opinion on the subject, even though they come to know the children in their classrooms and

Such beliefs are out-dated and only promote visions of a world where women are not at all considered equals to men. Many of Shakespeare’s plays publicize the idea that women must never upset a man unless she wanted to suffer the consequences. In “Much Ado About Nothing” for example, “Hero takes back her fiancé despite having to fake her own death in order to thwart his jealous rage” (Beech, 2). Today, women have the right to speak freely, a right that was challenging to fight for. Shakespeare’s plays also seem to advertise the surrender to mental abuse. In “The Taming of a Shrew” it is prominent that, “…gutsy Kate capitulates to a form of mental abuse” and according to Peter Beech, “…is plainly the work of a woman hater” (2). In today’s society, women and men are encouraged to stand up for themselves, walk away, or get help, in order to get them out of a situation that is detrimental to their health and mental stability. It is apparent that many of Shakespeare’s major female characters rely on the attention of men or their male counterparts. In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Helena is portrayed as absurd because she constantly fights to get Demetrius’ attention. Realistically, a woman’s life does not revolve around men. Women have jobs, watch the kids, and do household chores, and today, so do men. Women cannot afford this promotion or setback as they fight every day for their rights so that one day, they can truly be considered