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Shakespeare's influence on theater
Benefits of reading shakespeare at school
Should Shakespeare still be taught in schools
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One of the greatest controversies in today’s schools is deciding whether or not to integrate Shakespeare into the classroom setting. It should be taught because it is productive, as well as having very beneficial outcomes which are excellent for students. Ms. Busbiber believes “that our students should be excited about what they read — and that may often mean that we need to find the time to let them choose their own literature,” (“The Washington Post”). Reasons to view Shakespearean works in a positive light are that they not only require students to “be knowledgeable about the London theatre in Shakespeare’s time: the plays, actors, and wider culture,” (“Irish Times”), but also expand a person’s way to problem-solve. Shakespeare is notorious
Should Shakespeare be taught in the 9th grade curriculum? Shakespeare was a writer and an actor. Shakespeare lived from 1564-1616 and wrote 38 plays, poems, and sonnets. If you ask students if Shakespeare should be taught, most will say Shakespeare shouldn’t be taught. Shakespeare shouldn’t be taught in 9th grade curriculum because his plays were made to entertain and not to study, they’re difficult to understand, and lastly, he is irrelevant.
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 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 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
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.
Almost anywhere that you go in America or even the world, the people have heard of William Shakespeare. His name is probably one of the most common ones in our society today, and has been since his time. But has anyone ever raised the question why? Why do we, as a society, read William Shakespeare's plays? The answer is a simple one
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 novels are timeless relics of history, and the literary genius behind the crafting of these books should not be ignored. First, his writing promotes teamwork in classrooms. According to a student, who was interviewed by the University of Alberta, “At the beginning I thought it was hard to read. But as we together as a class went through line by line, it was easier to understand.” (Balinska 5). If classmates work through the text as a group, a sense of determination is shown as they decipher the thematic elements of the novel. On the other hand, some claim that studying Shakespeare’s work in class leads to lack of interest among students. This is false. When a pupil reads this type of writing with a group, he will take more time
(2007). In A. M. Hacht (Ed.), Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 578-613). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.bethelu.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/CX2896100029/GVRL?u=tel_a_bethelc&sid=GVRL&xid=a85b05e0
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