Wax effigy of William Shakespeare taking the pose from the iconic monologue in his most famous tragedy, ‘Hamlet’. Photo courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Humanities.
At San Luis Obispo High School and high schools all over the country, William Shakespeare is the most taught author in the English curriculum. In recent years, both teachers and students question the relevance of his archaic language and confusing themes, leaving many asking if he should remain such a large part of high school English classes.
Both sides’ arguments have merit. To twenty-first-century students, the characters, settings, and plots of his stories are difficult to relate to and therefore incapable of peaking their interest. On the other hand, many argue that his themes about society, love, and the human condition are timeless.
“I think that there’s a lot of value that can be taken from Shakespeare’s works, not to mention his presence in many common tropes across all forms of media,” said junior Lucas Infante. “Even so, I think that there’s other more relevant literature as well as more diverse literature even from Shakespeare’s time. Those works could be used instead of focusing primarily on Shakespearean literature.”
One thing that is often cited in the discussion of Shakespeare’s importance is how his plays are consumed. Some English teachers believe that the reason students are losing interest in Shakespeare is because they are reading his plays rather than watching their performance. As a result, many SLOHS English teachers from all grade levels promote a theatrical and hands-on approach to Shakespeare.
“Under the tutelage of an excellent teacher, Shakespeare’s stories are delightfully entertaining, especially when experienced through a live performance of the works,” said English professor and headmaster of the Cincinnati Classical Academy. “We plan to annually stage productions of the Shakespeare plays from our curriculum. This hands-on experience will not only deepen students’ understanding of the works but also provide a unique avenue for them to bring the timeless words of Shakespeare to life.”
The question is not whether or not Shakespeare’s works are valuable, but if how they are presented holds value to students.
“While many students fail to find value in the works of Shakespeare, many of his pieces still hold important lessons in literature that still hold modern relevance. I would argue that being exposed to the works of Shakespeare helps students to build their academic repertoire and prepares them for analysis of similar works that they will likely forgo in future classes,” said junior Sawyer Cram.
It is clear that the study of Shakespeare provides students with certain literary and philosophical lessons that are vital to their study of the English language arts. With that in mind, those lessons won’t resonate with students if they are not invested in what they are learning. Studying Shakespeare can be immensely helpful to students’ education, but it will only stay that way if educators are able to maintain interest and excitement on the subject.
Sources: cincyclassical.org
