Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Everybody knows those famous lines. You know them from movies, books, commercials for body wash, and even in the choruses of Taylor Swift’s songs. But what is the point of reading them in school?
Shakespeare is known as one of literature’s greatest writers. Then again, that is all based on opinion. All cultures and languages choose a writer or set of works to call their “classics,” their “classics” from which they set the standard of all writers to come.
The French are forced to pour over Victor Hugo and the La Fontaine in their literature classes. The Spanish read Cervantes and Don Quixote just as we have to read Shakespeare.
Here at WS, we have to read three Shakespearean plays—but many schools read close to five before they graduate.
Why do we find ourselves reading vast amounts of works by only one author? If you think about it, there are multitudes of English literary classics out there that most people will never encounter. Why not try one of those? Discussing the inner workings of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley could prove to be more interesting and students may find they have more to say about it than Shakespeare.
Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter, so our society rewards him, but that style will only get you so far. The plot lines of Shakespeare’s plays if written in modern English could be found on the racks of drug stores and convenience stores. The teen angst love in “Romeo and Juliet” is just like that in Twilight or any Meg Cabot book. It’s not real.
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” could be compared to children’s television shows, where there is an evil ruler plotting to take over. The stories Shakespeare writes without all the pretty phrase are nothing more than simple stories.
English class is set up to teach us the art of literature and how to write so that when we have to go out into the real, world we don’t look like hillbillies. We are taught how to analyze and find purpose within sets of works. We are taught how to be persuasive and give speeches. We are taught to appreciate good writing. But what is good writing?
In order to achieve all these goals, we have to find literature that encompasses all that we want in society. Shakespeare is just not relevant anymore. He is part of our history and it’s fun to read his writing every now and then, but we need something with more substance in order to get where we need to be. Shakespeare doesn’t fit in our vastly growing technological world.
Most importantly, Shakespeare’s plays are plays. They are meant to be watched, lived, they are meant to be experienced. Sitting in a dark class room bent over a book is not what Shakespeare intended.
