Essay Sample on To Teach, Or Not To Teach? Should Shakespeare Be Taught In Schools?

Hearing a chorus of complaints after the word “Shakespeare” is said, isn't the type of fame one aspires to have. The bard, most commonly known as Shakespeare, was a British playwright from the 16th century. He’s most famous for his plays: Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, his magnum opus: Hamlet, and far more.  His works are renowned around the world for the vocabulary, characters, story,  and the emotions conveyed through just ink and parchment. His impact on the English language is vast, from creating phrases used everyday to adding several new words to the dictionary. Yes, Shakespeare’s works are often regarded as ‘great’ and ‘awe-inspiring,’ but this paper centers on all that hides behind these praises and claims - William Shakespeare and his works no longer stay relevant to contemporary society, hence should not be taught in public institutions.

Shakespeare’s plays are taught in school for the same reason everything else is taught in schools: to teach students something, but what are the children learning from Romeo and Juliet? Matthew Truesdale, an English teacher from South Carolina who’s been teaching the subject for twenty plus years says, “Shakespeare is more than just a ‘long dead British guy,’ and I believe he has much to teach us about the modern human condition.” (Strauss). Look, all Shakespeare does is make his characters act human. How is the audience to like the performance of the play if the characters depicted are lifeless and apathetic? Yes, his plays often have a theme or message to be delivered, but it’s something we all know. He’s not breaking any grounds on human psychology. The lessons he teaches are things taught to children by their elementary school teachers or children’s picture books. They’re not complex, or even helpful.  

As known to all, Shakespeare is most infamous amongst students. Why? Well, because reading dry, old English- then analyzing each sentence is a dull and tedious task. Especially when it’s in play format, not a novel. He gained fame due to the sole reason the audience would love his plays, love the way the words would come to life and craft a story when the actors stepped on stage. Most of them were illiterate, the scripts were never meant to be the final product. The performance was. “His words were chosen to be spoken or heard, not be read and deadened…they wither when performance is removed…Shakespeare’s language isn’t intended to be desk-bound; it’s crafted for stage,” (Powell). Back when Shakespeare was alive, the only people who would read the script were the actors, they would interpret it in their own way because all the script told them was what to say, then they performed it to the audience. That emotion and feeling can never come from simply reading the script. Unlike a novel, it has no descriptions of expression, or tone or anything at all except for dialogue with infrequent updates on who’s currently in the scene. The actors were the ones who brought this essential aspect of the narrative to life. So how are students to understand anything about feelings or the human nature by dissecting emotionless dialogue?

Everyone views the world differently, it differs on what vantage point one is on. The Bard was a white man in the 1500’s, the way he viewed the world would most definitely translate into his plays. Whether it be the setting, the way his characters interact or even the way the plot is structured - his impact can be felt. But society has changed drastically since then- the world Shakespeare knew is long buried. Dana Dusbiber, a high school English teacher says, “Why not teach translations of early writings or oral storytelling from [South] America or Southeast Asia to other parts of the world? Many, many of our students come from these languages and traditions. Why do our students not deserve these ‘other’ literatures with equal time and value?” (Strauss). Many recent authors, and authors of color, provide a more broader and inclusive view of the world. Looking at society through their eyes during the short time a reader is immersed in the world created by the book, can really provide a new, eye-opening perspective. From a Colombian writer such as Gabriel Marcia Marqez, who tells the tale of Latin America’s history through a poetically stunning novel to Harriet Breecher Stowe, a white woman who wrote a book that made a tremendous impact in abolishing slavery. There’s so much to learn from these inspiring and simply astounding people and their works. Much more than we could ever learn from Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, ill-fated rulers and jealous men.

The Bard is a thing of the past, it’s time to stop clinging to something not pertinent anymore. His plays don’t do much more than create dislike for the English language amongst pupils. Teaching students about marvelous authors who are recent, even of color, can truly show them what can be achieved with a simple pen and paper. He’s old, his works are old. They’re irrelevant, their messages are nothing new. They don’t teach anyone anything. There are so many better writers and writings which can leave behind an unmatchable impact on the impressionable minds of young students still. Shakespeare’s works are designed for the stage, under the spotlight and for the entertainment. Let it stay that way. Let students be free from this pointless exercise that leads to no avail, let them, instead, acquire the knowledge and cognition that will help them as they make their way through life- by studying truly respectable works from truly respectable authors.