Shakespeare Should Not Be Taught In School Argumentative Essay
📌Category: | Education, School, William Shakespeare, Writers |
📌Words: | 718 |
📌Pages: | 3 |
📌Published: | 19 June 2021 |
What do you remember from learning Shakespeare in high school? Probably how long it was to get through. Shakespeare's works are extremely tiring and hard to endure. The use of outdated language is almost un-understandable, and It is unrealistic for students to absorb any of his work from as young as 9th grade. Shakespeare should not be taught in the classroom. It simply cannot add value if the students cannot understand what is going on.
To start us off, Shakespeare's work is just simply incomprehensible to the young mind of a high school student. The article “On the Bard’s Birthday, Is Shakespeare Still Relevant” depicts ”Why do we keep dragging class after class, kicking and screaming through the wilds of Romeo and Juliet?” (“On the Bard’s Birthday, Is Shakespeare Still Relevant'' 14). The use of language in this quote conveys how painful it can be for students to get through his works. Words like “...dragging...” and”... kicking and screaming...” show how hard it can be for the average student. In the end, is it worth teaching? Personally, I found it hard to pay attention while reading Romeo and Juliet. It's hard to be intrigued by work that you can hardly understand. The article “Why It’s Time to Give the Bard the Heave-ho!” states“ Making today’s school children read Shakespear is about as sensible as compelling them to read Ulysses of Tristram Shandy. For all but a few-it is a form of torture.” (“Why It’s Time to Give the Bard the Heave-ho!” 8). Even on the off chance, a student can manage to keep their eyes open during these long, almost intolerable lessons, Shakespeare’s use of old English is like another language to the modern-day teenager. To have even the slightest understanding of his work you need to use endless resources to decode it and in the end, it loses its poetic beauty. All of this leads me to the conclusion that Shakespeare's work comes at a high price that is not worth paying.
In addition to my argument, there are no justifiable reasons to teach Shakespeare in the classroom. In the article “Why It’s Time to Give the Bard the Heave-ho!” the author describes “ But that cannot be the justification for making Shakesphere compulsory-to teach outdated idioms that no one under the age of 40 uses.” (“Why It’s Time to Give the Bard the Heave-ho!” states“ 6). Some adults try to justify teaching Shakesphere by saying he can introduce you to more advanced vocabulary. But the truth of the matter is that the English language is always evolving. By the time present students will have grown up the English language as we know it will have advanced past these sayings and created new, more modern ones. The article “Why It’s Time to Give the Bard the Heave-ho!” explains that “ If it is to teach those things that literature is supposed to teach-aesthetic pleasure, understanding of character, moral sensitivity, liberal humanist values, an inkling of the techniques by which literary texts work their magic- then Shakespeare is simply not delivering.” (“Why It’s Time to Give the Bard the Heave-ho!” 7). Shakespeare does not bring the value that he is supposed to. Educators justify the teaching of Shakespeare's works by saying it brings all of this value but in the end, the students are not getting it. When are we going to stop dragging on these long lessons and just realize that it is a waste of time?
Although there are many flaws in teaching Shakepheare’s his work does connect to all demographics. In the article “On the Bard’s Birthday, Is Shakespeare Still Relevant” the author indicates “His plays still tell the truth, boiled down to their essence.” ( “On the Bard’s Birthday, Is Shakespeare Still Relevant” 24). His work indeed connects to all audiences. It conveys a universal truth such as love, hate, pain, etc. that anyone you ask will understand. But the question is if you can’t understand what he is saying how can you know that he is even conveying one of these universal themes? The answer is that you can’t. The theme he is conveying means nothing if you can’t understand a single line. You don’t get any value out of a lesson that you can’t understand.
In summary, Shakespeare’s work is not only long and boring for students to get through, but is extremely hard to understand. His work uses language that is out of date; his universal truth means nothing if no one can see that it is there. If teachers are looking for an author to convey universal truths to students they should find another one because Shakesphere just isn’t working anymore.