Shakespeare: To Read or Not to Read ***SATIRE***

Chloe Han Student Life We’ve all heard of him. The man, the myth, the legend: William Shakespeare. His plays have been considered the most influential pieces of literature in our society and have been so for centuries. Or at least that’s what we’re told. Teachers all across the globe insist on the importance of Shakespeare’s works, claiming that he was the writer who changed the world. But the real question is, how much of this claim is actually true? Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. All plays by Shakespeare, every one of them held up on a pedestal of reverence. But is such admiration truly deserved? Do his plays honestly belong on that pedestal? And is everyone right to worship the words of a dead man written in a dead language? If you were to ask a Shakespeare fanatic, they would most likely say “Of course! His plays changed the way we view the literary world!” They will certainly remind you of the various movies and books influenced by Shakespeare’s plays. “She’s the Man!” “10 Things I Hate About You!” “Gnomeo and Juliet!” And of course, in some sense, they are right. Shakespeare’s plays have made their impact on modern-day media. But how much of that impact was because of the true genius behind Shakespeare’s words, and how much of it was because movie franchises decided to jump on the “I’m an intellectual” bandwagon? Shakespeare’s works are a huge part of our modern-day world– but do they belong in our school curriculum? What makes Shakespeare’s plays so significant that they need to be taught in high school, over all the other academically significant books out there? Take The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. This novel is part of the grade 9 curriculum, and it’s a raw, painstakingly honest read that accurately describes the struggle of feeling separated from your people and heritage. It teaches us that belonging is so much more than just being accepted. Romeo and Juliet, on the other hand, tells us that if you do stupid things for love such as, say, I don’t know, die, it tends to stick. All in all, your bias depends on what you hold to be more important. One option being the vital experience of the sensational world of literature, and the other being Shakespeare. In the end, it all comes down to one simple question. To read or not to read? Do we continue to vigorously study Shakespeare’s works and treat them as though they hold the secret to life? Should Shakespeare’s plays continue to be recognized as a prestigious emblem of what literature should be, held above all else? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, although most students may say no, purely for the sake of not having to go through the whole ordeal of learning about Twelfth Night or King Lear. But who can blame us? Turns out, old plays written in a dead language are pretty difficult to understand.