Why The Bard is still a badass
Controversy is growing among educators as to whether or not Shakespeare should be taught as part of the high school curriculum. The common argument is that there are many other important writers that should be given more attention. But if you think back to those (horrible, hellish) days of secondary school, you might remember more than one popular author whose work you will never need to know about in your lifetime. Personally, if I never have to think about Catcher in the Rye ever again, it will be all too soon.
Shakespeare is taught in schools for the same reason that algebra is taught: not because you’ll definitely need it in real life, but because it genuinely makes you smarter. If you can understand that “wherefore art thou” means “why are you” and not “where are you,” then you have the capacity to understand almost anything. Plus, the ability to memorize and recite a scene from Titus Andronicus comes in handy when you want to curse someone out. Trust me.
The next argument is very confusing to me. Why do people say that Shakespeare is boring? In my favourite play, a woman with no arms or tongue murders her rapists, bakes them into a pie, and feeds them to their mother, who told them to abuse and dismember her.In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a fairy queen falls in love with a man cursed to have a donkey head. Halfway through King Lear, the fool disappears without any explanation, just as the King begins to regain his sanity. Coincidence? Honestly, maybe.
There’s nothing wrong with not being as infatuated with Elizabethan literature as others are. There’s nothing wrong with wishing you didn’t have to sit through weeks of something you couldn’t understand. But it is crucial to understand the importance of literature as an art form and the intrigue it creates for those who enjoy it. At the very least, everyone should be able to see the appeal of Shakespeare, even if they don’t read it for fun.
[trx_infobox style=”regular” closeable=”no” icon=”icon-book” color=”#000000″ bg_color=”#78E1FC” top=”inherit” bottom=”inherit” left=”inherit” right=”inherit”]Ten words Shakespeare created
Shakespeare is important because he literally changed the English language. As many as 117 everyday words were literally created by this revolutionary man. Therefore, his work actually is applicable to your everyday life.
- Eyeball
- Skim milk
- Swagger
- Hobnob
- Puking
- Scuffle
- Zany
- Buzzer
- Gossip
- Drugged
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