Why It’s Time to Rethink How We Teach Shakespeare (Seriously)
Picture this: a teenager stares blankly at a page filled with “thees,” “thous,” and sentences that twist like pretzels. The teacher passionately explains the genius of iambic pentameter, while the student quietly wonders, “When will I ever need this?” It’s a scene playing out in countless classrooms. And honestly? The chorus questioning whether Shakespeare must be the cornerstone of English literature education is growing louder and more compelling. The argument isn’t against the Bard’s brilliance, but about whether his works, taught in their dense, original language, are still the most effective way to engage modern students and cultivate a love for literature. It might just be time to stop forcing Shakespeare down throats and start making literature relevant.
Let’s be clear: Shakespeare was undeniably a master storyteller. His exploration of human nature – ambition, love, jealousy, power, grief – is timeless. Macbeth’s descent into tyranny, Romeo and Juliet’s tragic passion, Hamlet’s paralyzing doubt – these resonate across centuries. His influence on the English language is profound. Phrases like “wild goose chase,” “break the ice,” “heart of gold,” and “all that glitters is not gold” (adapted from The Merchant of Venice) are woven into our everyday speech. Understanding Shakespeare offers a window into history, culture, and the evolution of storytelling itself.
So, what’s the problem? It boils down to accessibility and relevance, especially when taught as Shakespearean texts.
1. The Language Barrier is Real (and Massive): Early Modern English isn’t just “old-fashioned.” It’s structurally different, laden with archaic vocabulary (“wherefore” meaning why, not where!), unfamiliar idioms, complex sentence structures, and obsolete references. For many students, especially those for whom English isn’t a first language or who struggle with reading, deciphering a single page becomes a grueling translation exercise, overshadowing the plot and themes. They aren’t experiencing literature; they’re wrestling with a linguistic puzzle. The sheer effort required to decode “Hath not a Jew eyes?” (Merchant of Venice) can extinguish any nascent spark of literary appreciation.
2. The “Because It’s Classic” Justification Falls Flat: Telling students they must study Shakespeare primarily “because it’s important” or “because it’s a classic” is pedagogically weak. It doesn’t answer the fundamental student question: “Why me, why now?” Without connecting the themes and emotions to their own lives in a language they readily understand, it feels like an arbitrary imposition from a distant past, fostering resentment rather than respect. When the barrier to entry is so high, the profound human insights often get lost in the struggle.
3. It Takes Away Precious Time from Diverse Voices and Urgent Themes: The English literature curriculum is finite. Spending weeks, sometimes months, dissecting King Lear or Othello means less time exploring the vast, vibrant landscape of contemporary literature and diverse voices that speak directly to the experiences, identities, and concerns of today’s students. Where are the powerful narratives exploring modern social justice, climate anxiety, digital identities, or global perspectives? Prioritizing 400-year-old texts, however brilliant, can crowd out literature that mirrors the students’ own world and tackles issues they see on the news and feel in their bones.
4. It Can Actively Kill the Joy of Reading: For many students, the Shakespeare unit isn’t enlightening; it’s endurance training. The frustration, confusion, and boredom experienced while trudging through texts they can’t easily comprehend can cement a negative association with literature itself. Instead of fostering lifelong readers, we risk creating adults who vividly remember Shakespeare as the reason they decided books “just aren’t for them.” This is perhaps the most significant lost opportunity.
So, Should We Burn the Folios? Absolutely not. The solution isn’t erasure, but evolution and perspective.
Embrace Modern Adaptations & Translations: Let students engage with the stories first. Excellent film adaptations (Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, Kenneth Branagh’s works), modern novelizations, or even high-quality graphic novels capture the drama, characters, and themes without the linguistic barrier. Seeing the raw emotion of Othello’s jealousy or the biting humor of Much Ado played out in accessible language allows the power of the narrative to shine. Once they’re hooked on the story, the original text becomes more approachable, not a daunting prerequisite.
Contextualize, Don’t Idolize: Teach Shakespeare as historical literature. Place him within his time – the Elizabethan worldview, the theater culture, the social structures. Discuss his undeniable influence alongside his limitations (representations of gender, race, class). This fosters critical thinking rather than rote reverence.
Focus on Themes & Relevance, Not Just Decoding: Instead of spending class time primarily translating lines, use Shakespeare as a springboard. Explore the universal themes: How does the toxic ambition in Macbeth manifest in modern politics or social media? Can we see echoes of Romeo and Juliet’s societal constraints in contemporary pressures? Connect the dilemmas faced by his characters to ethical choices students might encounter. Make it about them.
Integrate, Don’t Dominate: Include Shakespearean excerpts or specific, highly relevant soliloquies within broader units on literary devices, dramatic structure, or thematic explorations. Use a powerful speech about power (Julius Caesar) or grief (Hamlet) to illustrate a point, rather than making the entire text the unit’s sole focus.
Make Room for Modern Masters: Actively prioritize contemporary authors representing diverse backgrounds, genres, and perspectives. Let students see themselves reflected in the literature they study. Explore poetry, novels, plays, and non-fiction that grapple with the complexities of the 21st century. This doesn’t diminish Shakespeare; it enriches the literary landscape students experience.
The goal of literature education shouldn’t be to produce students who can parse “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” but students who love reading, can critically analyze texts, empathize with diverse perspectives, and see the relevance of stories – old and new – to their own lives and the world. Insisting on teaching Shakespeare primarily in his original, dense language to every student often works directly against these goals.
It’s not disrespectful to question tradition; it’s necessary for progress. Let’s preserve Shakespeare’s legacy not by mandating his texts as a rite of passage, but by making his timeless stories accessible and relevant through modern lenses. And crucially, let’s free up space in the curriculum to celebrate the incredible wealth of literature being written right now that speaks directly to the hearts and minds of this generation. The future of reading depends on it.
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