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By: Ava Marino
Is Shakespeare necessary to learn in high school? William Shakesphere is called one of the best writers in history, and many could argue that his work does not need to be a part of high school education. Today's English classes should reflect on more relevant, recent, and accessible literature for students.
First of all, Shakespeare's language is outdated and hard to understand; not only is it hard to read in general, but it’s also even more difficult to understand. This can even be difficult for strong readers. The words and phrases he wrote are over 400 years old. Because of this, Shakespeare's language is filled with difficult, unrecognizable, and confusing vocabulary. It is very complex. Many students could spend more time trying to understand what he’s saying rather than actually reading. It’s simply a waste of time to read.
Therefore, not only is the language a barrier, but trying to connect and relate to it is a struggle; readers tend to enjoy what they’re reading when they relate to it. Shakespeare’s stories tend to talk about kings and queens, arranged marriages, and royalty. These could be interesting and have historical value, but they never feel personally meaningful to the average high school student. Therefore, if students can’t connect to the book, they will lose motivation to read it.
Another reason high schoolers don’t need to read Shakespeare is that it could take away valuable class time that they could be using for something more useful. Schools today tend to emphasize their focus on diversity and inclusion, although we spend so much time on Shakespeare, an author who promotes exclusion. This could prevent the teachers from covering voices that better reflect their students’ lives. For example, texts by female authors or authors of different ethnicities could be read. Additionally, the stories could include more diverse content, such as immigration, LGBTQ+, or concepts current teenagers actually deal with. Students would benefit more from reading more modern stories; they would rather read stories that would help them understand the world they actually live in.
Shakespeare is outdated; critical thinking skills should be developed on well-written, new stories, plays, articles, or films. Students should not have to struggle to read and understand a complicated language when they could be reading a well-written and modern story that actually helps them. Teachers should be using relatable and engaging literature to teach the same skills in a more efficient and effective way. This also would encourage students to read more; all Shakespeare does is make you dread reading it.
However, Shakespeare could still have a place in education, but not every student can or would want to read it. Schools could make an optional elective course on Shakespeare for students who would like to learn more about him and read his works. This is also a better learning activity for students because they can explore more of what they want and genuinely be interested. Our education should be within an understandable language so we can actually learn.
Overall, Shakespeare may have historical significance, but that doesn’t mean it is essential to learn in high school. Students deserve literature that is accessible, relevant, and connected to them in any type of way so it can inspire them or even help them grow as readers and positive members of society. Clinging to Shakespeare because we have always had it taught to us is not a good enough reason to keep it in high schools.
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