Why do we teach Shakespeare

[Michael LoMonico]

Phil Huff suggested this new thread asking the question, "Why do we teach Shakespeare?" Here are the questions he posed:

* Is this something they need to see and read for cultural literacy, if so, how important is it?

* Beyond that piece, what is the goal, the skill(s) that they can use here and now?

* Are we teaching him because academically WE find it necessary, something the profession has always done, or is there an immediate need to make sure they are exposed early and often to the bard?

* How can we help make it relevant to our students?

* Do they know what skills and ideas they're meant to come away with after the experience? Do we?

* Is it clear how this will benefit them outside of a classroom or theatre?

Let the comments begin...

[Rick Vanderwall]

That is quite a load of questions... In my mind the most important experience that my students have while they study Shakespeare is that they find a personal connection to it. They are able to move beyond their attitudes about what they think it is to a new understanding of the nature of the text. Once they are past that experience, then they are able to respond to the material the same way they do any literature. They begin to see themselves as able to tackle any variety of difficult texts and make their own meaning out of it and take away from it what any of us do with any literary experience. Our role is to give them the power to decode, it is their task to make meaning from what they read.

[William Murphy]

We teach Shakespeare for the figurative thought, the poetic imagery, the archetypical stories and the human psychology. By teaching performance-based Shakespeare, we are also imparting public-speaking skills and the varied pedagogy of group interactivity. After we de-mystify it, we can also make it fun (and, perhaps, a personal pursuit) by utilizing technology and not just making it another reading assignment.
Additionally, there's something to be said for my being able to teach language arts skills using materials I enjoy. It enables me to enhance my passion in the classroom.

[Michelle Sparks]

I teach Othello to sophomores and it is so relevant to their interests. We discuss communication between the sexes, abusive dating relationships, and the nature of evil. I have articles from different sources that touch on these subjects and I hope that they are able to see how contemporary Shakespeare is. They find the definition of a sociopath helps them understand Iago. Today I explained to them the difference in the types of love we experience. Do Othello and Desdemona really know each other? Even students who are not dating are curious about releationships. We read the play in class and at the same time I show them the movie. This helps them comprehend the story. Othello is a play that allows great character study. I find students of all abilities can find something to like in a Shakespeare play.

[Jocelyn Downs]

I have a few questions: how do you know it is relevant to their interests? How do you know they find something they like? Do you ask them? Survey them?

[Gayle K. Hobbs]

Why do I teach Shakespeare? To me personally, Shakespeare is timeless. Many of his works illustrate the human condition within seemingly complicated, yet simple stories. Romeo and Juliet shows us the unfortunate consequences of revenge, hatred, youthful impetuousness and rebellious love. All of these are conditions that not only affected Shakespeare's society, but our modern world as well. When we teach these stories, we can relate to events of our current world. This is the relevancy that brings our students inside the plays.

I suppose we could use other vehicles to convey these themes. But Why? Shakespeare is readily available, and the understanding of his works, while definitely a challenge, becomes a badge of honor, when the students finally begin to conquer his language. To teach or not to teach? I SAY TEACH!

[Judy Perrone]

I teach Shakespeare because the issues and conflicts experienced by his players in the play are just as relevant today. Shakespeare is about the messy experiences and choices of being human. This is why I teach Shakespeare. His characters are raw and filled with human emotion, just as our students are often raw and filled with unbridled emotion. Sure it takes them a while to to realize it, but once they do they are hooked.

Judy P

[Chris Shamburg]

I think there is a big distinction between teaching Shakespeare through lecture, quizzes, and papers and teaching Shakespeare through performance-based approaches. When you use performance-based approaches, Shakespeare is a toolbox and a conduit for students to develop, hone, and extend parts of their personalities and identities. It's a developmental tool (like block play for preschoolers or a chemistry set for an interested kid). They get to inhabit people, places, language, and situations that are out of their everyday experiences, but that they viscerally and intellectually connect to. They take ownership of words and scenes and make action happen with this extraordinary material.

[Michael LoMonico]

I like the chemistry set analogy. When I was a kid, I could follow the instructions which was a good place to start, but it was so much more fun to experiment. Of course, when I was a kid there were only about 50 elements.

[Joseph Scotese]

I thought when you were a kid it was called Alchemy...

[Linda Templeton]

For my students, it is the experiment...even if in the beginning they roll their eyes while moaning and groaning...THEN, I grab their attention with one activity after another. Students are up on their feet, script in hand, and performing. I would never dream of teaching Shakespeare without performance. (former Folger Shakespeare Mini-Institute Student). Hi Michael!

[Gayle K. Hobbs]

I so agree with you, Chris. Shakespeare is meant to be heard. The works are dull and lifeless to most modern students if they are read quietly and with constant written quizzes. The ability to hear the lines and teach the kids to paraphrase the scenes is where the learning takes place. I have had the most success with having students paraphrase individual scenes and perform them for the rest of the class. Yes... I love Shakespeare units because it gives me a chance within our somewhat confined standards to allow the students a little bit of creative writing. I know it is within the boundaries of the scenes, but they can get quite creative.

[Bil Hoff]

I agree with you, Chris. The variability of Shakespeare's texts make them perfect for students to experiment with his plays. The scenes can be played so many different ways that students can hardly fail. My British Literature class looks forward to Shakespeare Fridays when they spend the hour in our school theatre working on some activity (often from the Folger site). In fact, today they are doing the 32 second Macbeth and then repeating the process with the scene they are performing as their final. Sorry if I got off track, but, yes, Chris, I agree with you.