William Shakespeare's Relevance Today
For as long as formal education has existed in Britain it has been a largely standard assumption that teaching the works of William Shakespeare is relevant and necessary. Perhaps the relevance of his writing is taken for granted, perhaps it is necessary to re-examine the role of Shakespeare for the modern audience. There are indeed many people who question the relevance of this 440 year old playwright to a 21st century audience, taking it even as far as perhaps the greatest heresy of all, questioning the necessity of GCSE pupils learning Shakespeare at all. This “proposed vandalism from the policymakers” (Guardian 09/02/01) is opposed wholesale by supporters
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“Each play of Shakespeare is the development of a metaphor or group of metaphors. There is a matrix out of which feeling finds words, emotions take shape and voices become characters. That which is referred to most often- in metaphors, images, allusions and statements- is usually for Shakespeare what is significant”
(Rehder 1980 p56)
However simply because the theme is, arguably, not reliant on the context or overall setting, and that this theme is relayed by metaphor and not in descriptive prose, is not perhaps justified cause to say that the theme itself will necessarily be relevant; or indeed that the metaphorical vehicle by which it is conveyed will be relevant or appreciable either. For example one of the more central themes of King Lear, as with all the tragedies, is death. Death as a theme can be said to have starkly contrasting meaning and therefore perhaps relevance for a modern audience as compared to a Shakespearean one. Today death is a rare and terrible tragedy of momentous importance in the life of an individual, in 16th century England with its plagues, starvation, infant mortality and state violence; death was
Shakespeare uses metaphors and figures throughout his plays to give the reader and audience a further understanding of the story he is telling. In Metaphors We Live By, it is stated that “…Metaphorical expressions in everyday language can give us insight into the metaphorical nature of concepts that structure our everyday activities…” (Lakoff & Johnson 7). Through these conceits Shakespeare expands a normal idea and transforms it into
So, in conclusion, as you can see I have pretty strong feelings about Shakespeare and his plays. In the 21 st century, spending time with the confusion that is Shakespeare is about as useful as training doctors in the value of bleeding their patients as a means of correcting a problem with the four humours. By examining the great works of other cultures and religions we can learn about a major part of the world. Through the literature of many different parts of the world they're concerns will be understandable to us and we'll show our willingness to meet the rest of the world, not throw forts built of iambic pentameter with the occasional rhyming couplet to securely glue the walls together. If we ignore the future to sort of celebrate the western literary past we'll have a disaster of global
Much of the text is dated or archaic and is initially unknown to the typical student. Yet upon thorough study, the student will gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of Shakespeare's words and the English language.Despite the difficulty that dated text presents, the passions and emotions described by Shakespeare touch the hearts of his readers and audience, students included. Vivid imagery and poetic descriptions are presented effectively and have a great impact on the audience. Readers are provided with the opportunity to step into the lives of his characters; to feel their emotions and understand their motivations, a rewarding experience for the student.Although Shakespeare's wrote his plays more than 350 years ago, the relevance of their themes and subjects still exists.
Do you ever wonder why Shakespeare is still taught in high school. In high school, Shakespeare was shoved down our throats and I despised Shakespeare and his works. I thought that they were pointless and was just a way to torture high school students, but the more I think about what Shakespeare is trying to teach through his works. The more I respect and understand the themes and the language of his works. The more that you understand the more that you can relate, the more that you can relate the more that you can reflect on the things that you have learned. In this essay, I will argue that Shakespeare’s works are important to learn . I will support my argument by explaining the universal themes in Shakespeare’s
When you hear the word Shakespeare, you probably think that it is meant for the people that use intellectual language, the literary types, or even the people who have a higher reading level than the average person. Well, a college professor named Michael Mack argues that Shakespeare can be for everyone once you understand it and it can relate to the real world or be a reflection of it. Mack produces an effective argument that although Shakespeare is difficult, it is worth the effort. Through his use of rhetorical devices and counterclaims.
In the words of T.S. Eliot, “We can say of Shakespeare, that never has a man turned so little knowledge to such great account” (Eliot). The works of Shakespeare are known throughout the world as classic literary pieces. The lessons learned through reading Shakespeare have carried themselves and remain to be true although they have been around for hundreds of years. The style in which William Shakespeare wrote has influenced a great amount of the literature that has been written in the more recent past-- books that are read throughout schools in the United States today. It is necessary to read the work of William Shakespeare in schools today, not only because of the lessons in his work, but to understand the roots of some of today’s literature.
In the grand scheme of things, it seems quite odd that the vast majority of people have decided it is important to perform, study, and read plays written by a man who has been dead for over four hundred years. This of course, refers to William Shakespeare. For many people, the mention of his name brings up a faded memorized line or two from high school, but his impact on the world stretches farther than the perimeters of a classroom. Shakespeare revolutionized the English language to the point where half the time people are blissfully unaware of the fact they are quoting him. Whenever someone says, “What a sorry sight,” or, “I’m tongue tied”, they are not only empirically unoriginal, they are spouting Shakespeare.
Shakespeare is dead. Shakespeare is not relevant in today’s times. It is very boring for students to listen to the material, and only a certain type of personality can appreciate Shakespeare.
William Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest poets and writers of his time and even one of the greatest ever with works such as Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet. Although Shakespeare has been taught in schools for many years, and even all around the world, is Shakespeare's work really relevant for students in school today?
Many students often ask why we still study Shakespeare at school. Shakespeare is some 'amazing' poet and playwright who died a few hundred years ago. We know the popular classics like 'Macbeth', the ambitious Thane who snaked his way to the top of the pecking order by killing those closest to him. Though the answer to the question is quite simple. Shakespeare is valued in schools because he is a vital part of the English language. It is believed that by studying Shakespeare, students will achieve a balance of both modern and classic literature. You may think that Shakespeare is only for English but Shakespearean texts teach us values and about human nature. But what is it about 'Macbeth' that is valued in schools?
Shakespeare’s words are still the basis of society today. “Our doubts are traitors, and make us the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” These words were said in “Measure For Measure” by Lucio in Act 1, Scene 4. This quote and many others are still lived today. This quote was said when Lucio told Isabella to remove all of her doubts and use her feminine parts to get what she wants from Lord Angelo, her brother removed from his death sentence. In modern english, the quote would mean, “When you set your doubts aside, you can achieve greatness.” This quote is embodied by Charlotte Brown and The U.S. relations with Cuba. They show that Shakespeare is still relevant today.
William Shakespeare is known as one of the greatest writers in the English language. He is a famous poet, playwright, and actor, but he is known most especially for his way with words. Some, mostly younger audiences believe that Shakespeare's writings should have died with him because of his use of old English and because it is often very difficult to interpret his writings. But many others believe Shakespeare's use of words built the English language and are very relevant to today's teenagers. Two writers who believe Shakespeare's writings are very important in the lives of teenagers today are Kate Tempest and Michael Mack.
Should I compare thee to a summer day or shall I compare thee to Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo. If one understood those quote one has probably read or have been exposed to Shakespeare's work. Willam Shakespeare has been known for many things, his plays, Sonnets and other works of art. Throughout the ages as print developed Shakespeare sonnets are still relevant today as can been seen in Sonnets 29, 30, 71, 73,116 and 130 As the numbers grow on the sonnets, one can see how time grown as well.
There is a reason why the works of William Shakespeare have survived the test of time. It is not because of the controversy surrounding the identity (or lack thereof) of the author; it is not that he invented more words than any other wordsmith of the time; it is not that his works were written for the people and performed by the people. Shakespeare’s work has survived to be taught in classrooms all over the world because he possessed the ability to perfectly capture the most undeniable facets of human nature. Shakespeare has long been praised for writing plays that mimic the human condition, with themes and storylines that remain relevant even hundreds of years later. This has very often been proved to be true – the abundance of modern day
“Shakespeare is Shakespeare because of a combination of philosophical tolerance, psychological profundity, and metaphoric genius. That is, he is generous minded, aware of what makes people tick, and is able to express himself more vividly and memorably than anyone else in the language” (p. 7).