Vote totals:
Yes:
67%
No:
17%
Neutral:
17%
DEBATE: THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
Shakespeare enriches our language
Shakespeare wrote a collection of poetry and drama that has survived five centuries in good stead, leaving our language richer and more vibrant through his use of neologisms and newly minted phrases that remain to this day. Many people use Shakespeare in everyday speech without realising it, and the richness of the language that a study of Shakespeare brings would be lost to future generations if they did not come across it at school.
As a teaching aid, Shakespeare’s innovative use of vocabulary helps show children how to use the language they are born with better than a bland textbook, even when used without this aim in mind. We must ensure our children have access to Shakespeare, and since parents seem to be too lazy to read to their children any more, it must be the place of school to offer this education.
Though there is no consensus as to the meaning of ‘enrichment’, Shakespeare perhaps ‘enriched’ our language, but does not continue to do so, as the enormous raft of exciting new writing talent does on a daily basis. Moreover Shakespeare seemingly constitutes the immediate focus of anyone looking at innovation in English – if one looks to Chaucer, or Milton, one can perceive a wealth of new vocabulary and phraseology just as, if not more important than Shakespeare’s contribution. It is easy to ignore other influences on language in the wave of (largely artificially driven) excitement over Shakespearian etymology; the Norman conquest, for example, or even the advent of the digital age.
Many authors can be said to ‘enrich’ the language, if they are a successful author. Choosing to make just one compulsory is entirely arbitrary, and restricts the education children receive. In being imposed, the focus on Shakespeare produces many disenchanted students for any one intoxicated reader.
THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
Shakespeare as national treasure
An education in England cannot ignore the vast cultural wealth of our country. For too long have we lost pride in our national icons and allowed nationalists to reclaim them as their own. Keeping control of the powerful icons such as Shakespeare is a tool for integration.
Shakespeare has enlightened the lives of the people of this country for 500 years, and for good reason. His poetry and drama represent the pinnacle of the English language, and influences the way we speak today. It is a beautiful body of work, ranging from comedy to tragedy, murder to hatred, treating difficult subjects brilliantly.
If we are to remain proud of the history of this country, we cannot ignore the contribution made by this one man to our culture, and wider European culture. Shakespeare made his name here, but has been read by an audience far beyond the reaches of "this sceptred isle" (Shakespeare: Richard II, 2.i).
The name Shakespeare is ubiquitous within the study of English literature and this is unlikely to change. Almost every student has knowledge of Shakespeare (almost my entire English GCSE was a study of various Shakespearian works), and I’m certain that the large majority of university students, if asked their opinion on whether this was of benefit to them, would say it was neither enjoyable nor enriching.
Making the teaching of Shakespeare optional would be far more logical, as younger students are totally capable of making these choices themselves. Why ignore the works of contemporary writers? Any students considering writing as a career will undoubtedly gain a firmer grasp of fiction writing by studying writers such as Tolkien, and hopefully even enjoy it, and wouldn’t you be more receptive to work you enjoyed?
Although Shakespeare is of clear value to our culture and language, compulsory teaching of his works is narrow minded and inconsiderate to the individuals in compulsory education.
THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
As a tool for cultural integration
Many people are worried about an upcoming generation of immigrants that do not identify themselves as British, while living in Britain and paying taxes to the British government.
Culture is a key tool in integration; if you can share a cultural identity, you can share other values and bring the wider community together.
Teaching Shakespeare, a bastion of British culture, in schools to this end is far better than forcing citizenship ceremonies and oaths of allegiance on children. It is not forceful, but creates a sense that they are part of a country with a long and proud history, willing to integrate new communities into its growth.
The idea that simply learning about a long-dead author will make people feel British is ridiculous. Art and literature can be appreciated without the need to be a part of the culture that produced it – admiring Macchu Picchu doesn’t integrate you with the Mayans, for instance.
Any immigrant to the UK looking at Shakespeare will see the typification of the ‘dead white man’, the personification of all that is patriotically English, and feel no greater inclination towards cultural integration than if he or she had glanced on an etching of Goethe in Germany or heard ‘Waltzing Matilda’ in Australia.
The images that Shakespeare created are outdated. Anyone who reads Shakespeare and then observes modern day Britain, with no prior knowledge of the historial relevance, would not see any link, and who could blame them? Shakespeare did not write about the things one associates with Britain today.
THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
Freedom of teachers to teach what they want
Shakespeare wrote a long sonnet sequence and many, many plays. To suggest that there isn’t variety within his oeuvre is to be patently ignorant about the greatest English poet ever to have lived.
If a teacher doesn’t have the ability to apply their skills learnt reading Beckett to reading Shakespeare, one questions why they are teaching at all.
Teaching is best done when teachers know what they’re talking about. Making teachers present material on certain subjects is dangerous in interpretive subjects like English, where teachers may not really know what they’re talking about. Shakespeare is not a compulsory part of many English degrees, so the teacher may not be as good on Shakespeare as he is on other, equally deserving, poets, thus lowering the standard of teaching.
Pupils get the most out of school when they enjoy what they’re doing. A teacher, similarly, teaches best when they enjoy what they’re doing. Having subjects imposed on them erodes their ability to teach in a subject like English; allowing them the freedom to tailor their lessons to their own passions and the abilities of their pupils allows for more creativity in the classroom, more enjoyment for everyone, and overall a better quality of education.
THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
Shakespeare is too advanced
There is huge variety both thematically and concerning the use of language over Shakespeare’s plays. Certain plays are far too complex for key stage 4 Children, for example Measure for Measure which is often referred to as a ‘problem play’ and deals with very complex ideas of justice and sexual conduct. However, there are certainly many plays and sonnets that are far more light hearted that could be easily understood by children of that age and younger with just a little help on the language aspect. One may look to plays such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Twelfth Night in this instance. Yes, it can be argued that even the simpler plays may not be fully understood by a young teenager but one must consider the question – does this matter? As long as the child is able to grasp the basic concepts he or she will be able to enjoy the story. Yes, it can also be argued that the language is far too complex to expect a child to learn but this is underestimating the ability of children. They are expected to learn foreign languages such as French and German at school, even before Shakespeare’s plays are tackled. If they are able to pick up a language that is entirely separate from English then surely they are perfectly capable of tackling Shakespeare, who uses merely English albeit with some words that are no longer common.
The kind of ideas Shakespeare writes about are highly advanced, as is the language he uses. Many pupils are put off by this, and so will not learn as much as they might with another poet who is more accessible.
This is not to say that teachers shouldn’t feel they can use Shakespeare when it is appropriate, but we must accept that there are different levels of ability in the classroom, and different abilities need different materials to maximise their potential.
THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
Shakespeare isn’t the best poet ever
The compulsory inclusion of Shakespeare on the syllabus does not necessarily stop other authors and playwrights from being included. For example, Shakespeare formed part of my English Literature GCSE course, however I still read the works of several other writers and these works were examined with an equal and sometimes greater weighting.
In addition to this, Shakespeare’s literary value does not lie simply in the merit of his work. His influence on other authors has been enormous, and an understanding of Shakespeare’s work opens doors to many other great works, and a fair amount of popular culture.
Studying the form of sonnet known as ‘Shakespearean’ might be possible without ever having read one by Shakespeare himself, but surely you’d be missing something. In Huxley’s Brave New World ‘sophisticated’ society shuns Shakespeare. Without having read anything he wrote, how would the reader know what meaning to interpret from this attitude? Like it or not, Shakespeare is a major part of the English canon and his influence is stretches too wide to disregard.
Shakespeare’s reputation is largely inflated, and relative to the age you live in. In the 17th century, for example, several of his plays were rewritten for performance, with Lear given an alternate ending for example.
Although there are of course some very fine moments, and some very good plays, he is by no means the uber-poet some make him out to be. The Merry Wives of Windsor, for example, is pretty much rubbish. Shakespeare has become synonymous with ‘the best’ erroneously; there are other authors equally deserving of time on the curriculum, so giving Shakespeare the limelight is unfair and only cements his irrationally-given place as the nation’s best.
THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE COMPULSORY.
Why Shakespeare?
Shakespeare had a fare more wide-ranging influence on the development of English literature – perhaps in a debate about education in Scotland the point would stand, but in this context Shakespeare is by far the superior figure.
Also, the debate is not about who had more to say that is meaningful to "the common people" but who is more important to recognise as an author. Shakespeare’s work is important not only in its content but its wider context as a body of work that influenced later writers.
I would suggest Robert Burns, instead. He had much more to say that was meaningful to the common people.
I think the most important point is that James Joyce is just as important as Shakespeare, both have linguistic merits, yet, Will is seen as needing to be compulsory. Shouldn't we be encouraging children's creativity and find new Shakespeares?