Is it time to bin the bard?
BEFORE I start, let me state this column is not an attack on our education system, rather a query about the relevance of some of the content being covered.
As a former teacher, I always stated school was a mini version of the real world – a community helping students adapt to the ways of our society.
So when my 15-year-old complained about studying Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Year 10 English literature, I felt his pain.
Not that I let on. Instead I offered him support and ideas on how to tackle it.
“But I don’t understand the words,” he said.
I nodded with empathy. All those thees, thous and hasts are a turn-off.
There is no question the English bard William Shakespeare produced many great written works that are considered important historical and classical pieces of literature.
But what does a 16th century poet and playwright have to offer a teenager in the 21st century?
With the large number of modern books available, why do our schools continue to persist with the works of a writer who lived more than 400 years ago?
It is argued Shakespeare’s plays are critical to understanding the human condition, with the themes in his plays, like love, fate, power, leadership and betrayal, universal in their message. But more recent storytellers tackle those subjects just as well.
Sure there’s a number of contemporary interpretations and modern retellings of Shakespeare’s stories in books, movies, television and even popular music, but if we are relying on them to help students make sense of the plots then it’s time to rethink the purpose of using his texts.
The language used is outdated and confusing to understand so why not select a piece of literature written in modern-day English that covers the same themes.
It doesn’t mean the stories behind Shakespeare’s words aren’t worth knowing.
Instead of studying Hamlet, a despairing tragedy published in 1603, that’s neither optimistic nor uplifting in any way, have students read stories in the news – same premise. Make texts relevant.
As William Shakespeare himself wrote in his comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, “No profit grows where is no pleasure ta’en. In brief, sir, study what you most affect.”
In other words: don’t study anything you will not enjoy.
Shakespeare, it’s time to wend backeth to wh’re thee cameth from.