The DU Lounge

malthaussen

(18,575 posts)

19. You forgot the sarcasm tag.

Wed Apr 1, 2026, 07:50 PM

Wednesday

Let's put it this way. Given the state of the culture of the American people today, Shakespeare is not very good entertainment. But he is not taught and studied to be entertaining. By your criteria, no literature more than 20 minutes old is worthy of being taught in school.

-- Mal

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

7 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

wnylib hlthe2b Xavier Breath cksmithy Coventina A-Schwarzenegger Jilly_in_VA

94 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

5 Reasons Why Shakespeare Should Not Be Required in Schools [View all] GreatGazoo Wednesday OP

Shakespeare's themes are timeless. Unless this is an April Fool's prank, I find it ridiculous. hlthe2b Wednesday #1

I'm sincere GreatGazoo Wednesday #4

What total BS. Just like all but claiming the UK has no tanks but only royal horses hlthe2b Wednesday #7

I have said nice things too about the UK GreatGazoo Wednesday #21

Then you haven't read my post(s) hlthe2b Wednesday #22

Um GreatGazoo Yesterday #37

Once again, you have NOT read (or at least comprehended) my posts that do counter you. hlthe2b Yesterday #39

Nonsense. Reasons why Shakespeare SHOULD continue to be taught in schools. wnylib Wednesday #18

Thanks for your well reasoned response GreatGazoo Wednesday #23

I was not saying that Shakespeare's plays are wnylib Wednesday #27

I find that era fascinating GreatGazoo Wednesday #32

That "tomorrow" quote from Macbeth is one that I've memorized. wnylib Wednesday #35

My car broke down near Mechanicsville (appropriate name) CA GreatGazoo Yesterday #38

Popular quote. wnylib 19 hrs ago #60

This message was self-deleted by its author NNadir 19 hrs ago #61

Then you are rather an idiot, good sir, Jilly_in_VA 3 hrs ago #79

The trolliest trolls are the trolls A-Schwarzenegger 1 hr ago #91

Remind us of anyone in the here and now? Mme. Defarge Wednesday #9

Guillotine! Guillotine! MyOwnPeace Wednesday #31

So many shrouds Mme. Defarge Wednesday #33

I was one of the 2 kids..... MyOwnPeace Wednesday #34

Semi agreeable. It would close off connections with cachukis Wednesday #2

We'll, as the old joke goes... perfessor Wednesday #3

Or Cunk's line: GreatGazoo Wednesday #8

Yeah! "To bee or not to bee" was first said by an apiarist! Wonder Why Wednesday #11

I note your earlier post is asserting UK has 501 royal horses & only 334 tanks. (eyeroll) hlthe2b Wednesday #5

Nix on "Streetcar". Never understood why that piece of crap is considered art. eppur_se_muova Wednesday #6

I finally saw 'Glass Menagerie' last year GreatGazoo Wednesday #12

Tennesse Williams' voice was eloquent and urgent. CTyankee Yesterday #41

The fact they may not understand it is the reason we have schools... appmanga 2 hrs ago #88

Thank you! Jilly_in_VA 3 hrs ago #81

When I was in seventh grade, I read through all of the Shakespeare comedies. I loved them. Walleye Wednesday #10

How did you feel about having to sit through them GreatGazoo Wednesday #13

I saw a magnificent stage performance of Macbeth wnylib Wednesday #20

Not A Fan ProfessorGAC Wednesday #14

All the titles from 6, except the angry men were studied between jr high and high school questionseverything 3 hrs ago #78

There is one for today "King Leer"[sic] Wonder Why Wednesday #15

You're not considering the historical significance... Rizen Wednesday #16

Didn't mention it but yes Shakespeare is printed at roughly the same time GreatGazoo Wednesday #25

I love the King James Version of the Bible. My father's Masonic Bible is a treasure I handed down to my son. CTyankee Yesterday #42

Love Shakespeare. Always have, since first reading his plays in 6th grade. Years ago, two highplainsdem Wednesday #17

You forgot the sarcasm tag. malthaussen Wednesday #19

I listed five plays from the 20th century GreatGazoo Wednesday #28

You must be fun at Shakespeare parties. A-Schwarzenegger Wednesday #24

Get me to a nunnery! GreatGazoo Wednesday #30

Did Timothy Chalamet post this? Sneederbunk Wednesday #26

Ohhh. GreatGazoo Wednesday #29

When I still lived in Louisville, Bayard Wednesday #36

Anti-intellectualism at its finest. Coventina Yesterday #40

Is the grammar of this sentence correct? GreatGazoo Yesterday #44

By that logic, we shouldn't study art or music of the past either. Coventina Yesterday #45

Music is subjective. Grammar isn't. GreatGazoo Yesterday #47

Shakespeare has never been taught as "proper grammar." That notion is silly. Coventina Yesterday #49

"greatest writer" implies that the grammar is as good as it gets GreatGazoo 12 hrs ago #64

It implies no such thing. Please cite scholars who claim this. Coventina 8 hrs ago #65

If you insist GreatGazoo 4 hrs ago #72

Both of those links are not actual support of your argument. Coventina 2 hrs ago #85

Can you not see or feel A-Schwarzenegger Yesterday #48

Yes - I love that line GreatGazoo Yesterday #50

Those arent errors. A-Schwarzenegger Yesterday #51

We can't know what the author intended because they were deceased when The Tempest GreatGazoo 12 hrs ago #63

Curious, snot 6 hrs ago #70

"On" for "of" GreatGazoo 4 hrs ago #73

Literature is not required to follow the rules of grammar FSogol 3 hrs ago #80

You A-Schwarzenegger 15 min ago #94

... Xavier Breath Yesterday #43

Can anyone make sense of this? GreatGazoo Yesterday #46

This is bullshit. Maybe modern high school students could handle it just fine Ocelot II Yesterday #52

Bach is perfect GreatGazoo Yesterday #56

Omigawd YES! snot 5 hrs ago #71

I've always loved Shakespeare. I took Shakespeare in my college English Dept. and acted in Twelfth Night... wcmagumba Yesterday #53

I will take Shakespeare any day over some of the other dreck we read in high school. 3catwoman3 Yesterday #54

I had a personal hatred for Shirley Jackson and Flannery O'Connor Coventina Yesterday #55

I found many of the 19th century English novels in secondary school canon boring Ilikepurple Yesterday #57

One big problem with writing at that time is that writers were paid by length. Coventina Yesterday #58

Most of them were, except for one Jilly_in_VA 2 hrs ago #86

I had a hard time getting into A Tale of Two Cities and haven't revisited it as I have other 19th century novels. Ilikepurple 1 hr ago #92

I'm right with you there with the Russian literature JoseBalow 1 hr ago #93

None of the plays you listed in number one would be here were it not for Shakespeare. OldBaldy1701E Yesterday #59

Yeah, let's do away with beauty. It's trivial. Video games on cellphones are far more relevant to modern life. NNadir 19 hrs ago #62

Sounds serious Torchlight 8 hrs ago #66

Now do "Beowulf." Iggo 8 hrs ago #67

Totally disagree, and snot 6 hrs ago #68

You make your case well GreatGazoo 3 hrs ago #74

Ugh. Our Town. In the top ten of the most boring plays ever written. mwmisses4289 6 hrs ago #69

Thank you, I DETEST "Our Town" Jilly_in_VA 2 hrs ago #89

I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be satirical or not. Aristus 3 hrs ago #75

There is a reason why Shakespeare's plays have endured Zorro 3 hrs ago #76

My high school sure did Jilly_in_VA 2 hrs ago #84

You must have attended a very progressive high school Zorro 2 hrs ago #87

I rather think not Jilly_in_VA 2 hrs ago #90

"4. The subject matter is elitist and no longer relevant. " DBoon 3 hrs ago #77

Totally disagree ABC123Easy 2 hrs ago #82

I view teaching Shakespeare the same way I view teaching poetry. walkingman 2 hrs ago #83