The DU Lounge

I read the replies. It looks sincere. And I disagree.

I will admit Shakespeare is often taught in the wrong way, and can be confusing to young kids. I say save the literary study for later, and let kids be entertained by it. I had sincere, deeply devoted teachers unintentionally making Shakespeare painfully boring because they thought it was supposed to be studied instead of enjoyed.

Then a bunch of us rambunctious kids from English class had an opportunity to see “The Merry Wives Of Windsor” at the Seattle Rep. No lectures, no subtitles or footnotes, no study. And we loved it! We laughed uncontrollably the whole way through. Sure, some of the language we didn’t quite get. But skilled actors performing naturalistically make Shakespeare comprehensible to the layman. It was a wonderful introduction to Shakespeare as it was meant to be experienced.

The same thing happened a few years later when, on the suggestion of a fellow soldier, a bunch of dumb-ass tankers sat down to watch Kenneth Branagh’s “Henry V”. Just like the kids above, we were entranced by the film, and had no trouble understanding what was going on. The fact that it was about war certainly kept our attention.

So, I don’t agree. Not only should we teach kids Shakespeare, I think the earlier we start, the better. Teachers have suggested fourth grade as a starting point; kids that age are already learning new words all the time; adding Tudor English won’t even be a speed bump.