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Saturday 10 November 2012

It Is Important To Learn Shakespeare For Students

By Marcy Becker


Most schools throughout the United States have a curriculum for school children that must be followed in order to provide them with a well rounded education. This is true for most subjects, including math, English, and science. Each grade level has their own requirements and goals which are required to be met by the end of the school year, but there is always the need for Shakespeare for students.

For reading, writing, and English classes, there are usually a set of books or stories which are required to be read. Often these pieces are classics of literature and are meant to apply to certain age levels based on the subject matter in the text. Basing readings on age and maturity level, along with the issues that age group is facing, is often how these required texts are assigned.

The majority of reading assignments are gone over and discussed in the classroom itself, however, some schools hand out either suggested or required summer reading lists so that students can get ahead or self-study. Most grade levels throughout K-12 have required texts which must be read by students at some point. These are typically advanced from the grade before and demonstrate important writing and style techniques as well as important subjects.

William Shakespeare is probably the most famous of all the assigned authors as his works are the epitome of classic literature. The pays he wrote during his time were as cutting edge and interesting as they are today, and their popularity only continues to withstand the test of time. Today, many of his works are required reading for students in middle school all the way thorough many college and university courses.

Some of the most well known and studied pieces by the author include King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and The Tempest. These are but a few of the many outstanding works by the writer, however. While 400 plus years have passed since their creation, the writer's works have withstood the test of time because they are incredibly influential and have themes which apply to human nature, no matter the century.

The underlying themes in many of the works include those which are inherent to human nature, including greed, death, life, and love. All of which are themes and subjects that people are concerned with today. The value of the works is that they apply as much today as they did many centuries ago and hold so much meaning to so many people under so many circumstances.

The human condition is about the strongest subject matter that one can write about. And in Shakespeare's works this includes elements of social class differences, racism, and the abuses of power by some. Other required readings often have these same subjects in them as well.

There are other reasons for requiring the reading of Shakespeare for students, in addition to the subject matter. His plays helped to shape the English language as it is known today. His word creation, structure, ideas, and style all dramatically changed the course of literature and the English language in the western world and those contributions are still being felt today.




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