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Should Shakespeare Still Be Taught In Schools Essay

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Should Shakespeare still be taught in the high school curriculum? Shakespeare has been part of our and previous generations for a long time. However, some people, including me, believe that he should not be taught in schools anymore for various reasons. One reason includes Shakespeare teaching the “wrong things” like racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. Having students read this in school would not be the right choice because students should not read about this kind of stuff. Another reason why Shakespeare should be removed from middle schools and high schools is because of his unmodernized text. His text includes words that are not used and aren’t heard anymore. Shakespeare's work may not always be the right thing for students to read. For example, …show more content…

The author also includes the student’s point of view when talking about Shakespeare, “We can also rethink how we use his texts. Can we involve students in the conversation, teaching them to interrogate why Shakespeare is more prevalent in our society than James Baldwin, Lois-Ann Yamanaka, or other writers from nonwhite backgrounds? Could we use excerpts of Shakespeare’s works as supplemental reading in conversation with other texts for critical analysis? Could we provide students experiences with Shakespeare while still making space for authors whose voices should not be ignored” (Text 3, Line 58-63). Even though Shakespeare has been part of our generation for a long time, other talented writers aren’t getting the credit they deserve because Shakespeare has been the main writer for centuries. Another reason the author believes Shakespeare shouldn’t be taught in schools is shown in text 3, “My kids deserve to study stories that represent and validate their experiences and cultures, something I know is important for their development. Questioning how well Shakespeare serves that goal is crucial, especially considering that, as National Public Radio’s “Code Switch” podcast recently explored, some of his stories perpetuate problematic and outdated ideas about gender roles and historically oppressed cultures. The Merchant of Venice’s treatment of its Jewish character, Shylock, for instance, is widely criticized as anti-Semitic” (Text 3, Lines 24-30). The author explains that Shakespeare did not support all genders and criticized certain religions, which proves that students should not be learning about these

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