The DU Lounge

Ocelot II

(130,696 posts)

52. This is bullshit. Maybe modern high school students could handle it just fine

Thu Apr 2, 2026, 03:48 PM

Apr 2

if they hadn't already been dumbed down by social media with shallow content that didn't require more than five minutes' study. I read Shakespeare in high school and loved it. I read plays that weren't even required reading because the language was so wonderful. It's like saying why listen to Bach, that music is so complicated and boring, when you can have all the Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber songs piped right into your head on demand?

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

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

cksmithy Coventina Xavier Breath A-Schwarzenegger Jilly_in_VA

108 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

5 Reasons Why Shakespeare Should Not Be Required in Schools [View all] GreatGazoo Apr 1 OP

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

I'm sincere GreatGazoo Apr 1 #4

What total BS. Just like all but claiming the UK has no tanks but only royal horses hlthe2b Apr 1 #7

I have said nice things too about the UK GreatGazoo Apr 1 #21

Then you haven't read my post(s) hlthe2b Apr 1 #22

Um GreatGazoo Apr 2 #37

Once again, you have NOT read (or at least comprehended) my posts that do counter you. hlthe2b Apr 2 #39

Nonsense. Reasons why Shakespeare SHOULD continue to be taught in schools. wnylib Apr 1 #18

Thanks for your well reasoned response GreatGazoo Apr 1 #23

I was not saying that Shakespeare's plays are wnylib Apr 1 #27

I find that era fascinating GreatGazoo Apr 1 #32

That "tomorrow" quote from Macbeth is one that I've memorized. wnylib Apr 1 #35

My car broke down near Mechanicsville (appropriate name) CA GreatGazoo Apr 2 #38

Popular quote. wnylib Friday #60

This message was self-deleted by its author NNadir Friday #61

Then you are rather an idiot, good sir, Jilly_in_VA Friday #79

The trolliest trolls are the trolls A-Schwarzenegger Friday #91

Remind us of anyone in the here and now? Mme. Defarge Apr 1 #9

Guillotine! Guillotine! MyOwnPeace Apr 1 #31

So many shrouds Mme. Defarge Apr 1 #33

I was one of the 2 kids..... MyOwnPeace Apr 1 #34

Semi agreeable. It would close off connections with cachukis Apr 1 #2

We'll, as the old joke goes... perfessor Apr 1 #3

Or Cunk's line: GreatGazoo Apr 1 #8

Yeah! "To bee or not to bee" was first said by an apiarist! Wonder Why Apr 1 #11

I note your earlier post is asserting UK has 501 royal horses & only 334 tanks. (eyeroll) hlthe2b Apr 1 #5

Nix on "Streetcar". Never understood why that piece of crap is considered art. eppur_se_muova Apr 1 #6

I finally saw 'Glass Menagerie' last year GreatGazoo Apr 1 #12

Tennesse Williams' voice was eloquent and urgent. CTyankee Apr 2 #41

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

Thank you! Jilly_in_VA Friday #81

Agree with you MorbidButterflyTat Friday #95

Exactly! Throw some deeply damaged, disturbed individuals together to see how, and how much, they can damage each other. eppur_se_muova Friday #97

Yes MorbidButterflyTat Saturday #99

I think Williams' message was exactly that: the brutish, insensitive people exploit the sensitive, delicate ones. CTyankee Monday #108

When I was in seventh grade, I read through all of the Shakespeare comedies. I loved them. Walleye Apr 1 #10

How did you feel about having to sit through them GreatGazoo Apr 1 #13

I saw a magnificent stage performance of Macbeth wnylib Apr 1 #20

Not A Fan ProfessorGAC Apr 1 #14

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

There is one for today "King Leer"[sic] Wonder Why Apr 1 #15

You're not considering the historical significance... Rizen Apr 1 #16

Didn't mention it but yes Shakespeare is printed at roughly the same time GreatGazoo Apr 1 #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 Apr 2 #42

Love Shakespeare. Always have, since first reading his plays in 6th grade. Years ago, two highplainsdem Apr 1 #17

You forgot the sarcasm tag. malthaussen Apr 1 #19

I listed five plays from the 20th century GreatGazoo Apr 1 #28

You must be fun at Shakespeare parties. A-Schwarzenegger Apr 1 #24

Get me to a nunnery! GreatGazoo Apr 1 #30

Did Timothy Chalamet post this? Sneederbunk Apr 1 #26

Ohhh. GreatGazoo Apr 1 #29

When I still lived in Louisville, Bayard Apr 1 #36

Anti-intellectualism at its finest. Coventina Apr 2 #40

Is the grammar of this sentence correct? GreatGazoo Apr 2 #44

By that logic, we shouldn't study art or music of the past either. Coventina Apr 2 #45

Music is subjective. Grammar isn't. GreatGazoo Apr 2 #47

Shakespeare has never been taught as "proper grammar." That notion is silly. Coventina Apr 2 #49

"greatest writer" implies that the grammar is as good as it gets GreatGazoo Friday #64

It implies no such thing. Please cite scholars who claim this. Coventina Friday #65

If you insist GreatGazoo Friday #72

Both of those links are not actual support of your argument. Coventina Friday #85

Can you not see or feel A-Schwarzenegger Apr 2 #48

Yes - I love that line GreatGazoo Apr 2 #50

Those arent errors. A-Schwarzenegger Apr 2 #51

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

Curious, snot Friday #70

"On" for "of" GreatGazoo Friday #73

That's one; but I disagree that it's an error. snot Sunday #101

Literature is not required to follow the rules of grammar FSogol Friday #80

You A-Schwarzenegger Friday #94

Or, MorbidButterflyTat Friday #96

I fear we are not taking earnestly enough A-Schwarzenegger Friday #98

... Xavier Breath Apr 2 #43

Can anyone make sense of this? GreatGazoo Apr 2 #46

This is bullshit. Maybe modern high school students could handle it just fine Ocelot II Apr 2 #52

Bach is perfect GreatGazoo Apr 2 #56

Omigawd YES! snot Friday #71

I've always loved Shakespeare. I took Shakespeare in my college English Dept. and acted in Twelfth Night... wcmagumba Apr 2 #53

I will take Shakespeare any day over some of the other dreck we read in high school. 3catwoman3 Apr 2 #54

I had a personal hatred for Shirley Jackson and Flannery O'Connor Coventina Apr 2 #55

I found many of the 19th century English novels in secondary school canon boring Ilikepurple Apr 2 #57

One big problem with writing at that time is that writers were paid by length. Coventina Apr 2 #58

When I learned that Dickens had been paid by the word, it explained a lot about why Great Expectations... 3catwoman3 Sunday #102

Most of them were, except for one Jilly_in_VA Friday #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 Friday #92

I'm right with you there with the Russian literature JoseBalow Friday #93

None of the plays you listed in number one would be here were it not for Shakespeare. OldBaldy1701E Apr 2 #59

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

Sounds serious Torchlight Friday #66

Now do "Beowulf." Iggo Friday #67

Totally disagree, and snot Friday #68

You make your case well GreatGazoo Friday #74

Thanks; understood. snot Sunday #100

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

Thank you, I DETEST "Our Town" Jilly_in_VA Friday #89

Our Town? Doodles Sunday #103

To each his own....exactly! mwmisses4289 Monday #107

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

There is a reason why Shakespeare's plays have endured Zorro Friday #76

My high school sure did Jilly_in_VA Friday #84

You must have attended a very progressive high school Zorro Friday #87

I rather think not Jilly_in_VA Friday #90

"4. The subject matter is elitist and no longer relevant. " DBoon Friday #77

Totally disagree ABC123Easy Friday #82

I view teaching Shakespeare the same way I view teaching poetry. walkingman Friday #83

Yes, to Shakespeare! Doodles Sunday #104

Here's an obvious point no one has raised as of yet. Morbius Sunday #105

Apocrypha GreatGazoo Monday #106