To teach or not to teach. That is the question which has been asked throughout schools year after year, including at Thomas. Almost every year, there’s a chance students could end up reading some Shakespeare. Freshmen read Romeo and Juliet, some sophomores read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and some seniors read Hamlet. Teachers, regardless of their opinions, usually have to teach some Shakespeare, too, because of the curriculum. But what if they could choose? Would they teach Shakespeare? Would students want to learn Shakespeare?
Students don’t usually learn Shakespeare every year. Some only learn one or two plays. Eli Fennie, a senior, says that he hasn’t learned Shakespeare since ninth grade, but learned Romeo and Juliet that year. Fennie may have only read one Shakespeare play, but he enjoyed it. “It was pretty good, you know…it was fun.” However, another senior, Liam Keasel, has a different opinion on the play. “I think it’s a little overrated if we’re being honest,” Keasel says. But on Shakespeare as a whole, Keasel says he’s “indifferent.” “It’s not really needed in this day and age for him to be taught.” Some have other reasons for their opinions on the play. Emma Lynch feels that without Shakespeare taught, “we’d be lacking in our culture and creating history.” Lynch could be right. Shakespeare’s plays have influenced pop culture throughout the centuries. They’ve been adapted in different mediums, such as movies like Romeo+Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), She’s the Man (Twelfth Night), and 10 Things I Hate About You (The Tempest.) But Keasel might not be wrong either. Classics in the English curriculum are being replaced with modern books that teach about things beneficial for learning. Students could get more out of a modern book than Shakespeare, so the plays being replaced in the curriculum is probably not out of the question.
Teachers also have many thoughts on Shakespeare. Mrs. Ruiz, a Journalism and English III teacher, says that since she doesn’t know what students will be on board to read the plays, not everyone being interested makes her anxious. But she sees some good things in the plays she’s taught, Julius Caesar and The Tempest. “I actually really like both of them. There are some interesting literary lessons.” But she finds that “unless we can make it accessible, there isn’t a point.” Mrs. Susi, a creative writing and English III teacher, enjoys teaching Shakespeare. She says some students like it, too. “Shakespeare is really fun for freshmen. They really like it.” Susi has a chosen method for teaching Shakespeare. She always has the students act out his plays. But Susi also thinks that students don’t need more than a year or two of Shakespeare.
Overall, both kids and adults disagree on how and if Shakespeare should be taught. While some kids think it’s “overrated” and some adults think it might not be useful, other people enjoy it, including some teens. Maybe this is why it’s hard for places like this school to decide if Shakespeare should be taught. If students keep sharing their opinions, teachers can see if most like or dislike learning the plays. If most students don’t like it, it could be a lost cause. But if they’re willing to put in the effort to learn the old texts, teaching Shakespeare could be worth it.
