Is Shakespeare Irrelevant...

[j. d. worthington]

to an English degree, for instance....?

toledoblade.com -- The Bard is not to be

Title: "The Bard is not to be", originally published Wed., Apr. 25, 2007.

[HoopyFrood]

Hell no! (In my own and deeply influential opinion )

Ah, man, how can they get rid of Shakespeare, he's a legend! I studied him all through secondary school (Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, various sonnets) then at A Level (Hamlet, Othello (loved those plays..)) then last year we studied two more of his texts in one of my modules (Richard III, The Tempest). And in preparation for my second year we were allowed to pick four modules from a list of options, one of which was a module all about the bard himself -- well, it's technically Shakespeare and Renaissance Comedy -- and that was my first and immediate choice. And it seemed the same with much of the English group. Although I guess a few chose him because he's a 'comfort zone', one that everyone's done throughout school -- but for me it's because I just love the guy and his plays so much (I'm quite sure we'll study Christopher Marlowe as well, WOOP!)

[Talysia]

I don't think Shakespeare is irrelevant either. He played a big part in English literature for centuries, and is still one of the most highly recognized writers/playwrights in history. In my opinion, you can't just disregard teaching people about such a prominent figure.

[Foxbat]

Definitely not irrelevant. His plays have lasted all this time because of their sheer quality and timelesness. Many of the dilemmas within his work are as relevant now as when they were first written.

And if it's adventure and intrigue you seek, he has created some of the finest villains ever - Iago's manipulations of Othello are wonderfully dark but (for me) Aaron's ranting confesion about digging up corpses and scratching meassages in the skin in Titus Andronicus is by far the greatest piece of knavery ever conceived.

Darth Vader, Sauron, Lord Foul? Pussycats compared to Shakespeare's villains.

Maybe I was just lucky to have such a fine English teacher when I was but a nipper but it left me with a great love for Shakespeare - even more than the admiration I have for our very own Scottish Bard (Burns)


Shakespeare is still the greatest writer in the English language and should still be taught a thousand years from now.

[Connavar]

He is one of the greatest and most important man that ever lived.

I think he will always be important thanks to legendary plays.

Man i cant count anymore how many times we dealed with his plays in english classes in school. I use to always look forward reading and playing his wierd language.


This article just proves the sorry state of the schools in US.

His place is safe.

[Curt Chiarelli]

That we should even be considering this question raises my ire! Absolutely not! If anything, he even more relevant now than before.

If anyone is seeking hardcore proof that educational standards are dropping like knickers in a bordello, this is it kids. The idea of bestowing an English degree whilst detouring around The Bard is tantamount to building a highrise without a foundation. It is the very definition of madness deferring to that which is laziest in our natures.

Rich, powerful and lyrical, our language found its fullest and most perfect expression it the hands of this genius. Beyond that, the themes that run through his works are handled with such depth, clarity, insight and universality that they should assure him a place on our bookshelves for as long as man lives.

So . . . . for anyone foolish enough to suggest that this literary master is "irrelevant" I say let them be hoist by their own petard until Birnam Wood do come to Dunsinane!

[HoopyFrood]

I concur with all of the above posts. 'Tis monstrous that they could even think of getting rid of him! (Ah, you really can stick the quotes in everywhere ) He (or whoever...still speculation about whether Shakespeare actually wrote the plays. But as my English teacher said, it doesn't matter who wrote them, the fact that this fantastic body of work was written and is still around for us to enjoy today is more important) created such interesting, influential and downright enjoyable pieces of literature -- I love Othello, I could read it again and again and Iago is easily my favourite character ever -- and to call them 'irrelevant' is outrageous!

[Dexter]

Wow. Do we know how to educate, or what? It couldn't be based on any lack of persuasiveness on the Bard's part, I don't think. In 400 years has he ever been out of print? He's only the single most famous and influential writer to come out of England. Why teach him? We could teach a few more semesters of...what? What do you replace him with? And still call it an English degree?

[littlemissattitude]

Okay...if Shakespeare is so irrelevant, I wish those who think so (obviously none of us so far in this thread) would explain to me why we read one of his plays (Othello) in a university literature course called "Popular Fiction", in which everything else we read was modern...and predominantly genre fiction, by the way. I think the oldest thing we read in the course of the class (one novel or play per week for 18 weeks) other than that was Fellowship of the Ring.

[mosaix]

Simply - no.

[Rosemary]

Certainly not! His works are such that you need to think about his plays and by that very thought process we may begin to understand how literature is formed in so many various ways. He makes you THINK, QUESTION and DEBATE, all necessary I think in many University Degrees.

Although I did read once, that it was thought someone else had written many of his most famous works... has anyone else heard that whisper?

[Allegra]

Originally Posted by Curt Chiarelli

That we should even be considering this question raises my ire! Absolutely not! If anything, he even more relevant now than before.

Exactly! It's almost shocking to read this report. If Shakespeare is irrelevant, who is relevant? It's like skipping Bach to study classical music. Shakespeare is relevant and will be relevant for thousands of years and not only for earning an English degree. Students are not the ones to blame, educational institutions are.

[HardScienceFan]

I suggest skipping Plato,Aristotle and Hegel for Philosophy classes
skipping Count Basie and the Duke for Big Band Arranging,
Kokoschka and Hopper for 20th century art
and Bohr and Heisenberg for modern physics

[dustinzgirl]

Originally Posted by HardScienceFan

I suggest skipping Plato,Aristotle and Hegel for Philosophy classes
skipping Count Basie and the Duke for Big Band Arranging,
Kokoschka and Hopper for 20th century art
and Bohr and Heisenberg for modern physics

While we are at it, lets skip Varro, Frued, Thomas Jefferson...

Heck, why bother teaching the arts at all, its not like you need arts to work for the man.

[j. d. worthington]

Wow. While I was certainly expecting some responses, I must admit that I'm a bit surprised (and pleased) with the intensity of the responses above....

Yes, the entire thing sort of struck me as having about the same level of sense as giving someone a degree in architecture without them having even a basic understanding of such factors as... oh, say... gravity.....