Shakespeare: Ought to Be Taught, Or Not?

With homeschool, we have the freedom to focus on liberal arts in a society that is quickly sweeping the works of great authors under the rug. As authors and editors of our children's curricula, we also have the freedom to cut out whomever we choose, for whatever reason. Thus, with the ability to include and exclude, should we continue to teach Shakespeare?

Many critics bash the works of Shakespeare for their historical and political undertones or painfully glaring racism and sexuality. Still, the beauty of Shakespeare is that the magnifying glass can be situated by myriad hands. We can focus, if we're brave, on the racist issues in Othello or we can discuss the exquisite language and dazzling metaphors glinting on the pages of all his plays, sonnets, and poems. The variety of lens and frames for Shakespeare are as varied as the people who teach his work.

To "[b]anish Shakespeare," says Professor Robert F. Wilson, would be to "banish the world of poetic truth, felicity, and debate." In expelling Shakespeare due to some problematic topics, well-meaning parents would be depriving their children of some of the best writing of all time, a beautiful dissection of the human soul.

Once homeschooling parents decide to tackle the bard's massive amount of work, they often wonder, where do I begin? how do I begin? On what exactly do I focus? These questions echo the same queries made by scholars and teachers for centuries. Each teacher of Shakespeare brings their own individuality to it. Professor Wilson emphasizes that "[l]ike the actor or director faced with performance choices, the teacher of Shakespeare drama must decide on how he or she will guide students in the interpretation and appreciation of the plays."

Hopefully, through exploring this blog and throwing your own ideas around, you can construct your own approach to teaching Shakespeare. But when readings get dense and students begin to balk, remember Professor Wilson's four reasons why Shakespeare ought to be taught:

1. He is among the few dramatists whose work is studied in-depth in American university English departments.

So if your child has dreams of continuing onto a university, he or she will meet the bard again. Opening the college doors with some well-placed Shakespearean experience in their brains will help.

2. His plays and sonnets offer rich material for the study of prosody--the study of metrical versification.

And his is a beautiful example from which to study prosody.

3. Shakespeare can serve [us] in another important area--criticism.

Again, the variety of frames are plentiful. You can choose to use historical criticism, feminist criticism, deconstructionist criticism, etc. The possibilities are endless.

4. Shakespeare is central to film studies.

Students nowadays tend to be visually-oriented; thus, watching Shakespeare's characters and drama come to life on screen is powerful.

Sit back with your favorite cup of tea and explore this blog for more inspiration on bringing Shakespeare to your homeschool curriculum.