This is the third major work by Shakespeare you have studied during your high school experience. What do you genuinely think, (with no fluff or b.s. permitted)? Why Shakespeare at all? How is he/is he not genius? Is his language relevant? If you despise Shakespeare, why do so many people enjoy his works? If you love Shakespeare, why do so many people loathe his works? You may type as much/little as you like, as long as you are honest and invested. Say something that really matters to you here.
You must respond to this post and to two other student comments, which will make this a legitimate discussion forum. A good way to get someone to respond to your comment is to include a question for someone to directly answer. Or, be boldly opinionated enough--without being childishly offensive--to generate a response.
Here's some boldness: Some people would say/think these things; I would not. "If you cannot or will not appreciate and love Shakespeare, you are an idiot." or "If you love Shakespeare, there is something wrong with you--you are out of touch with reality and need your brain examined (you might need a lobotomy, in fact)." or "If you don't like Shakespeare, you are not a human being, because human beings feel emotions and Shakespeare's plays are packed with emotional scenes and speeches." or "If you love Shakespeare, you are not tough, manly, or cool." or "If you do not love Shakespeare, you do not fully live." or "If you enjoy Shakespeare, you are wasting your time with out-of-date language and stupid stories of love, revenge, and so on, that will never help you think any better or get anything you don't have already. WASTE OF TIME."
Are we becoming academically lazy? Or would more interesting, relevant, and current material help us THINK CRITICALLY (the main purpose of this class) well enough and/or better than Shakespearean material? For instance, what would help you in life better, a Shakespeare semester course elective, or a film history and criticism
semester course elective? Couldn't we learn about evil through/with "The Hills Have Eyes"? Couldn't we learn about love through/with "The Notebook" or "Twilight" or "One Tree Hill"? Be "easier" and better, right? Maybe we cannot get emotionally involved in Othello, because we are too busy trying to understand what is being done and said?! Maybe we shouldn't even try to get emotionally attached to Shakespeare, but isn't that the point of drama?
Maybe we should cut all that is too tough: Anatomy, Trigonometry...?
431 comments:
1 – 200 of 431 Newer› Newest»Matt K
Period 1
Shakespeare has an unshakable pres sense. It is the form of our historically unique language that we have inherited. Shakespeare was a rebel and is considered most famous for his works. Not just because of his difficult writing skills, but to his courage to write plays that have never been viewed before. He is the pioneer of plays, dramas and literature. Though the word phrases are difficult and the meanings may be different, I believe it relevant in some ways to our modern day society. Such as the peoples interactions, social boundaries, traditions and changes. I believe Shakespeare is a genius do to his ability to show the people real life problems with a twist of fate. Almost giving a meaning, a form of information to the public. Almost every Shakespearean literature is tragedy. EX: the part of the discussion in class about race and difference in relationships between with interracial couples and traditional points of view. Shakespeare displays many opinions that represent his era.
From Kelli Hoff:
I think that it has been good to read a few Shakespeare pieces during my high school career because it is not something I would hav chose to read on my own. I helps to go through it as a class also and to help understand it better and in different ways that other interpretted it as. I believe the book is for abstract thinkers so for me it helps to talk it through as a class. It is a good choice to pick Shakespeare because he is well known, plans out every detail for stories, and has you thinking in very deep thoughts to understand what goes on. Hi is a genius at writing because he includes so much material in words without the reader even realizing fully what they have just read. The language is perfect and helps with the mood and theme of the book. I think Shakespeare's work is good, but it is hard to understand for the average citizen, because it is hard to get into a story when you do not fully understand what is going on. When stating this I believe myself to be an average citizen who has complications understanding the book but my question is am I like an average citizen reading this book or am I lower than the average citizen in my thinking?
I honestly have no clue whether or not I like Shakespeare's works. In Nebraska we read Macbeth and I actually understood it for the most part without much help. Also, we read Romeo and Juliet, which now is so easy to understand cause our culture is so familiar with that play. I think that the language can be confusing at times, but also gives an interesting twist on the language that draws me in a little bit. Even though it can be tough to understand at times, I believe Shakespearian literature is good for high school students because it moves away from the norm of the English language, and variety is often very good. I think he is a genious with his language because it influences the plot so much, and has to due to the lack of adventurous and fighting scenes. Overall, I feel that it is worth it to study, though it does get frustrating at times.
pd.1
I believe that reading Shakespeare is good for us as students. We need to expand our thinking and read as many genres as we can. We may not want to read his works, but we will appreciate doing so when we get done. I have personally only have only read Romeo and Juliet, but I would love to read Macbeth and several of his other works. In order to expand our minds we need to read to broaden our vocabulary. I believe people despise his works because they are hard to understand, you have to dissect and really get into it to understand it. A lot of people want to just read a book and be done with it, no work required, but with Shakespeare this is not how it works. The language may be English, but it is not the English we are used to, so we need to analyze what he is saying and try to figure out what he is trying to say in our terms.
pd1
I think Shakespeare is far from any reading i would pick to read on my own and when i try to read it it does not make any sense. It seems like a foreign language to me and unlike the modern language of today. I like it when I can have a translation and have it put into the speech of today. We could still have the same story with the same problems that happen without all the nonsense language that Shakespeare uses in his plays. Everything seems to be getting "moderized" these days and made for better use in society, the idea of out with the old and in with the new, and I think that should be applied here in English class as well.
I think Shakespeare is a genious because he wrote about different things in all of his plays and books that were culturally wrong...as a white women marrying a black man...many people would have thought this to be extremely wrong until readying this play....or as two enemies fall in love but take there lives because of what other people think...Shakespeare in high school is really boring to ready although he really makes you think about didfferent situations...more people may enjoy his "art" of literature if there was a newer version of his masterpieces with words that everyone can understand not just english professiors from england who have been studying him for years.
Period 1
I think Shakespeare is a great writer. He tells good stories and has very interesting characters. The only problem is we dont live in the 1600s. His language is genius but we can barely understand it without looking at sparknotes. I like Shakespeare but it needs to be rewritten into modern text. I think it is essential to read Shakespeare in school because it demonstrates poetry and what proper english actually is. Even though a lot of people dislike Shakespeare, I do think he is a very important historical figure.
I just typed a novel, but this system did not accept it--word to the wise: copy all that you type here. My fault; I should have learned. The gist of what I typed is this: Shakespeare is harder and takes "longer" to teach and to learn and read. It can be painful to have to attempt to analyze and translate one soliloquy for 50 minutes--I feel that pain, but I realize some student thoroughly enjoy this pursuit. Othello, the Moor of Venice, has far more action and interesting, relatable content. I have been jealous beyond logic; I have wished to be promoted; I have hoped to be with a certain woman; I have been to Venice; I have wondered about gender roles in our society; I have wondered about racism to this day; I have wondered about fathering a girl; I have wondered about spousal mistreatment--all of these things are more interesting, by far, than what happens in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Othello has many more problems that are pertinent to America and the world today. The black man is shown as only physically prominent, not intellectually mature or wise enough to simply reject Iago's words and actually confront the other people in the play. The black man is entirely duped throughout. I hate this, but it needs to be studied to see the potential results of prejudice. How can we not enjoy this?
pd. 1st
I think Shakespeare is worth studying because the stories are famous and interesting but the language is hard to understand. If book publicaters made translated books to enlgish which we speak now it would be a lot easier to learn the material. I think Shakespeare is a great writer because he captures every type of emotion in the story and really pulls the reader into the play. I think the language he uses is lost and no one speaks it anymore. So the books should be changed to a more modern day writing style for us to understand better. I don't mind reading Shakespeare but I believe a lot of people despise his writing because it's hard to read and follow the story. Also a lot of people love Shakespeare because it catches all your emotions in a story.
Period 1
I think that Shakespeare is a mastermind of twisting human emotion and playing with people's minds. He sets up parts in plays so smoothly and at the right time for them to be meaningful. He uses his version of English to confuse the modern audience into believing more than one outcome in a situation because they are guessing what it means. Shakespeare uses excellent foreshadowing and betrayel in many of his plays. For instance, when Brabantion says my daughter may cheat on you because she has already cheated me. I feel that Shakespeare should be kept in high schools nation wide because it challenges kids to think outside of the "norm". It is definitely a good way of challenging students in high schools of this age.
Period 1
Wherefor art though othello did you do this. Those 3 words means why shaksphere a genius not in my eyes. Maybe ahead of his time but I feel that his logic in they way he wrote was not present. Many people may think that he is a genius just becuase he uses our language in a different way almost like latin. But i feel that he just wanted to express himself just like any artist really would, but instead of colors and shapes he used words. I feel by doing this he rebeled against his time maybe by just becoming a non-conformist just like McMurphy in Cuckoo's Nest. The saying that shaksphere was gay or a little boy lover, I really feel that i believe this because just looking at how the male characters in his plays would act towards each other was very open and out there especially for his time. He was a man that showed more emotion in his words then any other artist has had in their paintings which i feel doesnt make him a genius but a very good artists who was very determined.
pd.7
Like Mr.C said, Shakespeare could be a waste of time and I definitley agree. I don't really understand the dialouge in the book and the movie to me is not very good. I'm not really learning anything new by reading shakespeare because I don't know what is going on. I think why so many people like him is becuase they think his work is interesting and something different than the everyday things they read. I think some of his work is too cheesy for me because of all the romance and love.
pd. 3
Although not everything from Shakespeare is understandable, I still feel like I can pick up on the idea they're trying to express. I am a visual person, so watching the movie definitely helps me get it. I may not understand every line in the dialogue, but I feel like I pretty well know what they're trying to get at. The plot is what interests me because I love stories of romance conflict along the way. In comparison, I enjoyed studying Romeo and Juliet. In a way, I think people like his works because they grab your attention and provide love and relationships. Although, I know people hate Shakespeare's works because they are all about love and since his language is hard to understand, people get bored and lose attention. His language really makes us think though while struggling to make sense of his plays. I don't have a problem studying his works because I get it and the plot is enjoyable to me.
Period 1
The only thing i do not like about Shakespeare is that it is impossible to read without you going over everything. I seriously do not mind the stories, they are interesting. Shakespeare just writes Shakespearian and i do not have a clue what he is trying to say most of the time. He is genious because he creates conflicts and the problems that extremely important. Some are still a problem today, especially Othello. Black guy and a white women getting married still is not 100% accepted still. I also believe that Shakespeare was ahead of his time, i wonder if he was even popular back then.?. I am not a big fan, i could not read it all by myself, no way. I like the book because you are helping us understand it and actually and therefore im enjoying it. Shakespeare is not that big to me, and i do not know why he is such a big hit still. He is not even writing true english. Therefore, it is hard for kids to understand, but when you help us understand it, i like it. "If you do not love Shakespeare, you do not fully live." That is a ridiculous comment and i really just dont like Shakespeare because his stories are really old and they really hard to understand because its not true english. So did people in Shakespeare's time read and write like Shakespeare or was it hard for them too?
I've been called a "fag" and a "queer" for liking certain Shakespeare (I say "certain" because I loathe some Shakespeare). My "buddies" made it difficult to hang out with them sometimes, because they lacked any hope to be "cultured" or aware of the arts or critical of what was around them. This frustrated me deeply, though I found their perspectives refreshing at times. They had pragmatic outlooks; were so busy that they did not always have time to attempt to enjoy the arts. I like having balance in my life: could watch Ultimate Fighting on Spike TV, then a Russian ballet on PBS--and find value and analytical opportunities in both. Is it best to have balance?
Matt makes some very great points. He says that, "I believe it relevant in some ways to our modern day society. Such as the peoples interactions, social boundaries, traditions and changes." This is very true and I believe this is why Shakespeare has in fact become so popular. Though times have changed and cultures have developed differently, the essential theme of social boundaries and interactions between cultures conflicting will always be present. I.E. The conflict of war is obviously still present (and probably always will be) but no for a different reason (oil and terrorism instead of wanting more land). Also, marriages and drama are key to our entertainment still today, as many shows focus on the bad and good of marriage and how one person can twist and even ruin a marriage so quickly.
Sara, I most definitely agree with you I think it seems like a foreign language to me too and it's just nonsense to write like that.
responding to the Chase Douglas
I agree with you 110% with your opinions but dont you think that if there was a new version of the books and plays with normal words that everyone understands more people would enjoy his masterpieces....?
Period 1
Alex N: reply
I totally agree with alex in a sense that Shakespeare should be studied in high school. The language and words are hard to understand but thats the beauty of it you have to try to actually make sense of it instead of reading books of today. I dont agree with changing the old language because that is Shakespeare's trademark and main tool in challenging the reader.
A-Nach: should we study these stories simply because they are famous?
True, knowing famous stories helps you catch references in other artwork (television, paintings, conversations, etc.), but is it really worth our precious time? Shouldn't we be studying something more understandable?
pd 1
I agree with Noah, it can be confusing at times, but the language gives it a twist. Shakespeare is very good with making a plot thicker with just changing up his words a little bit. We as a culture are familiar with a few of Shakespeare’s works, and it makes it easier for us to understand them when we know the plot ahead of time.
I also agree with Kelli without having to read his works in school I probably would not have even bothered to read any. In class discussion has helped me out a lot also, I usually do not have a problem understanding books, but Shakespeare makes it a bit more difficult. I also agree that Shakespeare makes you think about what is going on and he puts so much into the story but he does so very subtly. With even the most simple of words and so few of pages he puts many details into the stories. I believe that if the story was written in the English we are used to, the book would lose its value, the language is important to how and why we read his works.
Period 1
Reply to douglas
I totally agree with Chase "The Beast" Douglas. He was not just a writer of the emotions but a perfectionsist at putting emotions in the perfect situations to cause as much drama as possible. If still alive to this day im sure he could make a very good tv show.
pd
I think that it is good that we have read these books because it gives us the view of how a play is put together. Shakespear uses a different kind of English, much different from ours. It is good to have something a little different in our high school learning. Shakespeare looks at things differently compared to most people. He has an ingenious way of saying things. For example "Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves", which I think means to keep worrying about themselves. His language is very relevent to how smart he is. I think people like Shakespeare because they understand everything that is said in the books and they really enjoy the drama and how things unfold in the stories.
Erica and Sara: Why do we study foreign languages?
And why do we study Calculus and Trigonometry? Should math classes be cut, just like Shakespeare, in favor of more relevant topics and lessons?
Period 1
I don't think the main reason why people despise Shakespeare is it is hard to read. That may be some of it but I think it's because all of his stories somehow return to the love concept.
period one.
Each Shakespeare story we have studied I have really liked reading and getting into. My personal favorite has been Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare is important because it gives us a good look at what things were like back then and it makes us think and pick apart the sentances to make it make sense to us.He makes his stories both beautifully written and excitingly drastic that it will catch any reader's attention (as long as they get what is being said). i really like shakespeare because of how things are written but i dont think everybody likes it the same way. it may be confussing or boring to others.
Pd. 1
I believe that Shakespeare will always have a place within English curriculum. Shakespeare makes you think about regular everyday issues like race in a different context. Issues that pledge our society today are some of the same issues that Shakespeare dealt with in his time. He uses words that are new to us which makes it extremely difficult to grasp what he is really trying to say. This type of language is not relevant to everyday life for high school students, but the thought process necessary to decipherer Shakespeare’s language is.
In response to Mr. C.
I agree with you eveyone should have balance. I like to have a balance with the movies me and courtney watch one night may be an action movie the next be a funny movie or even a "chick flick" i dont mind watching them they really dont bother me that much and i know it makes her happy...thats how i balance my different styles of movies...i can watch just about anything...
pd.7
Jordan I have to disagree with you. I think his plots are absurd and these things would never happen in real life.
pd 1st.
I agree with Chase's response. Shakespeare definitely challenges the "norm" of what people usually reads. He constantly makes you think twice about a character and their motives. I also agree that Shakespeare uses great foreshadowing techniques in his stories. Most of which end up being betrayal and tragedies in the playes.
I agree with Noah on how Shakespeare uses his literature to pull the reader into the story. His language also does make up some for no fighting scences in his plays. I disagree on our culture needing to read Shakespeares type of language. I think its outdated and that the story should be translated into a more modern type of english. I do agree that Shakespeare is needed to be read in high school and that it is good for diversity sometimes in our reading culture.
pd. 1 (i meant pd. 1 for my previous comment..oops)
I agree with Sara because I do think in order for everyone to understand it, it needs to be in the English language rather than a "foreign" language as she calls it. But I just don't have a problem with it because I understand it. But it's good for everyone to try and understand it to gain practice and insight for the future. He's a legend that is worth discussing.
I think Mr. C makes an excellent point. In our society today, people get labelled for differing from the norm. Even our own friends make it difficult to be unique, and this can change your perspective not only of yourself, but of the culture around us. Do we have to conform in order to fit in and feel good all the time? Or can we have a balance of both like Mr. C said? I believe that we all should have a balance in everything we do. Essentially, if you are a more balanced person, you will appeal to more people and become more successful. Therefore, in the future you might one-up someone who is not so balance and the conformity could actually hurt them more than help. On the other hand, it is very difficult to have a balance because often times people find it hard to get away from their comfort zones and even try to attempt to find something they might like on the other side of things.
When we study a foreign language we go way in depth and study the vocab and learn the words so we know what is being said, but in Shakespeare we just go and read and have no idea whats going on.
pd. 1
I do like to read Shakespeare. He is a remarkable genius at chooseing his words, and making us think of what he is saying! I sometimes get confused but, I do understand the general story line. His language is, how you say, old. We don't use the word thus or tis anymore. I can understand that some people don't like Shakespeare because of his confusing language.
The famous rumor of him being gay is adding to the loathing of his works. I for one don't know, none of us really know if he is gay. However, because his words are confusing, people might think differently about him, like for him being gay. I don't think he's gay, he's just "down to earth" with his words. I do have a questions though. Why is it that most stories I read of Shakespeare that people or the main characters die? I don't understand that at all. Was it because of the hard times Skakespeare lived in? The Black Plague perhaps?
Period 1
I like his writings, because their fun to decipher while reading (in my opinion at least). Shakespeare also has a unique understanding of the human psyche, so that he can predict a likely effect due to the cause. Granted it's his story and he can tell it how he wants, its still would make logical sence given the time period that this is really how things could play out but he bestows a theatrical sence to it as well i'm sure.
Pd. 1
I generally have a rough time understanding Shakespeare but when it is put into terms that i can understand, i enjoy the plot and how it unfolds. Shakespeare's plays always include love and conspiracy which draws me in. Shakespeare's language is relevant because we can all relate to things such as jealousy or love and some, inter-racial relationships.I think people that loathe Shakespeare's work do not understand his writing and do not want to take the time to understand it. I think people that do take the time to study his work will enjoy the experience.
One thing I enjoy about Shakespeare is bragging about how, after much studying and a decade of learning, I get most of it. Some of the sayings and the references I will never get, because the references are 400 years old--Elizabethans would not understand our jokes, I assure you. They would not understand our allusions to our knowledge base(s) either.
We should jump in a phone booth like Bill and Ted and meet Willy Shakespeare--see if we can talk circles around him!
People are wondering how to spell
S-H-A-K-E-S-P-E-A-R-E-A-N
Pd 1
I can see why so many people love Shakespeare and adore his work. His stories are like pieces of art work written on a page. The language that he uses is beautiful and almost sounds as if he's singing to us when he writes. The meanings behind the words do require some thought inorder to understand what is being said. Normally when I read a book I want to fully obtain what the meaning of the novel is. Shakespeare makes this a little more difficult. He doesn't come right out and say that Othello is jealous and upset with Desdemona, but uses a colorful metaphorical phrases or something to express it. This gives it more meaning in my opinion. But, I have never really enjoyed shakespeare. I do enjoy uncovering the meaning behind his words and I think it's interesting, but I am just not interested in his stories. I think it's because of the time frame his books come from. I'm not interested in reading about that far in the past. I enjoy books that I can relate to and take place in a time period that is closer to my generation.
Even though I probably wouldn't read a piece of work by Shakespeare on my own, I do believe that it's important to our english language. Shakespeare has probably used every type of literary devise out there. He doesn't protray his stories with everyday talk, which makes his work more genuine and unique. Also, anyone who can understand Shakespeare is smart, so Shakespeare is a genius. For some people it takes a while to get what he is saying, but for some people they just know. Eventually I would like to read a Shakespeare book and understand everything, but I could only accomplish this with help of other people, a dictionary, or the internet. There's not many people who can understand his stuff right away. You must read it and take it in and think about it.
Period 1
Replying to sarah and erica
I feel even though it is hard it should not be frowned apon. It makes it more of a challange and will most likely help you understand how our language is applied to certain things. Just because it is hard to understand right away doesnt make it dumb, "when the going gets tough the tough gets going."
Period 1
Reply to Will's reply
Im glad you see that Shakespeare is a master of harnessing and unleashing human emotion in his plays and novels Will. But I don't feel that Shakespeare, if alive today would make a TV show I feel that he would stick to writing and perfect his already perfected techniques of manipulation. I think that if Shakespeare were alive today he would be considered an outsider or cast-out for his weird antics or ways and his "not normal" writing. I feel that he would be kept out of the "normal" ring of the American dream.
Megan is right: interracial relationships are still fascinating entities to study. See the Sidney Poitier and Bernie Mac/Ashton Kutcher films. And some fathers in Brandon would/have disowned their daughters for dating black guys. And we think we live in post-racist society! Rubbish.
pd.1
reply to Will
Why do you call him beast? Is it because he is black?
I agree with Tanner and his thoughts on the language being called something totally different, Shakespearan, because that is what it is. I also agree with him on the story themselves are good and have major conflicts but I'm pretty sure i would miss half the things going on if Mr. C wasnt breaking it down and explaining it. Seeing it on screen does help in understanding it, but if we were studying this before the movie was made, I would be totally lost.
pd.7
Will... do you think this is actually helping you? Will you use this in your life?
Period 1
to Tina
I think the reason the main character dies in each play is because it adds to the drama and is way more interesting than the normal "happily ever after" ending.
Period 1
In response to Erica's comment
How is this movie that bad, i do not think a movie in school could be bad, and it goes along with the story. So why are u hating on it, if it gives you less work to do! It is not that bad.
Shakespeare, to me, is not great or terrible. He should be respected, like Kruger said, for his pioneering style, but I just can not seem to hold much interest in any of his plays or books. The language he uses makes it a little more difficult to read his material, but after a while you really begin to pick up on the language. I would not be surprised to see people three-hundred years from now puzzled at how writers and authors from our era wrote their best works. My question to anyone else would be do you think Shakespeare wrote with the style that he did just becuase that's how everyone (everyone that could write) wrote? Or, did he choose to write like that to be creative and different?
Pd.1
Kyera you are right. When reading Shakespeare it lets us look back to how things were in 1585. It is interesting to look back and see the issues of their day still trying to be resolved in today’s society.
Pd. 1
Shakespeare’s writings are not just telling the reader a story, its using the English language as an art form. He uses words in ways that make the language poetry while giving a plot, conflict, and characters. While his workers were written in the 1500’s we still read them in the 21st century. His usage of atypical words make the reader think and discuss what the author intended. Most of his readings can be taken in many different points of views that change the moral of the story. You can have a class room of 20 people and over just one paragraph you can find at least 12 different meanings. Shakespeare also uses humans as characters but makes them unintelligent as animals. He writes plays while he makes the people play their stupidity. He shows how the human race has flaws and vices and shows us how easily it is to manipulate us. While the reader reads a Shakespeare play, he/she may often feel frustrated in how a character or characters do not understand the plot. The ending is often so foreshadowed that the reader is almost screaming at the play while characters are getting closer to the end.
I agree with Brittany S. about how high kids need to read other works besides what is “cool” and fun to read. In order to understand how authors have grown and become who they are today, we need to under stand where they came from. Shakespeare is an awesome learning tool that teaches a student how to think while reading. In college and daily reading other authors make hundreds of references to a Shakespeare play.
I disagree with Baade on only one thing… he says that it needs to be rewritten in “modern text.” I think the value of the reading is actually reading the works in the way they were written. I think taking the text that he originally had would change the purpose of reading Shakespeare. I don’t personally always enjoy reading Shakespeare but it gives flavor to what I have read throughout high school.
i agree with Jordan's passage. im very much a visual person also and watching the movie definitely helps. i have a much tougher time reading the book because i dont see what the characters are actually doing, their facial expressions or how they are acting in any way.
I agree with Alex W's comment. I also think that his work is not important to the average high school student but reading a bood by Shakespeare really makes you think. The thought process is important and can only help you and make you smarter.
Why is Othello commonly viewed as better than Romeo and Juliet? Is it because you are now older, wiser, and more critically aware? Or is Othello simply a better story? There are similar plot twists and tragedies, but there are vastly different motifs and themes. Your opinions?
Perid 1
Yes I actually feel that concepts of it will be used. You can say that about anyting you do in life but it really is just a way for you of getting out of somehting that doenst come to you right away. sometimes you have to stick through things to see the brighter half
I agree with alex n. 's comment. I think Shakespeare is worth our time in class. . Maybe not something i would choose out of class? His stories are interesting and truly does pull our emotions out.
Pd. 1
I also agree with Tanner, I think we basically had the same point going. It's not that Shakespeare's stories are uninteresting, it's just the most people that i know would prefer not to read something so seemingly unnecessarily complex.
Period 1
Ya i agree with how Alex put it, i would not read this out of class, i might watch the movie though.
Nicole is right: "Shakespeare’s writings are not just telling the reader a story, its using the English language as an art form. He uses words in ways that make the language poetry while giving a plot, conflict, and characters."
DOES THE ARTISTIC NATURE/STYLE OF THE LANGUAGE HELP THE CHARACTERS BE MORE WICKED OR INTERESTING? HELP THE STORY BE MORE COMPELLING?
I think that Shakespeare is a genius in his writing because he evokes different emotions in the reader that they probably didn't even know they had. However, I wouldn't choose to read Shakespeare on my own because the language he uses is so hard for me to understand. I think it’s a good idea to read Shakespeare in class because it’s not what I would normally read. It’s good to be able to understand what he writes; I believe it makes you a better learner to be able to understand a different way of speaking. I agree with Jordan when she says that people lose attention easily when reading Shakespeare because his way of speaking is so hard to understand and keep up with. It is hard to get into a story if you have no idea what they are trying to say. I personally like to read stories and understand them myself; I don’t want to have to discuss it in class in order to get it. The movie helps a lot for me to understand it more, with the actions playing out before my eyes I can better understand what’s going on, although I still don’t understand the dialogue, the visual part really helps. I think so many people love Shakespeare because it is interesting and the language is very romantic and sophisticated. I think it’s more for adults or people with a better understanding of his type of language, I don’t know very many high school students that like Shakespeare because they don’t understand what he is trying to say. I hear so many people complaining about how stupid it is and cheesy it is. I would have to agree with them, I think that it is really hard to understand on your own. Some of the things he says are cheesy and the romance is exaggerated, people don’t really talk like that anymore.
Period 1
Reply to Erica
Yes Erica you will use this in you life whenever you feel jealousy or anger or envy of someone else. These are the oldest emotions of man and Shakespeare was the first to twist with them and actually get a reaction out of people because he was ahead of his time. If you dont read/understand this now you wont be prepared for abnormal things to come in your later years of life.....
period 1
in responce to Erica's comment
- these could be real scenerios if you would just think about it i mean its a differant dayin age yes but when understood can be translated into todays world as well just throw so cell phones and some text messaging into the mix with romeo and juliet and it makes sence. haha
You'd see the movie on your own, really? If so, then you're taking steps toward being "cultured" and maturely aware. Is there enough time in your life for Shakespeare, though? Might you attend the play if it returns to the Pavilion?
My answer to Adam D's comment is that Shakespeare did choose to write like this to be orginal and differenciate from other people's writing from that time. I'm not sure if that's how everyone spoke, but I've only seen Shakespeare's language used by Shakespeare himself. I'm sure there are other writers who have used something similar to his writing but Shakespeare is definitely the master of it and uses it best.
pd. 1
I agree with Mr C. too. People and students alike are poorly treated because of being different. I'm unique myself! I'm an anime fan and a video gamer! I even have a way different clothing line. So, don't be afraid of being yourself people! Being unique is soooo much fun and not having the stress of "fitting in" is better for the mind and body!
pd.1
I agree with Tanner that Shakespeare provides interesting conflicts for the thick of his writing. It is true that when people see a black man and a white woman together, people seem to gaze in that direction. It is becoming more common but still isn't 100% accepted. Shakespeare is a genius for this storyline and also quite bold for it. That's what makes his stories legendary and worth remembering. His topics are about things that matter. At that time the relationship status of white women and black men may have just been starting so Shakespeare is bold in writinig about it. A similar example of this is "Brokeback Mountain." Gays have become more common and gay marriage was being talked more often so this movie took a bold step and made this movie about two gays. This movie raised eyebrows too and was one of the most popular movies at the box office.
Pd. 1
In response to Mr. C's question about why Othello is more commonly viewed as better than Romeo and Juliet:
I think that most of us being more mature and critically aware has a lot to do with it, but Othello is also a little more compelling than R&J. The characters are more interesting and likeable in Othello, and the plot is filled with more tension and betrayal, making Othello much more interesting.
Period 1
i agree with Kyera N. your views on Shakespeare are similar to mine
pd.1
reply to erica's first comment
You should be happy to try a new type of language so stop complaining about it. If you don't know whats going on, go to school early and find out, instead of whining about it!!!!
pd.1
reply to erica's first comment
You should be happy to try a new type of language so stop complaining about it. If you don't know whats going on, go to school early and find out, instead of whining about it!!!!
My answer to Adam D's comment is that Shakespeare did choose to write like this to be original and differentiate from other people's writing from that time. I'm not sure if that's how everyone spoke, but I've only seen Shakespeare's language used by Shakespeare himself. I'm sure there are other writers who have used something similar to his writing but Shakespeare is definitely the master of it and uses it best
pd 1
i agree with megan and how Shakespeare does put in thick plot moving events that can draw people in and he is able to make everything that could go wrong, go wrong. He is not afraid to show what is really happening in society. Some of the same problems that were happening in their society way back then still are happening today which makes it a bit more intersting.
Does this film actually get you like The Notebook would or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button would or The Green Mile would or Field of Dreams would (you get my point: does Shakespeare affect you like current emotional films)?
pd.7
Jake will you read it to me then and explain it sense you know it so well
Period 1
adding to Jake
I agree Jake people should step out of their comfort zone to try new things and not complain about it because this is actually something that people should pay attention to and study like we are doing well put Jake!!
i also agree with alex w.
some of the things shakespeare writes about may be pretty far out there but in some ways it connects us to shakespeare's time. i think learning this different "language" is a good way to get our minds working.
pd.1
I would love to read and explain it to you.
period 1
You dont have to attack jake we are just having a frinedly feud you do not have to get personal towards jake we are just saying how this can be used in real life......
Period 1
In response to Jake about Ericas comment
I totally agree with Jake its not that bad to learn about. It is alright because we have a movie to show us if we missed it in the book and we also got Mr. C explaining it. You still dont understand it, then you need to go before school like jake said.
Will's view's are interesting. I agree with the genius vs. artist. i don't know what category i would put him in, maybe both? I disagree about will's views on him being gay or a "little boy lover"?? Being artistic doesn't make you homosexual but i can see how you would assume considering the characters shakespeare has created are a little indifferent about their sexuality.
Erica it's "since" not "sense".
pd 1st.
reply to Mr. C
I would say yes and no to reading stories because their famous. If a story is famous it's probably worth reading because many people enjoy it and the book must capture our emotions somehow that makes us like the books so much. Also, maybe stories are famous for being terrible or only being liked in a certain culture so maybe no all people would like it. I would say that stories that are most famous are the ones worth reading because they pull you in due to their plot or emotions.
pd. 1
I agree with Rachel S. Skakespeare choose himself to write in a different language! There are many languages out there to learn about! There is no limit to what we can learn!
Maybe reading the play, even a little bit or some on your own as review or reminders, should be eliminated? I mean, how much have we actually READ in class? 10 pages, maybe? Maybe we need to have a Shakespearean elective, a whole semester course? Or, devote a month or more to it? Been torn about decision of time for each "unit."
Pd. 1
I agree with Jesse, Shakespeare is a genius because he can skillfully and effortlessly evoke emotion from the reader. I think he does this by confronting issues that everyone has had to deal with (Jealousy, betrayal, and relationships). I agree that it is a good idea to read Shakespeare.
Period 1
reply to Megan
Was Shakespeare homosexual?
The only indication we have that Shakespeare might have been gay comes from the sonnets. In the early sonnets, Shakespeare writes about his great love, who happens
to be a young man. While many people assume this to mean that he had a male lover and thus was either gay or bisexual, there are others who still believe that his male friend was not his lover but someone who was simply very close to him emotionally. We will never know for certain because we have such little information about Shakespeare's personal life.
Personally, I would much rather teach a film criticism and history semester elective than a Shakespeare semester elective. For which one might we have more enrollees and interest? I'm not stupid and my students are not either, but film is more pertinent today and we could cover more that makes sense, couldn't we? Or would a film class be taking the easy way out? Are we, am I, becoming academically LAZY? THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOL IS TO MAKE PEOPLE CRITICALLY AWARE AND TO THINK CRITICALLY. MAYBE SHAKESPEARE DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH THIS PURPOSE?
P.3
I think that Shakespeare is very predictable which I find to be hard to continue reading. I think in some ways we should take out Shakespeare all together because I honestly don’t get what we are learning from it. But at the same time I can also appreciate that we should be reading it so that we have a greater knowledge of language.
pd. 3
Even though Shakespeare is very hard to understand and even hard to read i think it is important to read. I agree with Noah he said even though it can be tough to understand at times, I believe Shakespearian literature is good for high school students because it moves away from the norm of the English language, and variety is often very good. High school students need to get variety, different years of writing. If we read everything that happened during our years of life then we would have no clue on how history has changed writing. Also, I think having a movie show why we read helps to understanding the play. I think high school students need to read some Shakespeare in their career.
pd. 3
I believe that shakespeare is a very important part of our education. I dont really enjoy it at all and find it very hard to read but every now and then i come across something i understand and most of the time it still apllies to things that happen today. He is a masterful writer and seems to be a genius, but i think he goes overboard with some of the things he says. Some stuff can be interpretted in two completely different directions. I believe it will make me a better student and teach me to think deeper and more insightfully.
P3
Shakespeare does have value, but I think it should be challenged. People complacently accept it because it is so famous. The dissection of human nature can be presented in a way that doesn’t take so long to read. With 3000 new books being published each day why over analyze some and completely ignore others.
pd. 3
i think that shakespeare chanllenges the mind and really makes you think about what he's writing. In todays readings i believe that most people just kind of read the words and dont think about it. but with shakespeare you have to stop and think about what you've just read, and interpret the reading. so i dont think this is a total waste of time. reading his works makes us think more. and work harder for it. i also like watching the movie along with reading. it helps to hear it as well as read it.
Period 3
Shakespeare is a pure genius. He is profoundly above us all. He had to have done something right to be so honored as a writer. He took risks and went to places that no one had seen before. The language of his writing is beyond anything anyone has ever written and no one but himself will ever be able to understand it 100%. That is the beauty in his writing.
I think it would be completely stupid to not study some form of Shakespeare’s work during our high school and college years because it is out of our “norm.” There’s a reason why it bothers us and why people cower in fear at the thought of studying it. It brings us out of our comfort zone to make us think and do everything in our power to understand it.
P3
Shakespeare is to be seen not read.
3
A reason why Shakespeare has been taught through history is because his works were so intricate and timeless. True, the language has to be translated to present day, but what his stories are about are things that happen even today. Jealosy, love, prejudice, are natural parts of human beings and Shakespeare gets that.
Their seem to be allot of comments of Shakespeare's sexuality. Beyond how it influenced his work, I don't think it really matters. He is a man who lived and hundreds of years ago. No one today ever met him, so we don't really know. And even if he was gay he is still a legend.
p.3
I think that we should study Shakespeare and that it isn’t a waste of time because we can get valuable messages out of it. Like in “Othello”, Roderigo is depressed because he wants something that he doesn’t have. Instead he should be happy with what he has and rejoice in it. What was happening back in “Shakespeare time” is also happening in today’s world. Shakespeare knows and understands what drives people to act and feel how they do. And by reading his work, we can get valuable messages and advice out of it. He is, in a way, mocking us for what we desire by making Roderigo, or us, look like a coward.
Pd. 3
Personally, I enjoy reading Shakespeare. His words and vocabulary may be dificult at times, but it only helps our mind to grow and gives the readers a challenge. If our highschool offered a semester Shakespeare course, I would most definitely take that class. Even though most people don't speak as he did, people can still understand what he is trying to tell his readers. Shakespeare does a splendid job of expresses peoples feelings and also covers people's everyday challenges. Even though sometimes it can be very hard to understand exactly what Shakespeare is trying to express, his writings can still connect to people's emotions or their "troubled" times.
To Mr. C’s question I would rather take a semester of film criticism then an entire semester of Shakespeare, if I had to take the entire semester of Shakespeare it wouldn’t hold my attention the entire time. There is only so much Shakespeare one can take before it all seems to run together. I think that it is much easier to understand the play when we are watching the movie was well because I can not only see the and hear the words I can match up the actions to better understand what is going on during certain scenes.
reply to Airelle S.
i think it predictable because we've all heard of his plays and how most of them end. it because he is such and important writer that makes us learn about him, even before we've read about him.
I believe shakespeare is relevant because even though it is hundreds of years old, alot of what he talks about is still going on today, the only downside of studying his work is the wording that he uses. It is so outdated that alot of people have a tough time translating what he is trying to get across to the reader. All in all i think shakespeare is good, but not necesarily better than other things that are out there. I think that we should be tought more current books/stories that have the same concept and I think that people would be more understanding of what is being presented to them.
I think that all this Shakespeare is fun and its interesting trying to figure out the language he uses. What i don't get is why didn't he just write his plays in some form that we can understand it right away? I don't love Shakespeare but i do enjoy his work and those who think that Shakespeare is dumb or a waste is either an idiot or too lazy to read something constructive. I agree with Jessi and Alex that Shakespeare is a mastermind at emotions and he knows how people tick and what sets them off. I think Shakespeare knew what was going to happen in the future like how people would behave or stil behave so it would make him immortal in a sense. I would definitely take a semester class of Shakespeare or year long class especially if we can learn how to talk and write in his language.
3rd
I think that Shakespeare is relevant to learn because it teaches the same morales that are still around today. Shakespeare may be boring and hard to understand but it teaches us importants morales. I think shakespeare might be outdated so we should think about reading other books that teach the same morales. I don't believe shakespeare was a genious but he was a very talented writer.
pd. 3
Well Chad, I think the reason we annalyze Shakespeare so hard is because it influenced much of our modern day novels thats why its so famous. You also have to keep in mind that a lot of those 3000 books are crap.
i also agree with chad. shakespeare wrote plays!
p.3 btw
pd 3
I think Shakespeare is a wonderful artist and he has great story lines, but I just don't get the wording he uses. I'm glad movie producers have made movies that are similar to Shakespeare's plays that I can understand. Now they just need to rewrite his books to the modern age so more people would be eager to read them; we can make more sense of them. Shakespeare's plays involve drama, romance, and other emotions that make for the perfect action play/movie. This is why so many people appreciate his work. I don't despise Shakespeare, I just wish someone would rewrite his work so it can be more understandable. The only way his language can be relevant now is that it shows us how people talked back in the Victorian era. I don't like reading Othello and then having to take notes and discuss my thoughts on the subject because I don't have too much to analyze on Othello. Having to take 5 pages of notes on this in order to get an A is b.s.
P3
To everyone who claims Shakespeare to be a genius, I say that he is just a strange man. His peculiarity makes him seem brilliant, when in reality he just took common themes and worded them awkwardly to allow many interpretations.
3
Hey Chad what do you mean by challenge?
P.3
I totally agree with Jayme on how high school students need variety. It seems like every year in English class we relearn everything that we learned in the past English classes, and it gets really boring and anoying at times. So throwing something like Shakespeare in the norm may not be fun, but it is a lot better than grammar.
P. 3
I disagree with Chad; I don’t think that Shakespeare can truly be understood if it is just seen. To truly get the meaning of what Shakespeare writes you need to be able to read the scenes and put the written text and the seen play together. Then you could possibly fully understand Shakespeare.
Seth, i agree many new books are crap. But how are we to discover anything better than what we currently have unless we read new materials.
period 3
Even though Shakespeare was a very good writer at his time, I think he is outdated and overused in todays world. People these days don't understand half of the words he is saying, so they don't try to read it. Now that there are movies made from Shakespear's books it makes it easier for people to understand, and I think that is what classrooms are going to. I think as a society we are becoming lazier in our thinking and comprehending. When most high school kids think of Shakespear they are disappointed because they can't interpret most of the sentences in his books. If they made a Shakespear class a semester long, I think that not many people would take it because it gets boring after reading one book of his, but to have to read for a semester of Shakespear would draw people away from taking it.
3rd
I definitely agree with Chad and Cody. Shakespeare wrote plays which are meant to be seen, not read. Watching modern day movies of shakespeare is cool but not reading his books.
I don't think I am on either end of the spectrum on the issue of studying Shakespeare. I definitely do not enjoy trying to understand what every other sentence in his books are trying to say. I think it is like a first-year Spanish I student trying to read a fourth-year Spanish IV book. It is the same language, but really not at all. It uses maybe one word out of every five words the same as our language today. Therefore, my comparison relates perfectly to us reading Shakespeare, because a Spanish I student would know simple vocab words such as chair, desk, and hello, as do we know a few words Shakespeare uses, but you would not expect that same Spanish I student to be able to uderstand and comprehend what a whole Spanish IV story is saying when they only know one out of every five words. Having explained that, I don't think Shakespeare is entirely useless or dumb. I do think it is interesting that the same things such as adultry, lust, murder, love, and so many other issues can show up in Shakespeare's writing, and be so perfectly protrayed as they appear in our world today. I don't think his tragedies are necessarily useful in our lives or teach us useful lessons, but do our horror films of today teach us anything useful? Not really. But, it is interesting how you can feel for Shakespeare's vulnerable characters, just as you can feel for a girl that is about to make a wrong turn in a horror film. You want to yell out to the screen in both of these films and warn the character. It is amazing that Shakespeare could create these same feelings so many years ago, as do the filmmakers of today also create. Mainly, I think that Shakespeare is good to watch, in order to be exposed to his language and ideas, and it is good to study a couple of his works of art, but as for a whole semester of Shakespeare, I would never want to take that class.
I have to disagree with chad. I think Shakespeare needs to be read and seen. If we just watch the movie, then we are not reading and understanding how he writes (like with the words thou and arnt). There then would be no significance. How Shakespeare writes is how he is so significant and well known by all. But for anyone to understand Shakespeare a movie needs to be shown. Word use has changed so much over time that if a person is just to read the play and not watch a movie or research it at all, the chances of them knowing and understanding it is very little.
I agree with Noah Bohlmann. Although I did not have the opportunity to study in Nebraska, Shakespeare is worthy to study because of its relevance in today's world. The language used and the situational and dramatic ironies are very similar to current times. Sometimes the old school language is hard to understand, but it is thought provoking and educational. Shakespeares views on love, friendship and betrayal evoke passion in students and coerce them to learn. Shakespeare uses colorful language to depict stories that are dark and filled with backstabbing and dishonesty. I think this is a unique view on these tragedies that is worthy to be studied in the classroom.
BTW-- Bohlmann this is South Dakota not Nebraska...
I agree with Jayme and Noah that it is important for us to read because we need a challenge and Shakespeare definitely is one. It gives us something to actually work on and not just coast through the book. I know if i am struggling with something i work on it until i get it down and that is the same for this book.
Pd. 3
Shakespeare writes some amazing things. Some of it is hard to understand and read, but discussing helps a great deal. I like how we do read some of his work in school because not many teens have an interest in reading Shakespeare. Many of us lose the attention because of the way he speaks. I agree with Jesse W, if it hard to get into something when you don't understand a word they are saying. It loses your attention immediatly. I like the fact that we do discuss it in class to better understand what is going on. To answer Mr. C's question at the beginning of class, I don't think I would take a semester course of Shakespeare. Just because when I read it I get lost and don't understand it.
p.3
I don't think we can say that Shakespeare is a genius or a strange man because we didn't even know the man and his personality. All we do is just read his work and you can't really make a conclusion that he is genius or weird by that.
Don't confuse "morale" with "moral." "Morale" = attitude, motivation, internal feeling (as in the soldier's morale was high after the rousing speech). "Moral" = just, right, correct; ethically-minded.
Five pages of notes is b.s.? Doesn't taking notes show a motivation and a willingness? Don't notes help you study for the test? Research has shown that note taking in columns is among the best teaching/learning strategies.
Instead of Shakespeare, we should be analyzing something modern, like film history and criticism or analyze pop culture (One Tree Hill)! Kids will want to learn more if they are actually interested in the subject they are learning, hence give up Shakespeare and start reading and analyzing something new!
3rd
I agree with Ariele. Shakespeare is so predictable that it gets boring after the first few words. We all know that there will be tragedy due to death in the end of all of them.
pd. 3
I agree to Megan T. Even though his words are hard to interpret, his work also has some sort of plot that includes love and conspiracy. In my opinion, his work challenges our minds and helps us become better highschool students.
i think that shakespeare is a waste of time. the language is way too confusing and no one ever talks like that in today's world. I feel like I can learn more from watching the film in class instead of reading the book. When you watch the film you are still getting most of the main points but it is way easier to understand. I do not think that the language is really revelant at all. I think we should spend some time on the language but not really that much time because it is way to hard to interpret while your reading if you have other things you do, people are busy with other stuff and cant take all of their free time reading his writing and trying to figure out what the word combinations mean. i think that people like him because he is different and i think that his style is so different from anyone elses that some people just can't get enough of it because they are tired of hearing and reading the same old similiar syles.
But Shakespeare uses language ingeniously, doesn't he?
I agree with arielle on how I'd rather take a semester of film history than to study Shakespeare. A semester of Shakespere would be brutal. My attention would be out the door, which is why I think that Shakespeare is good in the sense of the way his writing makes you think, but I believe Shakespeare is only good in small doses.
P. 3
I think Shakespeare was a genius for his time. He was an author who knew how to use works artistically. I have enjoyed reading the each of the plays I have read of his, but I also may have enjoyed them because of my teachers. I really have no opinion on if you should love or hate his works. I believe everyone should have their own opinions.
In response to Kelli Hoff: “It helps to go through it as a class also and to help understand it better and in different ways that other interpreted it as.” I also believe it is easier to go through Shakespeare’s plays as a class, it helps you think about things that you might not have thought of otherwise.
In response to Alex N: “If book publicaters made translated books to English which we speak now it would be a lot easier to learn the material.” I agree with this statement, yet I also disagree with this statement. I agree it would be a lot easier to learn the material, but we would also lose the art that Shakespeare put effort into making. The beauty of Shakespeare is the artistically worded phrases. Without the crazy hard language of Shakespeare, would it really still be this famous this many years later?
I kinda disagree with Mallory's statement, because in Shakespeare's tragedies not many 'good' messages are ever portrayed. Usually the villian/mastermind always lives, and the characters that were trying to do good and follow thier hearts truthfully, always die. I think his tragedies are filled with backstabbing, killing, mistrust, and dishonest, and they always lead to the downfall of the honest characters.
Britt--are you admitting idiocy then? (If you cannot get into Shakespeare?)
period 3
I agree with Will in that Shakespear is just another writer, but used our English language different. I don't think he was trying to be different than any other writer, but he just was because the language was different at his time.
Paul, when I say challenge, I mean that just because it is taught now and considered relevant doesnt mean it will continue to be worth teaching to every American student
we need to re-think its value compared to other books
I agree with Stephanie. We shoud analize modern films. Because that would actually be fun and benifical.
I think Tanner is right because to fully understand it you must go over it many times to truly get the meaning of the text and i disagree with Will because he wasnt trying to make it latin he was just writing the way that they wrote hundreds of years ago
I think studying Othello is a good experience for us as seniors. Studying Shakespeare is not easy so reading works like Romeo and Juliet, and Othello helps us think outside our box and study a little more complicated English. In Romeo and Juliet we learn how passion can overpower morals, but consequences may come with it. And in Othello we learn how cunning and sneaky one man can be and how one man can ruin everybody else’s lives. I do not think there should be a separate semester class that teaches Shakespeare only because I do not think that many students would take the class to learn and if it was a required course to graduate then most would only take it to graduate. I like studying Shakespeare but I could not handle an entire semester or year of it constantly. That is why I like maybe reading one novel/play a year from Shakespeare. If we did not have any Shakespeare in the curriculum at all then I do not believe we would learn a whole lot about the past. Works like Othello and Romeo and Juliet are referred to constantly, so if we never read either of them how would we know what people are talking about? I do like Shakespeare but I do not like Shakespeare overload!
Response to Jordan P.
I could not agree more when Jordan says that sometimes reading Shakespeare sound like blah blah blah. But, when you watch the movie you know the emotions that are supposed to be in play and even if you still don’t understand all of the words in the movie you get the general idea about what is going on. Movies Help!
Response to Tina L.
I don’t think I can agree when Tina says that Shakespeare is a genius. Yes, he is smart but he made his readings way too confusing. He took a bunch of random words threw them together and said they mean this. Its almost like he wrote a whole different language.
Per 3
I can not speak for the great people of Nebraska, but I think we humble South Dakotans can say even though Shakespeare is a some what abstact language and it takes some critical thinking to completely understand and interpret the dialog. I have to disagree with Noah when he says the language influences the plot. The plot has nothing to do with the style of Shakespeare. If Juliet were to say "Why are you Romeo" instead of "wherefor art thou Romeo" it would not have change the plot any. It would only take away from the beauty that is Shakespeare.
I think Shakespeare writes some really good novels in a way that makes sense if you interpret it to present day language. While watching Othello I try to think of what could also be being said but if a different way. To write in such a way could be difficult and for me i know if would take a great deal of time. I think people that don't like his work are just having a hard time understanding. I actually don't mind it. And I think in some of his situations in his writings, some of us can actually relate to if you understand what is being said. I think watching a movie along with the dialoge helps a lot. Yes, it can be a challange trying to watch the movie while interpretting, but it's better to understand than to be totally lost and when it comes to testing time it will be much easier. I think it's great that we have to learn about Shakepeare in high school. I think it's something that will be good for us and we'll appreciate it someday. It will have taught us how Shakespeare had his characters speak that it was almost amazing how one could speak like that. To me the way he has his characters sound, sounds proper.
P.3
I have a hard time understanding Shakespeare on my own, but when it is translated for me it is easier to comprehend. I believe that Shakespeare should be taught in school because it is a way for us to learn how writing used to be and to understand different styles. It takes patience but once understood, his stories are entertaining and deep. I think that is writing has to be split into sections and could not be a whole class. It is easier to enjoy it when you don't have to study it for a long period of time. Almost every subject gets tiring when you have to study it for an extended period of time because you get tired of it. When split into sections it is easier to get into a story because it mixes up different learning experiences.
I agree with Kelli H, when she says that it helps to go through his work in class. It puts different perspectives into your mind and helps you pick how you want to view his work. It is nice to be able to talk through the story to help you grasp Shakespeare’s knowledge and his view on people.
I agree with Jordan P, when she says that it helps to watch the movie. When watching the movie it easier to see what is going on in the story. When I can put a picture with the words on the page, it helps me to relate to the story better.
Just a thought.. but what if what people see as Shakespeare's undoubtable genius is actually his massive stupidity?
3
I think Tracy is right, Shakespeare is English but not really. It has its ups and downs and shouldn't be worshiped as the god of poetry or be called s**t because its hard to understand.
Some would see an analysis of "One Tree Hill" as sophomoric, pathetic, foolish, lazy, and other negative adjectives. And wouldn't analyzing a great television show ruin its entertainment value? Would't it ruin the "guilty pleasure" aspect of the show?
(However, I am positive that at least one college course, at various universities, is based on shows like "One Tree Hill.")
pd. 3
I agree and disagree with Stephanie. I think we should keep reading and analyzing Shakespeare, but not drop it all together. But also, I agree that we should also start to analyze subjects that we can relate to and that are in our era. I think it would help get kids more interested and participate more in their highschool career.
five pages of notes seems excessive. When requiring a certain amount, I along with other students just water down the notes and the gain no additional value.
Reply to Mr. C:
yes they do help study for the test and I agree with taking notes on what happens during the play, but the notes on our predictions and analyzing is b.s., you know I analyze many things now that we did that article analysis, but I was actually interested in that. Shakespeare does not interest me so I don't have many thoughts on it to take notes with, filling up 5 pages with notes I don't care about will indeed prepare me for the test, but I'm busy and don't have that much time to take notes.
I agree. its easier to analize films than books
P.3
Shakespeare is a two-way street. It seems that you either love it of hate it. I am not a big fan of Shakespeare, but the more I read Othello the more I understand it. I think if there was a semester class just on Shakespeare not many people would take that class. Though, I do believe that the more you studied and read Shakespeare's work the easier it would be to understand his unique form of writting. A semester long class on Shakespeare would seem to get a little over the top. I do not like English enough to go that in-depth into not of my liking.
thank you chad!!!! agreed
Thanh.. Where did the "I can not speak for the great people of Nebraska" come from? lol what does that have to do with anything?
Pd. 3
Pd. 3
I do not hate Shakespeare’s work but I also do not love it. His work is interesting and intriguing. However, his language is hard to understand today because we don’t talk like that anymore. I think it is a good thing to study Shakespeare. The novels such as Romeo and Juliet and Othello are well known, and it is important that we keep learning about it in school. Although reading his language is challenging it helps us read and think better and also teaches us about history.
I agree with Megan T. Shakespeare’s work is hard at comprehending, but I think watching the movie also helps with the understanding process. I also agree that we can relate with Shakespeare’s stories.
Sara B. says that she wouldn’t understand the story well if Mr. C. didn’t break it down and explain it to us. I agree that when we talk about the story and watch the movie things come together and make sense.
I disagree with Steph, I feel Todays modern films have lost all artistic value, and sometimes the only good movies are the one based on novels that are successful.
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Well Tracy I'm not talking about the messages of how the bad guys always win. I think Shadespeare put that in there for entertainment more than anything. The messages that he wants us to get out of it is how we waste so much time worrying about things that we have no control over or desiring things that we can't have. You really have to get into the reading to find those messages. You don't really have to read the story to see that the bad guy usually wins.
Chads right...he's always right
well THANH C. i do agree with steph
Not "novels," these are plays. Novels are works of prose fiction.
no DEREK shakespeare is a 3 way street
I agree/disagree with Sara's comment. I do agree that it seems useless and annoying to translate a pretty much completely different language just to read a story. But, I also don't think the story would be the same without the language. For example, when Romeo and Juliet was modernized in the new movie of Romeo and Juliet, they could not keep the same Shakespearean language, because it would not have fit the movie. They had to change the 'setting' and 'feel' of the movie in order to change the language so we could understand it. Therefore, if we were to change the language of Shakespeare the whole feeling and meaning of the story would be changed. It would be modernized, and sometimes modernization can get old and annoying.
I have to disagree with stephanie. I dont think we should get rid of Shakespear because everything would be modern day. We NEED to have history. If we keep deleting the old great works then what will be the next history? I think all history needs to be kept. I never think old history should be deleted. Studying modern day things though too need to be studied. After both have been studied we can compare modern day to history.
Nevermind Thanh I get it, but why pick on Noah?
I agree with Casey about how his readings challenges our mind. It's great. It makes us think almost a little differently about situations.
period 3
I agree with Tanner's comment in that people do make a bigger deal about Shakespear then he really is. He did have interesting stories, and if someone interpreted his books into modern day English I think a lot more people would read them and find them more interesting. He has some interesting twists that some people don't catch while reading because they don't understand the words he is using.
reply to jayme:
yes and we study a large amount of history already, so we should trash some of it (shakespeare), and keep learning of other great historical works.
Its easier to understand and take tests if the notes are completely are own. The structure and the content in them. I dislike column notes and i really dont think that we need to write down questions for ourselves when for some of us its so much easier to understand when we just write down whats going on.
we pick on Noah because he is WRONG and he deserves to know it
Why do "experts" say that Shakespeare is beneficial? These researchers, scholars, professors, academics surely know more than we do. Mustn't we agree with them?
Yes shakespeare mind challenges us, but so does every other piece of work we read... it's how you interpret and read things
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I think we are becoming academically lazy in a way because we are taking school for granted. Also since we are seniors, we don't really care anymore to an extent. Our minds are concentrating on college or whatever right now so we really aren't putting our full effort in it. I think once we get to college and know that we are paying for schooling, we won't take it for granted, thus won't be as lazy anymore.
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To the 5 pages of notes, I don't think it should be that standardized. I know some people who would never take a single note and get an A, while if another takes 8 pages and then must study them all for an hour to get the same grade. The whole point of notes is to help us learn more but you can't tell us that how we learn is a letter grade.
stephanie: We study history in all classes so we need to study it in english. If you think we should get rid of shakespeare lets get rid of the holocast and all the world wars. If we are going to forget about Shakespeare why not forget it all. Shakespeare can not be given up
Reply to Mr. C
According to dictionary.com idoicy is "the state of being an idiot" and an idoit is "A foolish or stupid person" . I am not admitting idiocy because I do not understand Shakespeare. I do not feel like an idiot for not understanding his language. His stories and styles of writing don't interest me and im not ashamed of that. Some people who are in to Shakespeare are not in to the same things that i'm into so i don't think they are idiots because of that. I feel like i'm not alone when I say that it doesn't interest me that much or that I can't fully comprehend his writing.
I agree with Tanner agreeing with Alex. It's not good to disagree with A-Nach. His biceps will tear you to pieces. I agree with Alex too and not just out of fear. Some stories are famous but outdated and not relevant. Although, the stories are famous for a reason. Most of these historic novels are worth our time and effort because of their importance in effecting past and present cultures.
RE: MR. C
We should never agree with something just due to the fact someone else does, no matter there status. We should judge for ourselves the benefits of everything we do or learn.
pd. 3
If we keep trashing some material, are we going to trash all the materials that actuallly challenge our minds? Or eventually, is all the material going to be gone, so we can't study or analyze any piece of literature?
Mr. C... experts say Shakespeare is beneficial because many people are afraid of challenging the status quo. Maybe the plays are beneficial to the professors but not to the common man.
Jayme: completely agree. Stephanie:pwned!
I think we all could relate better to modern day material better than history itself. So many things were different during that time. But I wouldn't want to stop studying history. It would just be weird. Our grandparents went through a lot and know a lot. And I think knowing a bit of history helps our intelligence.
Common men do not experience complex emotions? Common men are incapable of learning bigger words that mean more and mean "better" than other words?
period 3
I agree with Chase because Shakespear does have twisting plots that throw the story into a loop. He was a very good writer, but the fact that some people can't understand what he's saying might lessen him as a writer.
Tracy has a great point about Shakespeare and we do know some shakespeare words but not all as a Spanish 1 student would know a few words but not all like a Spanish 4 student would. That is why i think Shakespeare is good in small doses and not good if it werer to be a year long class.
I agree with Jayme. Who are we to say what should be kept and what should be burned and lost like the Library of Alexandria. But then who is to say what we learn is necessary? Or is everything a necessity?
jayme:
yes but some history needs to go, if we keep studying the same history it just gets older and older. Shakespeare was history 20 years ago, the holocaust is still history and we can learn from that and all the other world wars so fighting like that and tragedies don't happen again; shakespeare is is the soap opera of the victorian era!
Jayme, if Shakespeare never exsited I dont think the world would be drastically different.
To much value is atributed to fictional stories.
Illiterate people in 3rd world countries do not know about Shakespeare's tragic plays but they do know about real tragedies in history.
Let's just study only that which is fun, shall we? Then we'd have to cut Trigonometry, Calculus, Anatomy--what else? Syntax, somebody will say.
I wouldn't mind cutting Calculus.
Jayme's statement about comparing getting rid of Shakespeare to gettting rid of the Holocaust is completely absurd. We definitely don't study history in all of our classes so we don't need to study history in all of our classes. We study history to prevent the same tragedies from happening again, and from that point of view the only point in studying Shakespeare is to prevent the same confusing style of writing from happening again
Oh wait, I did.
I also agree with Jayme. History is of great importance because if it is not studied it is doomed to be repeated. History should be studied in all classes for this reason, but if one thing is cut becuase of its historical value then it all falls apart. Shakespeare is just as important as the study of these memorable historical events.
If we only study what is fun, where is the challenge? If that happened, would America just grow to become stupid?
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I totally agree with Casey Strand!!
cody is gonna get kicked in the butt
P.3
Jayme we study those topics in history because they involve the lives of others. If Shakespeare killed mass amounts of people and wrote about them it would then be history.
Reply to Steph. B.
Yes students may pay more attention and learn more if they are studying something they are interested in but its just like trying a food for the first time is may have a nasty name and look nasty but taste amazing! The word Shakespeare may sound boring but how will students really know until they actually try. I think you will find that even though most are not overly excited about learning Shakespeare they will tolerate in small protions.
Casey, America is growing stupid
casey:
we would not become stupid... challenging ourselves with fun things!!! duh
I think that history needs to be studied because it is what actually happened, but I don't really consider Shakespeare history. It was just a brilliant writer from the Elizabethan making up his own stories, or writing other people's. I think his language can teach us things, and therefore maybe we should study it, but as for the actual stories he writes, I don't see a huge educational value in them.
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