High school is riddled with Shakespeare writings and readings, as are most educations in the United States. But this Shakespearean reading is not the easiest to interpret as a high-schooler. It may be hard to interpret this writing, but its important to learn the values that Shakespeare has to offer, and different ways in which we might go about reading them.
As a high-schooler, you will come across many different reading levels; some people have meditated on Shakespeare as if it was their Bible. Others have grown up with parents that have educated them in the world of English and theater, helping students to better understand Shakespeare’s word choice. And finally, there are those who may have personal epiphanies while reading through Shakespeare that change the way that one views the world around them. Epiphanies can motivate someone to continue reading Shakespeare’s works in search of deeper meanings.
The impact of Shakespeare is his ability to reach such a grand span of audience, from those who were completely absolved by his writing and ate up every word, to those who were illiterate. His plays were watched, his poetry was listened to, and the acting was enjoyed. Shakespeare welcomed all people to enter a collective dream of beliefs about a new world. The imagination and fiction within Shakespeare was fruitful in itself for the encouragement of looking outside of the world directly in front of us.
The reason that so many people were denied the right to read in the past is because of new conflicting ideas that could be formed and the new realities that were presented. However, these new creativities have lead to bigger and better ideas and advanced our world to where we are today.
Based on the article by Frank Breslin for the Huffington Post.
--Jessalyn Kieta
