Is Shakespeare not taught in DCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's definitely cringeworthy material within Shakespeare. It does include colonialism, slavery, racism, monarchy, murder, betrayal, suicide, elder abuse, war crimes, witches and monsters. I mean, not thinking too hard here, those are things you want to not just casually jump into with kids. Also, love, fairies, twins, and mistaken identities, but yeah, get kids ready for what they're gonna read.

It's great literature. It's also hard for most people to understand even if philologists and historians group it with modern English. I frankly think most English majors struggle with grasping every word, so people with a vocabulary mismatch - not scaffolded up to it or coming from another language background - are going to seriously struggle.

Shakespeare is also not the only way to teach concepts of drama. The "canon" is bigger than one playwright or time period; Americans have been writing plays for 300 years. If there are easier alternatives, they are not wrong for the context.

But who knows. Double, double toil and trouble; comments burn and trolls bubble.

Shakespeare is not cringeworthy material but your sophomoric analysis is, and it belongs to a fraternity keg party. There were so many good comments on the thread about why to read Shakespeare, you completely missed them. As it was mentioned, it is about the core of the English vocabulary, the command and use of the language and character development, it's about the outsized influence he had on later literary work. Hard or easy to read, it doesn't matter, English literature class is not for Harry Potter or Wimpy Kid. If you think Shakespare is about the items you just enumerated... facepalm!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I don’t use the word ‘ya’ll’ it’s interesting you think that there can’t be other people who think this thread is ridiculous.

Why do you keep bringing up Black students? *shrugs*

It is ridiculous but not for the reasons you think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's definitely cringeworthy material within Shakespeare. It does include colonialism, slavery, racism, monarchy, murder, betrayal, suicide, elder abuse, war crimes, witches and monsters. I mean, not thinking too hard here, those are things you want to not just casually jump into with kids. Also, love, fairies, twins, and mistaken identities, but yeah, get kids ready for what they're gonna read.

It's great literature. It's also hard for most people to understand even if philologists and historians group it with modern English. I frankly think most English majors struggle with grasping every word, so people with a vocabulary mismatch - not scaffolded up to it or coming from another language background - are going to seriously struggle.

Shakespeare is also not the only way to teach concepts of drama. The "canon" is bigger than one playwright or time period; Americans have been writing plays for 300 years. If there are easier alternatives, they are not wrong for the context.

But who knows. Double, double toil and trouble; comments burn and trolls bubble.

Shakespeare is not cringeworthy material but your sophomoric analysis is, and it belongs to a fraternity keg party. There were so many good comments on the thread about why to read Shakespeare, you completely missed them. As it was mentioned, it is about the core of the English vocabulary, the command and use of the language and character development, it's about the outsized influence he had on later literary work. Hard or easy to read, it doesn't matter, English literature class is not for Harry Potter or Wimpy Kid. If you think Shakespare is about the items you just enumerated... facepalm!

Shakespeare is about the things I talked about above. And there are other things to teach. Shakespeare is GREAT. I love it. But it’s also all of the above. Macbeth, Richard III, Lear, Coriolanus, Henry IV, Romeo and Juliet? I mean- there are heavy themes. Get kids ready for them. Also we have centuries of additional literature and drama! This is not a holy book of a religion! This is one thread in a huge tapestry!

[Anonymous]

Harold Bloom made the best commentary for studying Shakespeare. RIP.

https://youtu.be/s2HpDhTIIxs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why Shakespeare? Why not Chaucer?
I’m also wondering how many of the vigorous supporters of reading Shakespeare have read any of his works beyond some academic requirement, or have even gone to plays. Is this an ongoing interest with ongoing support? Any Folger fans?

I have read everything he wrote. I reread plays during the summers. In my years as an English teacher at a UK boarding school, I have taken many classes to the Globe to see live performances, and I often attend these just with friends. I have been so grateful to engage with a programme via the educational team at the Globe, which sends their team to schools to lead workshops in acting Shakespeare with students. Every year I direct a play at my school. And I have a Ph d. in English Literature.

What are your credentials?

Yale undergrad and a PhD in a social science — which is more than enough education to ask a very simple question about why some people are championing a particular recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why Shakespeare? Why not Chaucer?
I’m also wondering how many of the vigorous supporters of reading Shakespeare have read any of his works beyond some academic requirement, or have even gone to plays. Is this an ongoing interest with ongoing support? Any Folger fans?

I have read everything he wrote. I reread plays during the summers. In my years as an English teacher at a UK boarding school, I have taken many classes to the Globe to see live performances, and I often attend these just with friends. I have been so grateful to engage with a programme via the educational team at the Globe, which sends their team to schools to lead workshops in acting Shakespeare with students. Every year I direct a play at my school. And I have a Ph d. in English Literature.

What are your credentials?

Yale undergrad and a PhD in a social science — which is more than enough education to ask a very simple question about why some people are championing a particular recommendation.

I don't need a PhD to understand that teaching Shakespeare is racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's probably fine if they no longer teach Shakespeare. People have valid feelings around not wanting to glorify colonial oppression and i don't see the relevance to my personal life.

What connection does Shakespeare have to colonialism? He lived in a time where the only people the English were oppressing where other white people in Wales and Ireland. His writing has nothing to do with colonialism. He's not Kipling.

And only wanting to read writings that have relevance to your personal life is pretty much the definition of a provincial mind.

So you clearly haven't read much Shakespeare, or you would know that plays exploring this theme, like Othello, feature non-English characters living...not in England. Idiot.

Was this directed at the first or second comment?

Anyway, Othello has nothing to do with colonialism.

Okay, that's not totally true. The backdrop of the conflict between Venice and The Ottoman Empire deals with European resistance to Non-European colonialism. Of course, I don't expect the tragically woke to know about that bit of history, since it really messes up their narrative when it comes to things like colonialism and slavery.

The woke pick from the history only what fits their creed. In that view colonialism and slavery are exclusive to white people, throughout the entire human history. Ancient Greek culture is white, Cleopatra was black, race based slavery never existed within the Golden Horde, the Spanish were always invaders.

Oh snort. Everyone on whatever side they pick from history only what fits their creed. Prove me wrong.

[Anonymous]

They read The Odyssey and Beowulf. I prefer those over Shakespeare. Plus Shakespeare should be read in class as a play. It sucks having it assigned and reading as a book. We read MacBeth, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet in HS. Too much in my opinion!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They read The Odyssey and Beowulf. I prefer those over Shakespeare. Plus Shakespeare should be read in class as a play. It sucks having it assigned and reading as a book. We read MacBeth, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet in HS. Too much in my opinion!

No they don't. The Odyssey and Beowulf are not part of the DCPS ELA curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They read The Odyssey and Beowulf. I prefer those over Shakespeare. Plus Shakespeare should be read in class as a play. It sucks having it assigned and reading as a book. We read MacBeth, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet in HS. Too much in my opinion!

We also read Chaucer and the Metamorphosis (by Ovid).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They read The Odyssey and Beowulf. I prefer those over Shakespeare. Plus Shakespeare should be read in class as a play. It sucks having it assigned and reading as a book. We read MacBeth, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet in HS. Too much in my opinion!

No they don't. The Odyssey and Beowulf are not part of the DCPS ELA curriculum.

They read Beowulf at Deal. Odyssey at Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They read The Odyssey and Beowulf. I prefer those over Shakespeare. Plus Shakespeare should be read in class as a play. It sucks having it assigned and reading as a book. We read MacBeth, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet in HS. Too much in my opinion!

No they don't. The Odyssey and Beowulf are not part of the DCPS ELA curriculum.

They read Beowulf at Deal. Odyssey at Banneker.

Or at least my kids did. And yes, they read the WHOLE book.

[Anonymous]

Ha, you’ve heard about the excerpts only approach, then!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha, you’ve heard about the excerpts only approach, then!

I think teachers ASSIGN whole books and kids CHOOSE excerpts. I was a kid once!

[Anonymous]

Dude you all of the Metamorphoses?