Shakespeare Blog Post #3

Why do students hate studying Shakespeare?

Well, in the first place I do not know many students that enjoy studying in the first place. But other than that there are some comments on the twitter chat I do agree with. I think that Shakespeare is hard in general because of his complex ways of saying what should be a simple line/message. The understanding of “doth” and “thou” is very hard to grasp and can be misunderstood which leads to an incorrect understanding of the play. Therefore I agree with the comment that says “because it is Shakespearean English!” If there were a set of rules or list of what every odd word meant, we could easily understand the plays (No Fear Shakespeare).

Understanding Shakespeare is difficult, yes, but there are so many resources out on the web today that it is almost harder to not understand it. Especially after researching Richard III on my own, I have found so many resources that help me to understand every little detail.

I do not agree with the comment “Shakespeare is difficult do to the fact that language is evolving everyday, whether it is beneficial or not, it is always changing”. First of all it is *due* to the fact. But I do not agree with that because no matter how we talk, Shakespeare’s language does not change. Therefore it will always be difficult to study. I believe that because our language is changing every day it will give us a greater understanding and appreciation for Shakespeare’s work.

“Different settings have different social standards. Dependent on the location and timeframe; royalty, crime, and justice change” … I think that is a great way to answer the question of what is the issue with Shakespeare’s plays being put in different settings. The setting of any play or movie, even nowadays, will dictate what is acceptable and what is considered wrong. For example, a movie like “American Gangster” compared to one of Shakespeare's plays. Both have crime, sex and drugs but the way in which they are used or who they are used by are influenced by the setting. In Shakespeare’s plays it seems like only royalty is committing crimes whereas in today’s settings, it is the lower levels of society that are the one’s doing the crimes.

How do I overcome barriers?

I overcome studying something I already do not like by forcing myself to do it, obviously. But I have found it is easier to study these types of things like Shakespeare and tough math units in groups with fellow students. I think that being able to talk aloud with other people when not understanding something goes a long way. And the fact that you can speak your mind right when you have a problem instead of waiting for a text message back is huge. I think that a student can overcome a barrier in their own education by looking at the big picture. When I had troubles with courses or units I hated, I would remind myself that I am only here for a little longer than I’ll (hopefully) be off to bigger and better things. Once again, by working in a group and having feedback by peers is huge. Just make sure the people who you surround yourself with work well.