“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” The plays of William Shakespeare are a key part of many people’s literary education, with all five of the GCSE exam boards based in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (AQA, Edexcel, WJEC, OCR and CCEA) allocating 20-25% of their English literature qualifications to the Bard’s works. However, in 2023, is there still a need to study these strange tales whilst trying not to trip over our tongues?
A 2016 survey by TES Magazine found that 56% of teachers thought their students found it difficult to relate to Shakespeare’s work, 55% found their pupils uninspired and most saying the Elizabethan language was the most off-putting aspect. Shakespeare’s works are famous for being written in iambic pentameter, a line of verse which flows well only if the correct syllables in each line are stressed or unstressed. As such, his plays cannot be read easily as you would read a book, with the regular rhythm being essential to get into the flow of the work.
It’s not only the syllables that seem to be stressed. Many students find the unusual texts and several complex characters confusing when they face them on a page. This has led to many disliking not only Shakespearean literature, but the entire subject of English. Between 2012 and 2019, NATE found that enrolment in A-Levels in English literature, English language & both fell by 23%, 43% and 54% respectively, with much of the blame being levelled at content delivery at GCSE level. Shakespeare, like many cultural works, need to be explored by each person individually in order to be loved. Making students sit through hours of repetition and quote-learning has proven to relegate Shakespeare to just another book for the exam.
However, the appeal of Shakespeare’s stories clearly isn’t lost on the younger generations, with many of his storylines still drawing appeal in one way or another. His stories have been retold, reimagined, and rethought throughout the years, bringing audiences closer to the literary genius, sometimes without even knowing it! In 2020, the West End production of & Juliet was nominated for a record-breaking 13 WhatsOnStage Awards & 9 Olivier Awards, winning 6 & 3 respectively, and finished its run at the Shaftesbury theatre in March. The jukebox musical reimagined and retold the famous story of Romeo & Juliet to the sounds of the Backstreet Boys & Britney Spears, asking what would have happened if Juliet had simply moved on after Romeo’s ‘death’. Other famous retellings of Shakespeare’s works include Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999, based on The Taming of the Shrew) and even Disney’s The Lion King (1994, based on Hamlet).
There is also the issue of traditionalism and history. Shakespeare is a British cultural icon and in 2002 came 5th in a poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, conducted by a television show of the same name. Shakespeare is a sign of British tradition, with students studying his works over 400 years after his death and many teachers still enjoying teaching his works. The characters and storylines are powerful and still resonate with many people today, as well as inspiring many other works by other authors, which is key to literary history and therefore important for students to be aware of.
Shakespeare’s works are also quite remarkable for some of the themes explored within his plays, particularly his commentary and depiction of mental illness. From King Lear’s madness, Macbeth’s visions and Jaques’ melancholy, Shakespeare was commonly noted to explore themes that other authors and playwrights of the 16th and 17th centuries didn’t. Many of his plays feature cross-dressing characters, commonly as men dressed as women. But in four cases in Shakespeare’s comedies (Julia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Viola in Twelfth Night and Rosalind in As You Like It), crossdressing makes the character’s gender identity ambiguous and has been noted to help in the deconstruction of gender stereotypes both within the plays and wider world and as such, are just as important now as they have ever been.
I believe Shakespeare’s plays are a critical piece of English literary history and a key part of British culture, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that students aren’t as engaged with Shakespeare as they once were. With adaptation and reimagining, the tales may still interest younger audiences, but in their current form are destined to remain the part of the exam that everyone hates!
World Shakespeare Day is celebrated every year on the 23rd April.