It is no secret that many students dread assigned readings. Most of the time, the content they’re forced to read is outdated, confusing, or just boring. This is usually the general consensus for William Shakespeare’s works, which nearly every student in America has at least heard of even if they’ve never read his plays.
His 16th-century writings are hard to translate, and the tragic nature of each story makes it near impossible for teenagers to relate.
Despite my love for the English subject, I was also one of those students who hated Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet was a ridiculous, confusing story in my naive, fifteen-year-old eyes. Not only was the language difficult, but the content was also silly.
It’s safe to say that Shakespeare didn’t make a very good first impression.
It wasn’t until three years later that my opinion of the playwright changed. In January of my senior year, I found myself in a used book store with some friends.
While searching for my preferred genres, poetry and horror, I stumbled across the Shakespeare section. I was about to move on to the next section when something caught my attention. A thin, yellow-paged copy of Julius Caesar, with a bloody dagger as the cover.
I’m still not sure why, but I put the book in my shopping basket. Perhaps I wanted to satisfy an underlying need to be a pretentious know-it-all, or maybe the cover just looked cool.
I started carrying the pocket-sized book with me around school. Whenever I had free time, I would read a few pages to keep myself busy.
Much to my surprise, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar wasn’t bad. Sure, the language was complicated at first, but spending a few extra seconds on each sentence made it easier to understand.
The plot was rife with betrayal, conspiracy, heartbreak, and literal backstabbing. Analyzing the character’s dialogue and their actions was almost fun. Overall, the experience was almost like watching a modern television drama.
If fifteen-year-old me was told that one day, I’d like Shakespeare, I wouldn’t believe it. Not only are his plays entertaining to read, but I feel I am a better student for indulging in it. My vocabulary has expanded, and now I understand more literary and pop culture references. I’m glad I gave his work another chance.
As everyone knows, Shakespeare was a genius, whose works revolutionized literature and culture. Anyone with even the slightest interest in books or plays should consider reading any one of his famous works. The experience could be beneficial.
