Should Romeo And Juliet Be Taught In Schools Essay

Superior Essays
Mya Gordon

Mr. Harragian

English 9 (Essay)

15 May 2016

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is classified as one of the most popular and best-selling stories worldwide. According to Www.ancient-orgins.net, “William Shakespeare 's world renowned Romeo and Juliet (written sometime between 1591 and 1595) stands in the historical record as one of the greatest love stories ever written...it is a lot of differences on a story told many times from the fourteen hundreds onwards…borrowed from poets as far back as ancient Greece.” There is much debate in high school english classrooms, school districts across the country, and professional literary journals, regarding the importance of teaching Shakespeare’s plays, especially the tragedies, to high
…show more content…
FINAL, by Elizabeth Trakhman, she explains the importance of high school English teachers including classic literature in the curriculum. She states, “Romeo and Juliet being taught in schools could be very helpful to students. There are multiple benefits, such as increased skill in understanding text based on context clues and practice in understanding a complex plot, to reading the play in class” (Www.elizabethtrakhman). Trakhman expresses that students can develop their skills in comprehending what they read based on reading and studying classic literature, especially paying close attention to text they do not understand, and looking at context clues to figure out what the text means. Also, it gives students practice in looking at a complex plot and being able to explain what the plot is and who the main characters are. Often on tests, students are asked to read a paragraph and pick out the main idea, who is speaking, and the meaning of the paragraph. What is the main idea of the paragraph or …show more content…
In the article titled Why Do We Force Students to Read Shakespeare? Rajat Bhageria speaks against the importance of Shakespeare’s plays in today’s high school classrooms. He feels that there is no connection between the importance of reading the plays and getting a job in the real world and achieving goals. Bhageria states:

The governmental officer may argue that Shakespeare is essential to understanding the literary influences of modern English, or that reading Hamlet helps students appreciate literary devices, or even something more absurd along the lines of “we’ve always done it, and it seems to work, so why not continue?” But what scientific evidence is there that reading Shakespeare helps students in the modern age survive the work environment, live without government aid, and achieve familial goals? Very little....

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In conclusion, the book Romeo and Juliet should not be taught in the ninth grade curriculum. It teaches students to keep secrets, marry at a young age, and suicide. Since majority of ninth graders are ages from fourteen to fifteen and that is the age where suicide is most common it would not be a good idea to tell them it is good to kill themselves over…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” - William Shakespeare. No one could have said it any better. Shakespeare is well-known for his raunchy style of writing and his famous work as well. We all have heard about the tragic love story between two young lovers called “Romeo and Juliet”.…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    William Shakespeare published “Romeo and Juliet” in 1597, a play of two lovers from rival houses who overcome hate to find love, only to have fate guide them to their deaths. Shakespeare bestowed upon the world a play with lively characters, and Juliet of the Capulets is a complex character who defies the typical stereotype of women during the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare developed Juliet to be an individual who is beautiful, intelligent, defiant, and yet masculine. By doing so, Shakespeare created a character that is significant to the tragic play of “Romeo and Juliet” because it shows the audience how a young and naïve girl will transition into a woman that defies the typical behavior of a woman only to achieve her happily ever after ending…

    • 1213 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Romeo and Juliet Essay Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a play written to show contrast and duality. Shakespeare includes literary devices involving detailed characters, language, and events to prove that everything has two sides and may not seem as it appears. Shakespeare creates vivid characters that capture your attention. However, the characters have two sides and are not what they seem to be. One example is that Lord Capulet seems to be a great father, who watches over his daughter and really cares for her.…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Why Is Macbeth Outdated

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Although, in multiple high-school classes, Shakespeare’s writings is considered valuable. Whereas in other classrooms, Macbeth is found to be outdated. Macbeth should be read and performed in multiple English classrooms. Macbeth is easy to follow along, the…

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is an amourous tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The written date of this play can be dated to 1595. Written during The Renaissance period, soon after the deadly plague, this event is reflected on Shakespeare’s choice of language throughout. This woeful play tells the tale of two lovestruck adolescents, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, which takes a fatal turn towards their devastating end. The loss of the children was the only thing which could bring together the families.…

    • 1834 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is no surprise that his name is mentioned in the core curriculum of many schools. This shows that even the board of directors have thought about Shakespeare’s work and have…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The play, Romeo and Juliet, has a negative effect on people, especially young teens. Throughout the play there is a negative tone, beginning to end, that can lead people badly. This play shouldn’t be read by young teens because the play teaches violence and disobedience/disloyalty. The play, Romeo and Juliet, shows violence throughout the whole play.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a distant relative of Hamlet once asked, “To read or not to read, that is the question.” English students around the world have been doing just that with the plays by William Shakespeare for years; however, more often than not, they exhort their teachers to cut the famous literature out of the lesson plan. These writings are crucial to the development of high schoolers’ minds and must continue to be taught. The first reason why we should read Shakespeare is because of the complex themes found within, which still resonate today. Ben Boychuk, a RedBlueAmerica columnist, writes that violence, romance, honor, and respect are a small portion of the “universal themes that Shakespeare brings alive in his plays and sonnets” (Boychuck).…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is about love, and reveals that people will do anything for the ones they love. No matter what the outcome may be. In the story of Romeo and Juliet many of the characters make very rational decisions. I think people can learn a lot from this story, words can hurt and not to make uneducated decisions.…

    • 690 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Despite being centuries old, the story of Romeo and Juliet is still relatable to people in modern times. The play (written in 1595 by William shakespeare) addresses an arrangement of issues that people in 1595 and in the modern time can relate to and is one reason why the play is still remembered today. In the story the two protagonists Romeo and Juliet, both come from two separate families that are feuding over an “ancient grudge” that is not openly explained to us. rash decisions culminating with family feuding eventually lead to Romeo and Juliet's demise. Throughout the story key issues Shakespeare brought to light include the rashness of youth and the importance of family.…

    • 135 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Some say that Shakespeare's works are hard and confusing which is a reason why Shakespeare’s works should not be read by students. However, some people would disagree and say that students should read Shakespeare because it provides the reader with insight of understanding human nature with the characters he created and related themes and helps us better appreciate life. Although Shakespeare wrote his plays more than 450 years ago, his themes are still relevant today. The morals presented in his works relates to the readers. For an example one Shakespeare’s plays “Othello” is…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the play written by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, it illustrates the sense of wonder that a child holds. Shakespeare’s mission in writing this play was to explain the danger that can result from the inexperience a child generally contains, and the consequence a wedge between a parent and child can have. During the development of this play-write Shakespeare develops a condescending attitude towards the young characters in this story, in addition a judgemental attitude that is directed toward the parents of those young children. A direct message is conveyed through a flowery story, which makes this work a universal teaching material, however the language used in the original story illustrates that Shakespeare was directing his story towards an older audience.…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the front of the room, students scramble to sign up for certain characters. Towards the middle, hardback copies of Romeo and Juliet are being flipped through to find specific scenes. All around, an excited chatter fills the air as groups of students discuss yesterday’s reading. Without Shakespeare in the curriculum, students would never get this kind of experience. They would be exposed to Shakespeare much later-…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Shakespeare should stay in the high school curriculum because, students learn a great bank of words, they learn how to think differently, and they learn a good message that they can live by, for as long as they can remember it. Shakespeare is a great author and there is no one else like him, So finding a book that is easier, might not be the easiest. There will people who will disagree, but hopefully thinking twice before actually making a decision that could hurt the people around them, like how the famous author showed us in full-on…

    • 98 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays