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). On the other
