Most schools throughout the United States have a curriculum for school children that must be followed in order to provide them with a well rounded education. This is true for most subjects, including math, English, and science. Each grade level has their own requirements and goals which are required to be met by the end of the school year, but there is always the need for Shakespeare for students.
For reading, writing, and English classes, there are usually a set of books or stories which are required to be read. Often these pieces are classics of literature and are meant to apply to certain age levels based on the subject matter in the text. Basing readings on age and maturity level, along with the issues that age group is facing, is often how these required texts are assigned.
While some readings may be assigned during the summer between grades, most are given out in the classroom and worked on together over a period of time. Many grade levels have texts which are considered essential to the curriculum and are seen assigned for that age range across the country. These texts are usually literature classics which were written at influential time periods or which contain influential subject matter or writing styles.
Likely the most well known of all classic authors assigned for classroom reading is William Shakespeare. His plays were popular in his time and have only continued to be loved by readers as time has passed. Today, there are a few plays written by the author which are required reading for nearly all schoolchildren at some point.
Some of the most well known and studied pieces by the author include King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and The Tempest. These are but a few of the many outstanding works by the writer, however. While 400 plus years have passed since their creation, the writer’s works have withstood the test of time because they are incredibly influential and have themes which apply to human nature, no matter the century.
The base themes for many of his works are those which humans will experience forever, including greed, love, life, and death. People both suffer from and delight in these things today as they did hundreds of years ago. The value of the works lies not only in the subject matter itself, but also in how the writer created the stories and painted a picture with mere words.
Most of the author’s plays detail strong subject matter that is inherent to the human condition. Examples of this include racism, abuse of power, and treatment of different social classes. Students are often required to read his pieces because the subjects are as applicable today as they were hundreds of years ago and they are written in a unique and beautiful way that no longer exists in popular culture today.
Shakespeare for students and subject matter relation is often why many schools require the reading of Shakespeare’s works. Additionally, the huge affect of the writer’s works on the English language as a whole necessitates that people familiarize themselves with his works. His style, ideas, and wording are all things that have greatly shaped language and literature in the west and these contributions cannot be forgotten.
To learn more about the benefits of Shakespeare for students check out www.shaketv.org. Come see all we have to offer at http://www.shaketv.org today.