Why I Love Shakespeare's Work

PC Here

In high school, I remember everyone in my English classes groaning whenever we started our Shakespeare unit. I was one of the very few people in my class who actually enjoyed reading his amazing works of art, even if I couldn't understand most of it.

Though I was not the stereotypical theatre kid who knew how to translate Shakespeare's work into modern English, I still was able to appreciate his work and enjoy reading it in class.

I had many friends who would complain about it to me and would ask me why I enjoyed this unit. I can't remember what I said to them at the time, but I have come up with a few reasons as to why I love Shakespeare's Work.

PC Here

• The stories are interesting: Now, I know only a few of his plays, but the ones that I do know, I absolutely love. I think the storylines are very compelling and he also knows how to make a very funny and interesting comedy.

• His unique ways of using the English language: Though many of us will admit that we can not understand the majority of what he says, it is interesting to know that he is the creator of many words and phrases we still use centuries later, such as swag (I learned this from a friend earlier this year)

• Performances of the plays give context to what is being said: I have seen only two performances of his work, one of Romeo and Juliet and one of Twelfth Night. With both of them, even though I could not understand most of what is going on in the show, I was able to figure it out just by watching. What helped me enjoy the performances was being able to see the characters interactions with each other. It helped me to understand what was going on without understanding the words. 

Being able to learn about Shakespeare in school made my interest peak even more. I was introduced to my favorite Shakespearian play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and was able to learn more about what this man brought to the world. I hope to learn more about Shakespeare and his work in the future.

Instagram: @The_Theatre_Corner

Twitter: @Theatre_Corner