Re:Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets, and poems
by BeFlatXIII on Tuesday June 28, 2022 @04:06PM
(#31912363)
> then you might have completely missed the point of studying literature.
Judging by the amount the kids actually learn, doing things the right way is an equal waste of time to just watching the plays on VHS.
> learn the structure of modern drama
IMO, far too few English teachers focus on this aspect of the Bard's plays. Instead, it's nonsense about iambic pentameter or treating R&J as romance instead of farce, black comedy, or tragedy that turns students into STEMlords.
Regarding the genre of R&J, the confusion is because the genre names have changed meaning over time. "Romance" back then is closer to what we would call "adventure" today. Comedy basically means the characters get married in the end, while tragedy means they lose everything and die. What often confuses readers today is that Shakespeare tragedies can be very funny.
If your argument is "you should also experience Shakespeare plays as plays," then I'm with you. But if your argument is "It was difficult to read Shakespeare and I liked watching the movies," then you might have completely missed the point of studying literature.