Does history repeat itself? Yes. Since the beginning of time it seems that children think their parents know everything and are invincible until they become a teenager, then their parents know nothing and are lame. Many of Shakespeare’s plays cover this very issue. When you consider William Shakespeare’s literature written 400 plus years ago, Shakespeare can still apply to situations happening today; however, English curriculums should limit the level of importance placed on Shakespeare’s literature.

William Shakespeare’s literature is fairly relevant to today’s teens. Most of his works show young lovers in a conflict with adults. Young lovers still face a challenge with society and sometimes with their parents today. It seems that throughout time there has always been a disconnect between youth and their parents. Parents don’t quite understand what their teen is going through, or parent’s ideals are old fashioned and outdated. Shakespeare’s stories are not completely pertinent to today because of the drastic measures his characters take. Most teens today would not fake their death to be with a loved one, like Romeo and Juliet, or Much Ado about Nothing. Therefore, Shakespeare’s writings are not completely relevant to today’s teens.


English curriculums should reduce the level of importance they currently place on Shakespeare’s writing. A student should not be forced to read plays that were meant to be watched. English teachers should not make their class read Shakespeare’s plays because they are wordy and confusing. The language spoken in the plays is no longer used which makes it hard to understand. Teachers should only have their students watch the play in class and discuss it in class. Even though the situations may be germane to today, there are other pieces of literature that are more language appropriate that cover the same topics, like She’s the Man compared to 12th Night by Shakespeare.

Although Shakespeare’s lessons may be applied to today, the emphasis placed on Shakespeare in the classroom should be limited. Since many of the lessons are as old as time, Shakespeare could be watched as a play for entertainment. Many times when people are being entertained by something, they are unconsciously learning something also. Teenagers could be learning a valuable lesson on how to, or how not to handle a situation from watching Shakespeare, but they don’t have to be learning about literature at the same time.