[AceLuby]

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Perhaps, but some readers are better than others. A film like The Graduate can be "read" in a number of different ways. I'm certainly not about to discount a feminist reading of the film that investigates the nature of middle-aged female sexuality, or a Marxist reading of the film, or even a historical reading of the film that locates it within a tradition of romantic comedies that begins with Harold Lloyd.

If I'm to listen to someone who wishes to discount Shakespeare, then that reader better know what the hell he or she is talking about. Once someone tells me that Shakespeare stinks because the language is "Old English" or he's too hard to read, I'm not going to take him or her seriously. Why should I? Of course Shakespeare is hard to read, and critics have debated various problems in Shakespeare for centuries. But Shakespeare also adapts to our time. See the film versions of his plays. See his plays performed. Read Jan Kott's Shakespeare, Our Contemporary.

I can't do math. Would anyone take me seriously if I said that trig is too hard to understand and holds no relevance for today's students? If I were to make that claim, someone would want to lock me up. I'm not much good at physics, either. Hell, let's throw that one on the scrap pile, too.

It's okay to f*ck with Shakespeare, though.

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First off this is HS english. I think catering to the 5 or so students that will enjoy reading it is bad if the other 25 are bored to tears and can't understand it. Unless it's an AP type class I feel you are turning more people away from reading than enlightening them.

Also, I feel that 90% of HS english teachers CAN'T teach it. This goes along w/ my other point that only those few kids who actually enjoy deciphering it actually take anything away from reading it. Otherwise the other kids read the cliff notes and regurgitate whatever it tells them that section/chapter/book is about.

Comparing one writer to math, trig, or physics is dumb. You drove today didn't you? How about take a hot shower? Well there's your math/trig/physics relevence. Average HS kids aren't going to 'get' any type of relevence Shakespeare has on today's world.

I guess I feel that WS should be taught to AP level seniors and 'most' stories are over the heads of readers not in that group. I know that as a 9th grader R&J was over my head (due to deciphering the english) and that Macbeth was difficult as a 11th grader and Hamlet was near impossible w/out cliff notes. Granted I'm not very good at English, but I'm not dumb either. I still managed A's.