My stock answer, when challenged as to the point of studying Shakespeare, went something like this. Reading is known to be a good way of developing one’s vocabulary and fluency with language. Shakespeare tells interesting stories and is generally acclaimed as one of the best writers in English of all time. So the study of Shakespeare can usually meet two or more objectives. Yes it is difficult and challenging but what do you think would be best for you - trying to climb a mountain or climbing three steps to your house so that you can flop on the couch?
It was with some surprise, even shock, when I was supply teaching at a school in Portsmouth some ten years ago, that I found they were teaching Macbeth to some weaker students by showing them a ten minute cartoon film of the story and asking them to write a paragraph about it. This apparently satisfied the demands of the National Curriculum to include Shakespeare at GCSE!
No dumbing down here!
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