Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
William Shakespeare’s influence and powerful works have travelled across the Atlantic Ocean and majorly impacted literature and culture in the United States for centuries.
A few months ago I saw “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway and Shakespeare’s call for peace in 16th century England felt especially applicable and pertinent amidst a Donald Trump presidency in 21st century America. I felt transported yet present while experiencing the play, reflecting on the power of literature that allows words to persist and stay alive across centuries and continents.
I was first introduced to Shakespeare during my junior year at Pepperdine. I had read and watched many adaptations and renditions of his plays and knew all of the tropes and narratives that have stemmed from Shakespeare’s ouevre — enemies to lovers, forbidden romances, the tragic hero.
Up until last spring, I thought Shakespeare was just another old playwright I could write off. Why should we read plays in Early Modern English authored in the 16th and 17th centuries?
The infamous bard is often discredited because of his perceived irrelevance and inaccessibility in the contemporary world. However, I believe Shakespeare is more relevant than ever in our current socio-political context, and has the power to transform the lives of people across various communities.
In the late 20th century, scholars began to spark debate about whether or not we should read and teach Shakespeare. The conversation grounds itself in whether or not the acclaim, prestige and status attributed to Shakespeare’s work and those who read his works are deserved. This question still pervades the discourse surrounding Shakespeare pedagogy and his position in American culture.
Jonathan Burton, a notable Shakespeare scholar, wrote a pivotal essay titled, “Segregated Shakespeare” in which he explored various Shakespeare classroom pedagogies across Los Angeles. He aimed to discover the ways in which school segregations resulting from systemic racism and oppression impacted the quality of Shakespeare education students were obtaining.
Most schools with a majority population of students of lower socioeconomic status did not have the same creative or engaging pedagogies on Shakespeare that the private, predominately white schools had. However, there were a few schools with less economic resources that tailored various plays to the communities and identities of the students.
These classrooms were the most successful in making Shakespeare accessible and relevant to a wider range of students from various backgrounds. This example demonstrates how Shakespeare can continue to stay relevant for a wide range of audiences and communities.
His stories have the power to shape and reshape our conceptualizations of various human experiences. His work will be rewritten and retold, but the humanity in the work stays the same.
Whether or not there is an all male cast on stage or a glitzy Queer coded retelling of a Shakespeare play, the heart and core of the story persists.
Shakespeare’s power lies in the hands of readers whom he touches, and it is our job to keep him alive in a world in which we feel the most disconnected from our humanity.
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Contact Cassandra Barron via email: cassandra.barron@pepperdine.edu
