At Senior School Assembly on Monday 16th March, Rory B (SVI) spoke about the continued relevance of the works of William Shakespeare and how best to enjoy them. Here is what he said:
Many students hate Shakespeare. It’s not uncommon to hear the main reasoning for this hatred being that they don’t “understand” his archaic wording and extreme-poetic flare. His deliberate use of 5 rhythmic beats per line (iambic pentameter) can often cause many to feel as though his words don’t flow properly when read. This is often the first mistake made when reading Shakespeare: believing it is about reading, and not feeling. Sir Patrick Stewart, one of the most decorated Shakespearian actors, said that the key to reading Shakespeare is to “not worry about it being Shakespeare. The words matter very little when weighed against their intent and emotion.”
Even in the 1500s and 1600s, his audience of widely-uneducated and illiterate viewers understood Shakespeare’s plays. The simple reason for this is because they weren’t read, they were watched. When his words are accompanied by the appropriate rhythm, motion and emphasis, their true intention is felt. It is undoubtable that, while necessary, the exam system muddies the meanings of Shakespeare, as plays which were often heard only once by their viewers are analysed to the point of exhaustion, reducing them into a series of events for readers to pick apart and review. One way to avoid dissecting the words of Shakespeare is to view it live, or listen to it. Thereby, the individual words no longer matter, as the passion and rhythm are more predominantly felt.
Trying to understand every line is expected, but often impossible. With references and context geared towards a 16th century audience, even the most prepared of modern-readers will struggle to grasp the full meaning of a sentence. And while this approach works if the goal is perfect recital, in reality it only results in students becoming bored and unenthusiastic about one of Britain’s greatest writers. This is a shame when looking at the further influence of Shakespeare on other works, in films such as the Lion King which takes artistic license from Hamlet, and in books such as the Lord of the Rings which borrows heavily from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If viewers don’t care for Shakespeare, they lose the secondary, deeper meaning and relevance of these impactful works.
Shakespeare has never been more important than at the current moment. Despite living over 400 years ago, he spoke on topics still wildly important today, and did so with a greatly open-minded world view. Propaganda, political division, immigration, and racial discrimination were all common topics for Shakespeare, and are as culturally relevant today as they were nearly half a millennia ago, which proves how important it is to engage with his writings, as they stand as long-lasting pillars and examples of human nature and societal dynamics. His words may be centuries old, but they can still speak to us. If we go beyond reading them and instead connect with them, we open ourselves to an entire genre and variety of art with real world impacts and relevance.
