Blogging about Shakespeare? Sure. Why not. Although I am not as well versed, or as well read as many of my classmates seem to be on the topic of William -- or any topic for that matter -- I enjoy reading the blogs of others and discovering ideas and concepts I have been missing out on.
Everytime I tell one of my friends or family members (who are not English majors) that I'm taking a class that is entirely about Shakespeare and his works, I get the same reaction: "OMG that sucks! I hate Shakespeare!" And I usually reply with the comment that I actually don't mind Shakespeare and wish we could write and speak like that today, rather than with "OMG!" or "BTW" and the like. But that isn't reality. Going into English (with a teaching option) I fear the worst for the generations to come and the loss of language and literature that awaits them. Very few students today find any enjoyment in reading or writing or creating. They would rather text, play Xbox or sit and stare at Facebook all day! (I too, am guiltly of this last one...)
So my question is, how do we reverse this attitude towards literature and writing and SHAKESPEARE! Who not only created love stories, but so many tales, comedies and sayings that young and old alike still reference to this day? I want to change the idea that Shakespeare (and really any author for that matter) is just some guy who wrote this boring play, book, or novel that, God forbid! I HAVE TO READ!?!
I think the point that most students most commonly miss is that reading a play by Shakespeare is not about reading what is in front of you, it is about translating the words to form meaning -- to look in between the lines of the text and dig up the buried meanings underneath the words.
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