[navn fjernet] assignment – analysis of non-fiction Køge Gymnasium
3.J 11/1 – 2012
Why do we still read Shakespeare?
Navigating in life is a complexity, which most people, at some point, find difficult. Where does
one belong, what path are we supposed to follow and to where does it lead? – These are
questions that we tend to ask ourselves, without knowing the answer. Literature is a way of
expressing feelings and opinions and literature often reflects the world through the eyes of the
writer. Shakespeare was an artist, who had the ability to create literature and acts that focuses
on the complexity of navigating in life. This is one of the reasons he is one of the most
interesting artists in history, and the reason why the topic “Why do we still read Shakespeare?”
appeared on Yahoo!’s website as recently as on January 7
th
, 2009.
“Why do we still read Shakespeare?” is a non-fictive text found on one of Yahoo!’s forums. The
question ‘why do we still read Shakespeare’ was raised by Lucy and answered by Dr. Mick.
These nicknames are representing people having interest in the subject, in this case
Shakespeare. Since the text is found on the internet, more specific a forum (where you and I
can participate), it is needed to be very critical about the content. Through a wider research, I
found out that the actual response (the given text) is not from a random, anonymous user of
the Yahoo!-forum, nor from any other forum, but is an extract from a speech held for study
reasons. The speech was held in front of a thousand college students by Michael Mack, Director
of Universe Honors Program and a professor in English
1
. This is also revealed in the sentence
“(…) certainly worthy subjects to study in college.” (3
rd
stanza) The reason I’m pointing this out
is that the value of the text seem different as the author changes from an internet-forum-user
to the authoritarian appearance of a professor of English. This makes the source much more
reliable and the value way higher, because of the fact, that we know, for sure, the professor has
an education to support his statements.
Thereby there’s no doubt who the receivers would be based on the original source, but to focus
on the actual given text, the receiver is not so different. The receiver would be the one seeking
to find “beauty and meaning in life” (5
th
stanza) – and who doesn’t want that? It’s an existential
1
http://publicaffairs.cua.edu/RDSpeeches/09freshmanconvocation.cfm
[navn fjernet] assignment – analysis of non-fiction Køge Gymnasium
3.J 11/1 – 2012
drive to aim for success, and so the audience is very broad, interesting students as well as
adults. So Shakespeare isn’t just for the literary types, he is for anyone interested in navigating
the real world.
The text or Dr. Mick states: “as you learn to read Shakespeare, you are learning to read the
world.” (6
th
stanza) This quote would definitely say something about the theme of this text,
followed by: “As you interpret Shakespeare’s characters, you are practicing figuring out life’s
characters.” The theme is obviously about learning about the world and its characters –
including yourself. Navigating in life is no beauty by itself – It’s how you do it, and what you gain
from doing it. This is leading towards Shakespeare, as the attitude of this text sees Shakespeare
as a mentor of life. The quotations from previous statement are great examples of the positive
view upon the literature of Shakespeare. The literature of Shakespeare can be used as a tool to
navigate in life: “Struggling with the complexities involved in interpreting Shakespeare is a
superb preparation for struggling with the complexities of life.” (6
th
stanza) Very directly
speaking, there is in this line created a direct link between Shakespeare and life. Comparing
Shakespeare with such a great thing as life does show the subjective influence of this non-
fictive text, but the thing is that it carries a message. It strongly encourages the reader to start
reading Shakespeare. It invites, because of the fact (according to the text), that reading
Shakespeare will give you the ability to find beauty and meaning in life.
The text is presenting these statements as facts, which are not for debate, and to support the
message of the text, a lot of argumentation is used. First of all, the text is influenced by direct
use of arguing. This is very obvious since the author directly presents the advantages of reading
Shakespeare.
Logically, the author draws a line between the literature at the time of Shakespeare and the
literature of today. “In Shakespeare’s time, great books were thought of as mirrors.” (3
rd
stanza) Using history as argumentation always has a strong effect on the reader. Furthermore,
bringing up a subject that the reader can relate to (reading a book that reflects ourselves/the
world) tends to win the reader’s attention and to gain the reader’s understanding.
The text uses a lot of Ethos to persuade the reader about the message. Mostly, though very
[navn fjernet] assignment – analysis of non-fiction Køge Gymnasium
3.J 11/1 – 2012
indirectly, the text are influenced by the use of commissives. “As you learn to read
Shakespeare, you are learning to read the world.” (6
th
stanza) hidden between the lines is the
message, that you will be guaranteed more success in life by understanding Shakespeare. This
tone is held throughout the whole text, and it’s very likely to tease the reader for further
reading because, I repeat; who doesn’t want that?
The text has a very sharp language, which is a formal must for the overall impression of the
reader. The lix is high, and there’s only positive words describing Shakespeare and literature in
general. Too, a strong language will make the reader more likely to agree with the writers
statements.
The text is written as based on facts. This is a crucial rhetorical instrument that works as a very
convincing argument. “This two-way mirroring means that (…)” (5
th
stanza). “Means” works as a
truth-defining word, a fact, leaving the reader with no other option than believing in it.
“Means” is only one of many verbs used in this text to give the exact same effect – the reliable
feeling of facts. A discussion could be raised whether these really are facts or just a subjective
conviction. I would dare to say this is a matter of personal opinion, but this may be because I
doubt the message of this text.
If you were in doubt about the question “to read Shakespeare or not to read Shakespeare”, you
would certainly know the answer after reading this text – whether your interests lies in the
pages of literature or not. The writer has successfully put together a text that convinces any
individual about the importance of the pieces and literature of Mr. Shakespeare. The link
between understanding Shakespeare and understanding life is exposed through the use of
rhetorical argumentation. The writer wanted to enlighten the reader about the positive sites of
Shakespeare’s work, and I think he did just that.
So, why do we read Shakespeare in modern days like these? – because the literature of
Shakespeare is timeless and deals with an issue, that touches all of humanity.