In any classroom across the country, these issues come into very tangible play within the education and the personal life of every single child. The works of William Shakespeare are one very effective way. We teach Shakespeare for his insight into the human condition, his unflinching portrayal of relationships and cultures at their best and worst. We teach Shakespeare because of the desire and need for classical material, material of proven worth, to be influential in the education process. Our belief is youth, especially the elementary and middle school years, is the ideal time to encounter Shakespeare's stories and language.
Children crave drama and are starved for new words and expressions.
Shakespeare's characters are alive with such immediacy and freshness they are as familiar as our best friends and worst enemies. His stories are timeless and universal, transcending the boundaries or culture, race, and social status. His language is poetry that we speak on a daily basis without even knowing it- words like moonbeam , eyeball , shooting star , assassination , and even puke were his creation. The accuracy of his insights into human behavior have remained so inexhaustible and revealing he has yet to be surpassed. Within the realm of Shakespeare lie role models, problem solving skills, language arts skills, historical education, cross-discipline education and that's only the beginning.