Modern Day Shakespeare

Dear Michiko Kakutani,

As a senior in high school I have read my fair share of Shakespeare plays and I have to admit I have never found myself to enjoy them. In your article, "All the World's a Stage, Ruled by Guess Who; Shakespeare Resonates With the Modern Age" I found myself understanding why we spread such a great amount of time reading Shakespeare's works. I think the main ideas you pointed out that I connected with were the history and meaning behind them.

Although Shakespeare has been dead for a long long time, his art is still read and acted today because it is important historical meaning and context. The language Shakespeare uses seems foreign to most but it is the language that was brought over with British Imperialism that helped shape our language today. Many lines from Shakespeare's plays are actually still used as phrases today like Kakutani says, "brave new world." There is also a lot of historical context behind Shakespeare's plays. Like explained in the article when James I took the throne after Queen Elizabeth’s reign in 1603, Shakespeare wrote from a much darker place imagining what may happen with this power shift. 

Now, to just get some historical context from a writer it seems a little over done that I've read a different play by Shakespeare for the past five years. The reason we continue reading and analyzing them is because the meaning behind them is always relevant. Shakespeare writes about public and political issues, relationships, families, gender confusion, violence, and romance to name a few. His themes and topics are relatable but unique because of their timeless presentation. His plays ignite imagination for readers, writers, directors, and actors with an influence that no writers had achieved before. As Kakutani said, "In short, an age oddly in sync with our own."

So yes Kakutani, I agree with your ideas on why Shakespeare's work is important and relevant. I hope to look for more connections to my life as I read Hamlet. 

Thank you

-Meg