Nerd News: Shakespeare Dumbed Down for Comic Strips
Look, people who find Shakespeare "boring" clearly haven't been really reading Shakespeare. He's a poet of infinite variety, and he had that almost magical gift for words. The English language and the world of English expression is filled with his contributions. His really was a "Muse of fire."
And teachers who do such a poor job of teaching Shakespeare that their students aren't interested? They haven't been doing their jobs correctly either.
Go read Shakespeare for yourself, please! Go see a performance of real Shakespeare! Go watch a film adaptation -- as long as it is true to the text. Yes, Shakespeare also demands something from his audience...and that's part of what makes him both difficult and great. Imagine that -- you actually have to work at reading Shakespeare! How shocking for today's crop of slack-jawed academic consumers.
As for the bard himself? One of my favorite Nerd Lords and I were saying recently, Shakespeare is a genius and we should all know him better. (Yes, I still unrepentantly believe in the "genius of the author," that unpopular idea, and I also still believe in not simplifying great literature!)
So! What is your favorite Shakespeare play? Do you prefer his tragedies? comedies? histories? Do you like his sonnets?
Oh, and if you're in the DC area, you can drop by the Folger Shakespeare Library. If you're lucky enough to be in the London area, you can take a look at the new Shakespeare's Globe Theater.