Reading Shakespeare by Brandi

Reading Shakespeare





For the second marking period, in Mrs.Loredo’s period 8/9, 8th grade ELA class, my peers and I spent a marking period reading and learning from Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We spent the marking period reading the play, thinking about the important themes, writing essays, performing in acting companies, and engaging in Socratic. Overall, the marking period was a great introduction to Shakespeare and his work to eighth graders.


William Shakespeare’s work is read around the world by all different types of people. By young and by old; students, teachers, and beyond. Shakespeare’s work was popular back when it was written - in the 16th and 17th century and continues to be popular to this day. Some consider Shakespeare to be the best writer of all time and some don’t even believe Shakespeare to really have penned his own work. Despite all this, Shakespeare's work has the influence it does, because of the amazing themes it touches on, the challenge of reading it, the insight it provides, and most of all the beauty of the writing.


Shakespeare’s comedic play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream features idiotic tradesmen putting on a play, four lovers who run away into a forest, and magical fairies who love to cause mischief. Forbidden love, rebellion, controlling parents, magic love potions, and fairy rulers conflicts are all parts that make the play a true page turner.


Overall, I thought the play was an excellent one to be the first one students are exposed to. It is light-hearted, funny, and still gives an excellent understanding of what Shakespeare's plays are so famous for. This play is excellent for eighth graders to read and study, because it shows us the beauty of Shakespeare's work, lets us learn how to work through the sometimes hard-to-understand text of Shakespeare's writing, and allows us to begin studying the themes Shakespeare puts into his plays.


After reading my first Shakespearean play, I can say I definitely do see the value in reading Shakespeare and studying his work. I am looking forward to seeing which of Shakespeare's plays I will be able to read and study in high school.