To Study Shakespeare or Not to Study Shakespeare, That is the Question

Alexia Vassos, Caledon-based Actor, Education Consultant, and Disability Activist

Why do we still study Shakespeare? What makes his plays so great that they’re included in high school curriculums across the world? How do his stories still find relevance in the 21st century?

These are all valid questions that I’m sure every student has asked themselves or their teachers at some point in their academic careers. It’s no secret that upon first, second or even a third glance at the lines of iambic pentameter, the text is quite daunting. Pair that with a bunch of “doths”, “thous” and “thees”, and it’s enough to make anyone question how people can make sense of who is speaking and what they are talking about. The language can be dense, yes, but it is also very rich. Shakespeare has a way of turning the simplest of sentiments–such as, “I think this girl is pretty”–into poetic proclamations (“What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun”).

These works continue to be studied and staged hundreds of years after the fact because Shakespeare’s themes are timeless. Take Hamlet, for example. This play speaks to such universal themes, including the nature of human existence, the struggle between good and evil, revenge, the meaning of life and the intricacies of human relationships. These are all topics that seem larger than life when they are coated in Elizabethan English, but when broken down to their essence, are feelings and afflictions we all navigate in some capacity within our own lives.

Shakespeare’s characters experience some of the highest stakes ever written, which is one of the reasons why they are so much fun to play. They love, hate, fight and reconcile in the biggest and boldest ways. As an actor, there are so many layers to work through when you take on a role from one of his classic plays. It’s not just about deciphering and memorizing lines; you have to understand the rhythm of the text, recognize which words match up to emphasized beats and take into account the metaphors and double-entendres that exist within his writing.

Artists today continue to adapt and reinvent Shakespeare’s stories, playing with the language and changing the settings; by doing so, they are showcasing how the themes, emotions, feelings and messages embedded in his plays are still relevant today, some 400+ years later.

Alexia is an actor, writer and consultant currently based in Caledon and Toronto. An alumna from the Theatre and Drama Studies joint program between the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, she holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and an Advanced Diploma in Acting. Since graduating, she’s appeared both on stage and screen in a variety of theatre productions, commercial campaigns (Amazon, PetSmart, McDonald’s) and TV/film ventures (Under the Christmas Tree, Pink Is In). In her recent endeavours, Alexia has been able to combine her love of the arts with her passion for disability advocacy, moderating events and facilitating workshops that feature disabled artists and focus on accessibility within the industry. Presently, Alexia is in the process of creating a solo show centered around growing up disabled in a family that overshares and a world that under-serves.