Using the word Shakespeare
within any classroom in the 21st century
has become almost as dangerous for teachers
as putting balloons in a toaster.
After uttering this simple word,
the common teacher is met with a mass of groans,
moans,
devastated looks,
and the occasional chair tossed in his or her direction.
But Shakespearean works are not boring,
confusing,
long and painful plays written more than 400 years ago.
They're adventures relating to the extremities
of human nature:
love,
hate,
jealousy,
zealous ambition,
fear,
mistrust,
deception,
and murder.
We owe much of our own language to his invention.
He invented over 2,000 words
for use in his plays,
which still remain in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Words like "countless"
and "assassination"
as well as phrases like
"one fell swoop,"
"foul play,"
and even "to be in a pickle"
all originated from William's brilliant brain.
And there are many echoes
of Shakespeare's romantic language too.
If you read Romeo and Juliet,
you'll come across sentences like,
"She doth teach the torches to burn bright,"
and, "So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows."
Both are quite clever metaphors,
suggesting that Juliet is both exceptionally beautiful
and far moreso than anyone else.
"For thou art as glorious to this night,
being o'er my head,
as is a winged messenger of heaven,"
is a simile suggesting angelic qualities
of the lady in question.
This is not too different from today's comments like,
"Hey, beautiful!"
and, "You're the hottest girl in the room."
Shakespeare also uses
slightly more complex metaphors
to describe the intentions of a mischievous man.
For instance,
"This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips,
two blushing pilgrims,
ready stand to smooth that rough touch
with a tender kiss,"
essentially means, "I wish to kiss you."
Such male intentions were not limited
to simple pecks on the cheek either.
An intentional ambiguity was often used
as a cheeky means to proposition marriage
or a more intimate relationship.
Therefore, instead of viewing Shakespearean works
as out-dated, boring, and unhelpful,
start reading today
and discover the best ways
to get the one you love
to love you back.