'Shakespeare, Thou Hast Been Cancelled'
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May 27, 2022 ā¢ 29M
'Shakespeare, Thou Hast Been Cancelled'
Why are so many English teachers refusing to teach Shakespeare?
Appears in this episode
Amna Khalid
Banished is a show about our reassessment of the many people, ideas, objects and even works of art that conflict with modern sensibilities. What can we learn about our present obsession with cancel culture by examining history, and what might it mean for freedom of expression? And how do we reconcile opposing points of view without turning on each other? For subscriber-only content, visit http://banished.substack.com.
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Amna Khalid talks with Laura Bates, Professor of English at Indiana State University and founder of Shakespeare in Shackles ā a prison program for those in solitary confinement ā about the Bardās decline in the modern curriculum.
'Shakespeare, Thou Hast Been Cancelled'
On the issue of cancelling Shakespeare, I'm in agreement with Khalid and Bates that the problematic content of his plays is not cause for removing them from the imaginary literary cannon.
But are there other works that provide similar entertainment and insight, ones that might be more accessible due to language? Teachers can't ask all their students to read everything, so the real issue is trade-offs. What is so special about Shakespeare that it must be included in middle and high schools and undergraduate programs? Why not let adults discover Shakespeare at their leisure? Simply being "still relevant" does not make the case.
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