1

Shakespeare: Update or Eliminate?

The works of playwright William Shakespeare have been commonly used as required

reading for high school students for decades. Though William Shakespeare is an iconic name in

the world of literature, his works are all from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Plays were the

only form of entertainment during Shakespeare’s time, thus giving them historical literary value.

Now that the modern entertainment industry and culture has witnessed a tectonic evolution since

Shakespeare’s time, the question must be asked as to whether Shakespeare is still appropriate for

modern-day audiences.

During the Elizabethan era, Shakespearean plays were the epitome of entertainment.

However, even during the height of their popularity, Shakespeare’s plays were not considered

appropriate for all audiences. In Shakespeare’s time, plays were written to appeal to everyone;

from young adults to the elderly and from the poor to the rich - “Most theatres were circular

surrounding an open courtyard where the audience would stand around three sides of the stage.

Wealthy patrons would sit in comfort in roofed galleries and the nobility would watch the play

from chairs placed on the stage” (Barnes 20). Unfortunately, by having some small part of each

play that appealed to one group, he thus offended the other groups in the audience. Though

Queen Elizabeth I banned religious or political topics from being written about in plays, many

plays were still full of crude humor. For example, in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Malvolio

refers to Olivia’s “cut” with which “makes she her great P’s” (Shakespeare II.v) or when Feste

declares to Maria that “He that is well hanged in this world needs to fear no colors” (Shakespeare

I.v). Such humor would rile up the audiences, increasing the local crime rates after performances
 2

(Barnes 20). The popularity of a decent performance drove a high competition rate between

playwrights, “leading to storylines being copied and plays stolen” (Barnes 20).

As time went on, Shakespearean plays and similar works slowly waned in the public eye.

From 1642 to 1660, theatre lost much of its standing “in England as the Puritans worked to drive

out “sinful” theatre. A law passed in 1642 suspended performances for five years. After the law

expired, Oliver Cromwell’s government passed a law declaring that all actors were to be

considered rogues. Many theatres were even dismantled” (Barnes 20). By the year 1660, Charles

II regained power and renewed performances with vigor; “Theatre continued to flourish in the

18th century as a popular pastime and many theatres were enlarged and new playhouses built in

London and the provinces” (Barnes 21). By the 19th century, the masses of London shied away

from the common Shakespearean tragedy and instead looked for more uplifting entertainment.

Music halls “represented a new trend in entertainment as it was aimed at the working classes. In

a world governed by strict class and gender lines the music halls had mass appeal. Women were

encouraged to attend as it was thought that they would have a calming effect on the men”

(Barnes 22). Performances were very suggestive and women were allowed – and encouraged – to

perform, a dramatic shift from the male-only casts of prior plays.

Shakespeare’s original performance format is not appropriate for mass modern audiences.

When performed today, Shakespearean performances are for niche audiences that gather in parks

or small theatres as opposed to the large amphitheaters Shakespeare’s plays were originally

performed in. Modern mass entertainment is shown on a large screen, in acoustically controlled

settings, with seating for hundreds at a time.

The shift in culture as time has progressed has seen the “appropriate” content of

entertainment progress from tragic plays to music halls to “moving pictures” or movies. A
 3

modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is the 2006 movie, “She’s The Man.” Though

based on the original play, Twelfth Night, “She’s The Man” resonates with a more modern

audience, as it reflects the more widely accepted views of modern teen culture rather than the

rigidity of 16th century literature (Wu).

The Shakespearean era bawdy humor of a homosexual relationship, taboo in those times,

is now considered perfectly acceptable. Indeed, to attempt to joke about a male/male

relationship in modern times would cause mass rioting in protest. Modern culture has evolved to

accept what was once taboo and has made it passé. By the same token, a play in Shakespeare’s

time about a child being left “home alone” would not have been the success that it was in the

modern movie age. As technology continues to advance, “the notion of formats, running times,

and platforms that were established over 100 years ago are being challenged, and are swiftly

changing to meet the demands of an “on demand” culture” (Weiler).

Given both the evolution of the entertainment industry and the shift in cultural norms, the

works of William Shakespeare are not appropriate for modern mass audiences as written.

Though the original plots of Shakespeare’s plays can be rewritten for modern adaptations of the

original works, many of these themes have been “done to death,” and simply no longer entertain

as they once did. For this reason, I believe the works of William Shakespeare no longer reflect

the cultural or entertainment values that they once did.

 4

Works Cited

Barnes, Paul. “Changes in Entertainment and Leisure in Britain c500 to the Present Day.”

Eduqas (WJEC CBAC Ltd), 16 Sept. 2016. 

Shakespeare, William. “Twelfth Night.” SparkNotes, SparkNotes,

www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/twelfthnight/.

Weiler, Lance. “How Storytelling Has Changed in the Digital Age.” World Economic Forum,

23 Jan. 2015, www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/01/how-storytelling-has-changed-in-

the-digital-age/. 

Wu, Jun. “Comparing She's the Man to Twelfth Night.” Prezi.com, 4 Dec. 2013

prezi.com/m/0c9tlzc0g0gs/comparing-shes-the-man-to-twelfth-night/.