Why Read Shakespeare?

• In your journal, respond to each of the following quotes.

Quotation 1

• - “What is it that we find in Shakespeare? Nothing less than ourselves and the world.”

Quotation #2

• “In the case of Macbeth, we have a supreme reflection of ambition. But what makes the play terrifying is not that Macbeth looks like a fascist dictator ... but because he looks like us. If you don’t see your own overreaching in ... restless ecstasy of Macbeth, you need to read again.”

“Indeed, as you learn to read Shakespeaere, you are learning to read the world. As you interpret Shakespeare’s characters, you are practicing figuring out life’s characters. Struggling with the complexities involved in interpreting Sharespeare is a superb preparation for struggling with the complexities of life. Shakespeare offers a world of vicarious experience – a virtual reality, a sort of flight simulator – that gives you a great advantage when it comes time to venture out into the real world."