It's hard to ignore the latest shift in academia: a major university has decided to drop Shakespeare from its required reading list for English majors, citing concerns that his works promote racism. As someone who values the foundations of Western literature, I can't help but see this as a step backward in our cultural education. While I understand the push to diversify curricula, tossing out a figure like Shakespeare feels like we're erasing part of our shared history rather than engaging with it critically.
Shakespeare's plays and sonnets have shaped English language and storytelling for centuries. They've influenced everything from modern law to psychology, offering insights into human nature that remain relevant today. Sure, his era was fraught with the prejudices of the time, but that's precisely why studying him is so valuable—it allows us to examine those flaws in context. By removing him from the core curriculum, we're denying students the chance to grapple with complex texts that challenge us to think deeply about morality, power, and society.
Critics argue that Shakespeare's portrayal of characters, like in "The Merchant of Venice," reflects outdated and harmful stereotypes. I get that point; we should absolutely discuss those elements openly. But labeling his entire body of work as inherently racist oversimplifies things. It's like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Instead of banning him, why not use his works as a springboard for conversations about historical biases and their evolution? That approach would enrich education, not diminish it.
This decision points to a larger trend in universities, where traditional texts are sidelined in favor of more contemporary voices. From a conservative standpoint, I worry this waters down the standards that have long defined a liberal arts education. We're not just losing Shakespeare; we're risking the loss of a common cultural reference that binds generations. Education should build on the past, not rewrite it to fit current trends.
In the end, I hope this move prompts a broader debate about balance in the classroom. We need to honor diverse perspectives while holding onto the classics that have stood the test of time. If we don't, we might end up with a generation that's quick to dismiss history but slow to learn from it. That's a path I hope we reconsider before it's too late.
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