# data[].attributes.headline
Shakespeare's Relation to Literacy Response - Julius Pascual

# data[].attributes.subject
Shakespeare's Relation to Literacy Response - Julius Pascual

# data[].attributes.body
I love this! I totally agree with your teacher's argument that Shakespeare's works are popular because they have been changed to be "current" and to fit a certain purpose!

My favorite Shakespeare play is Henry V and I believe what they've done with the play supports your teacher's argument. First, some background information:

Henry V was king during the Hundred Years' War. The English and the French have been beefing for years and have been engaging in indecisive battles until Henry V walks in on the scene. Henry V fights at Agincourt and wins decisively (and almost takes over all of France). Eventually he becomes recognized as heir to the French throne. Henry V becomes a symbol of national unity and pride for England.

ANYWAY... During World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered a remake of Shakespeare's Henry V to motivate the country in fighting the Nazis. During the Falklands War, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher does the same thing, but in this case it's the Argentinians.

That's just one play that I think is evidence towards your teachers argument!

I agree with you that literacies and theory change over time! It's important for teachers to adapt to change because it could actually be very beneficial for our students. I also don't think that people should fear new technologies, literacies, theories. Trying something that you are unfamiliar with is often where learning happens!

# data[].attributes.body
So what does Shakespeare have to do with literacy?

While some might argue that because his plays were written for both the nobles and the common people his works contributed to increasing literacy during his time, I would like to propose a much more metaphorical approach to this question.

This semester I am enrolled in ENG 222 (a.k.a. Studies in Shakespeare) here at Illinois State University. The first thing that my professor did was play us a (definitely not appropriate for a high school ELA class) Shakespeare rap video. She then proposed to us that the only reason that Shakespeare’s works are still so popular today is because they have been changed and adapted to fit with whatever “current” might mean at that time. It has been modernized both on the stage and in film, it is parodied in TV shows and by students and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike, either for a grade or for their own personal enjoyment. Shakespeare has changed with the times and that is what has continued his success for over four hundred years.

That’s great, right? So what does it have to do with literacies and teaching?

Change. Just like Shakespeare’s works, literacies change over time. At one point in time, print text was the brand new literacy that some even feared in the same way that some people fear the new technologies that come out now. Yet, we know that there is nothing to fear as long as we can learn these new literacies and learn to teach them. We do this through adapting our lessons on old literacies, we change and we change our lesson plans to fit with whatever constitutes “current” in the eyes of our students.

Literacy evolves as more and more literature and research gets published. Theory evolves right alongside literacy. As literacies change, so do our thoughts about literacy, and so should our thoughts about teaching new literacies. Would it make sense to teach students how to write an email with paper and pen? Of course not. We need to make sure that our methods for teaching literacies aligns with the literacy practices and skills that we are teaching. We do not want our students to be surprised by the changing world; instead, we want them to be prepared to take on any new literacy that comes their way.