I normally agree that Shakespeare should be taught in the original form. The language is a big part of what makes it great. I think it's good for students to be challenged. They will have to read legal documents (esp. my students), they better be able to decipher what it means. The skill that comes from finding the deeper meanings in the language translates very well into regular prose, and even into readings outside academia. But, I have had to teach Special Ed students as well. Books like these make inclusion possible. They provide a way for these lower skilled students to get the lessons they otherwise wouldn't have. It is much better than just reading the Cliff Notes, which is all some non-Special Ed students do. It gives them access to the cultural knowledge they otherwise wouldn't have gotten. I that respect, these books are a Godsend. I think they get used far too often for kids who should be reading the original. Of course, I've had collegues admit to not understanding Shakespeare. How do you teach what you don't understand? One of the girls who did her practicum with me had never taken Shakespeare in college. When she was told she would have to teach it, she said she never learned any of that; and was appalled when the supervising teacher told her she better learn that weekend as they would start monday.

This is definitely a "path of least resistance" approach, and it reduces Shakespeare's plays to *content*, distorting the style.

My freshman year in college I took a Shakespeare seminar, and while I remember looking up a lot of words, I don't recall it being too hard. Of course, I was motivated to learn.

Hmm... I used a translation of The Canterbury Tales when I taught it (briefly) in my Media Aesthetics course, but that's because I wasn't really trying to teach Chaucer -- some of his works were convenient examples of moral and aesthetic issues I wanted to raise.

I suppose I can see assigning a translated Shakespeare to help students appreciate the complexity of the plot in preparation to having them attend a performance -- some of my freshman got very little out of the recent production of "As You Like It," writing reflection papers that never moved beyond their frustration with the language.

You make some great points, Aaron. But the thing for me is that Shakespeare's plays are more poetry than prose, so changing the language is a sort of sin to the text. The "story" (or content) is not all there is to it and even if we're talking about educational value alone, I think students learn as much about the English language from reading a Shakespeare original than they do from a "translation" into modern speech. Of course, one could counter-argue by saying that many poems from other cultures are translated into English and you still teach those, Arnzen -- and that would be true. But in those cases, the translator usually attempts to capture the cadence and rhythm of the original poem whereas in No Fear Shakespeare I'm not sure that's the case. I can't get over the commercial impetus behind this -- we're talking about the people who make Sparks Notes, after all -- and how the movement to make these classics more palatable and easier to swallow is another symptom of the educational system run by and within (if not over by) a consumer culture.

If Shakespeare is indeed one of the greatest, which I believe he is, he will survive translation. To say you must read Shakespeare in his English is akin to saying you can't really appreciate the Bible unless you can read it in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.

I am long past taking English classes in college. I am simply enjoying these editions for the joy of reading. To each their own.

Shakespeare is unlike many novelists’ people read everyday. The modern English language has changed a lot since Shakespeare’s novels, playwrights, and poetry has been written. The old modern English language is difficult and challenging to understand and many students choose not to understand his work when it’s really not as challenging as it may appear to be. Shakespeare’s novels relate to the reality of peoples consequences in life and can teach many students a valuable lesson. English teachers should be able to understand Shakespeare well enough to teach it to their students and have them gain the golden knowledge of those who come before them.
School is supposed to be a challenge everyday, it’s not something people can coast through and expect to be intellectual and receive A’s. Why is Shakespeare any more demanding than studying for a test that is worth twenty-five percent of someone’s grade? Shakespeare is legendary for being the greatest English writer in history, so why not spread it to the youth. Not only will it make someone a better reader, it will make them more intelligent and aware. It makes people more comprehensive and has a better understanding of the modern English language. Students will have to read bigger documents in life and decipher what they mean. The skill that comes from finding the deeper meanings in the language translates very well into regular text.
English teachers are supposed to be intelligent; or at least intelligent enough to understand the work of Shakespeare. Educators of English should easily be able to teach and clarify Shakespeare. They can teach it in a unique and creative way while at the same time clarifying the meaning and language. The importance of Shakespeare goes beyond being afraid of it. It’s accepting the challenge and doing what is best for the student body.
Students today do so little in school that they need a challenge in their life. If students learn English now, is Shakespeare’s language much different? Shakespeare’s novels provide life lessons for teenagers about reality. So many novels end with an impractical finish or an unknowledgeable one. The novels written by Shakespeare are put into real life perspective of the consequences of people’s actions.
Shakespeare’s work has gone through many generations, teaching so many people the famous awareness he put on to paper. It has spread so much history since his age in time. Shakespeare should be taught in an active, engaging way, focusing on the play as a piece of drama, emphasizing interpretation, thinking about the characters and how they appeal to the audience and considering the richness and meaning of the language.