Background ​ In September 2008, a large freshman class gathered on the campus of the Catholic University of

America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., to begin their college careers. As happens every September, the university
faculty greeted them in a convocation. That year, the highlight of the gathering was a speech delivered by
English professor Michael Mack. Mack began “Why Read Shakespeare?” with a disclosure: as a Shakespeare
scholar, he was hardly objective. Still, he noted, the value of reading Shakespeare must, from time to time, be
articulated.

AS YOU READ​ Note each reason Mack provides to support his central argument that
people should read Shakespeare. Write down any questions you generate during
reading.

I. First Read (15-20 min): ​ ​ Read the entire article all the way through.. ​Underline​ Mack’s main claims as you 
go. Highlight unknown words and define in a comment (focusing on bolded words). Finally, fill in boxes 
below.
Audience: Tone:
Struggling college students who don’t like Shakespeare Curious, thoughtful

Argument: Purpose:
Shakespeare gives an important insight of life once read To get students to have an interest in reading
and comprehended multiple times Shakespeare

1​ ​If college is a time for asking questions, it also is a time for broadening your interests.
Why should Shakespeare be one of those interests that you seek to develop at CUA? The
obvious argument to the contrary is that reading Shakespeare is hard work—and not
particularly rewarding, at least the first time round. I would like to begin by addressing what I
take to be a perfectly honest response to a first reading of Shakespeare, namely “I don’t get
it; is it really worth the effort?”
2​ Let me try to explain by comparing Shakespeare to music. We all know that some kinds
of music are easy on the ears. This is the ear candy that you like the very first time you hear
it. And after you’ve heard it ten thousand times in twenty four hours, it turns into an ear worm

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that drives you crazy.
3​ There also is music that you don’t particularly like the first time you hear it. But, ​if you
give it a chance, it grows on you.​ And you discover something new about it every time you
listen. At a certain point, if you listen enough, you realize that what seemed random is really
better described as “complex.” What had been annoying now instead strikes you as
appealingly edgy. And what initially seemed weird now looks strangely wonderful. This is the
way Shakespeare works. ​He gives you a serious headache the first time you try to
understand him—and the second. But if you stick with him, you can expect a breakthrough,
and the excitement and satisfaction of being able to say, “I get it.”
4​ The first time you listen to a piece of complex music, you hear but don’t hear. Why
should it be any surprise, then, that the first time people read Shakespeare they don’t get it?
What would be surprising—and a genuine cause for concern—would be if someone read
Shakespeare and thought they’d understood him.
5​ This phenomenon of people having difficulty understanding Shakespeare is hardly new.
It predates by centuries our​ ​truncated​ attention spans and our preference for the fast cuts of
modern video. It is a problem that the editors of the First Folio​[1]​ addressed in 1623, just
seven years after the death of Shakespeare. The editors, John Heminge and Henry Condell,
were two of Shakespeare’s fellow players and shareholders in the Globe.​[2]​ Addressing the
“great variety of readers” of the volume, they wrote:

Read him, therefore; and again and again.

And if then you do not like him, surely
you are in some manifest danger, not to
understand him.

6​ They did not expect readers to understand Shakespeare’s works the first time they read
them—and that’s why they recommend rereading—“again and again.” They recognize that
Shakespeare is difficult, but they insist that he is worth the effort—and that if someone
doesn’t like Shakespeare, it’s their fault, not his.

Summary of 1st Chunk​:

While it is understandable that Shakespeare’s language is difficult to interperet and
comprehend--especially at the first try--readers are recommended to reread it over and
over again in order to understand it. People find it worth the effort if they try, as it leads to a
greater and deeper meaning in his works.

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A Time for Exploring 
7 ​The question Heminge and Condell don’t answer—and the one I still haven’t
answered—is what you’ve understood when you’ve understood Shakespeare. When you get
“it,” what did you get?
8​ I’d like to answer this by addressing in particular those who just don’t see themselves
as, well, the literary type. Some of you out there are thinking, “Reading Shakespeare—that’s
just not me: I’m just a normal guy, and the simple pleasures are good enough for me.
Besides, what would my bowling buddies say?” I can hear others out there thinking, “I’m in a
professional school, and I just want to get into my professional studies as quickly as
possible.” Still others are thinking, “I much prefer something more scientific—I believe in
studying “real” things: fiction is fun to read on summer break, but . . .”
9 ​ In response to these serious-minded objections to reading Shakespeare, I would like to
suggest that what you find in Shakespeare is as ​serious as the subject matter of your other
courses.​ We think of biology and chemistry, history and politics, psychology and sociology as
subjects that are focused on the real world. Well, as with these subjects, ​Shakespeare offers
us a lens on the real world in which we live.
10 ​ In Shakespeare’s time, great books were
thought of as mirrors. When you read a great book,
the idea is, you are looking into a mirror—a pretty
special mirror, one that reflects the world in a way
that allows us to see its true nature. What is more,
as we hold the volume of Shakespeare in front of us,
we see that it reflects not only the world around us,
but also ourselves. What is it that we find in
Shakespeare? Nothing less than ourselves and the
world—certainly worthy subjects to study in college.

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 Summary of 2nd Chunk​:
People often look at Shakespeare and literature in
general as a subject that is not always applied to
the real world like science, politics or psychology.
However, it applies to us in life just as much as
other essential subjects. Reading Shakespeare
offers an under-the-surface theme that reflects
ourselves and the world.

11 ​ Indeed, some of Shakespeare’s​ ​contemporaries​ justified the seriousness of literary

fictions by pointing out that Christ Himself used them. Take the parable of the prodigal son:​[3]
in this fiction you learn about sin and forgiveness. And you also learn about yourself. You
realize that the story is about you—you are the prodigal son. The problem is that you are not
only the prodigal son but also the resentful, self-righteous older brother. As you interpret the
parable, you find that it interprets you—and in multiple ways. As you discover the true
meaning of the parable you discover the truth about yourself.
12 ​ 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​[4]​—a popular staging these
days—but because he looks like us. If you don’t see your own overreaching in the
phantasmagoric​ restless ecstasy of Macbeth, you need to read again. Either you don’t
understand the true nature of Macbeth’s ambition or you don’t know yourself. Or, quite
possibly, both.
13 ​ What we see in these examples is a fairly complex interplay of life and literature.
Literature teaches you about life, and the better you understand literature, the better you
understand life. It also is true, though, that the more you know about life, the better equipped
you are to understand what you find in literature. This two-way mirroring means that learning
about literature and learning about life go hand in hand. ​And it means that finding beauty and
meaning in Shakespeare is a sort of proving ground for finding beauty and meaning in life​.
14 ​ Indeed, as you learn to read Shakespeare, 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 Shakespeare 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
15 ​ So Shakespeare isn’t just for literary types, he is for anyone who is interested in
navigating the real world. . . .

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 Summary of 3rd Chunk​:
Shakespeare’s works consist of characters and storylines that mirror us and the world that
teaches lessons on the outlook of life and its struggles. These help us to understand
ourselves more as we often see ourselves in these characters.

There is Knowledge and there is Knowledge

16 ​As I conclude, I would like to remind you that college isn’t just about your head, it’s also
about the heart. And, returning to Shakespeare, I can say that he can be particularly helpful
in understanding the heart. Read Shakespeare and spare yourself a world of bad dates.
17​ Shakespeare shows how the head and the heart need each other. ​One of the most
important things for you to come to understand is your own emotional life.​ Why do you feel
the way you do? Have other people felt this way before? What have they done about it, and
how has it turned out?
18​ By reading about the heart, your head and heart become more fully integrated. This
integrity, when you understand what you feel and you hear with an understanding heart, is
the mark of an educated person. . . .
19​ So, again, “Why read Shakespeare?” I’ve proposed a link between getting to know
Shakespeare and getting to know the world and ourselves. I encourage you to test out this
hypothesis and to see if in becoming better at the art of reading Shakespeare, you become
better at the art of living—to see if through reading Shakespeare you become someone better
equipped to find happiness in life, someone who more highly values what is truly valuable in
life.

Summary of 4th Chunk​:

Shakespeare helps to understand our brain and heart and how both depend upon each
other. An important thing to know is how our emotional lives work in order to understand
life in general. By reading Shakespeare, we understand and gain more virtue, and we
are able to grow as a character.

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II. Collaborative Discussion (5-10 min): ​When you are all done reading, have a Collaborative Discussion​: 
Discuss whether or not you agree with the reasons Mack gives for why people should read Shakespeare. Then 
write a summary of your discussion below. 
I agree with Mack about reading Shakespeare to understand ourselves and life to a certain extent. Not only 
will rereading Shakespeare over and over again helps us to comprehend what message he is trying to give, 
we also have a greater insight to the language he uses. However, I don’t agree with the sense that 
Shakespeare helps to understand life because there are many other pieces of literature that teaches us 
about life as well. When talking about how we can see ourselves in Macbeth, Mack says, “​If you don’t see
your own overreaching in the ​phantasmagoric​ restless ecstasy of Macbeth, you need to read again. Either
you don’t understand the true nature of Macbeth’s ambition or you don’t know yourself” (Mack 12). He is
staying that because we cannot see Macbeth reflecting the reader, the reader does not know himself. In
reality, however, it is possible that the reader cannot seem to relate to Macbeth in that sense but can see
themselves in other types of literature. 
 
III. Second Read (30 min): ​ ​As a group, revisit and skim through the article for a second time, pausing to respond 
to the critical thinking questions I’ve provided for you. Answer each question, citing text evidence. 
 
1. ​Analyze Argument and Rhetoric - Paragraphs 1 & 2​: Sometimes the beginning of a speech includes an 
anecdote to warm up the audience. Other times, a speaker will begin by immediately making a claim and 
laying the groundwork for an argument. Read the first five lines of the speech and identify the claim that Mack 
makes. 
 
Michael Mack incorporates a claim about reading Shakespeare’s work that it is often difficult to interpret, 
making it easy to question if it is worth reading. But when given the chance and when reread multiple times, 
Shakespeare reveals more than it offers at first glance. 
 
 
 
2. ​Analyze Argument and Rhetoric - Paragraphs 1 & 2:​ The goal of using a rhetorical technique is to engage 
the audience. There are many different rhetorical techniques, including asking questions, using repetition, or 
adjusting the volume of one’s voice. How do the rhetorical questions in this section set the stage for Mack’s 
argument and engage his audience? 
 
He uses a rhetorical question to emphasize the main point of which he is arguing and gives the audience what 
his purpose is for his speech by asking a relatable question that has a sense of inclusion with the audience. 
 
 
 
4. ​Analyze Argument - Paragraph 8:​ A good speaker often uses phrases that directly address an audience’s 
potential concerns. Analyze how Mack uses the rhetorical device of addressing a potential concern of his 
audience.  
 
Mack uses this device—once again—to show inclusion and relatability to the audience. He brings empathy 
and shows understanding when he mentions thoughts other people have when considering Shakespeare and 
deciding not to for various reasons. 
 
 
 
 
6. ​Analyze Argument - Paragraphs 12–14​: One way to analyze an argument is to consider the reasons and 
examples a writer uses to strengthen an argument. What reasons does Mack use to explain how learning 
about literature relates to learning about life? 

6
 
Mack uses the reason that while Macbeth is a dictator, he is also a reflection to the play’s readers. He also 
explains that because literature has a lesson to give about life, the more literature is read, the better 
knowledge one has about life and gains better virtue and morality. 
 
 
 
7. ​Analyze Argument and Rhetoric - Paragraphs 16–19​: Speakers and writers often conclude an argument by 
presenting ideas that both appeal to the audience’s self-interest and support the author’s claim. In the last few 
paragraphs of the speech, how does Mack connect reading Shakespeare to the audience’s self-interest? What 
rhetorical questions does Mack use to connect with his audience? 
 
Mack connects reading Shakespeare with the interests of the audience by explaining how college is about 
learning not only about the curriculum but also who the student is as a person. He insinuates that by reading 
Shakespeare, you are reading about yourself. This mirroring system helps to understand the reader’s self in 
order to understand life. He uses a rhetorical question to restate his purpose in this article as well as 
emphasize that this is the reason why reading Shakespeare is recommended. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IV. ​CRITICAL VOCABULARY :​ ​ work together as a team to understand what these words mean and show 
your knowledge by applying their definitions to these questions. 
 
1 Truncate​: Mack refers to the short attention span  Having a short attention span makes reading 
of people today. Explain why having a truncated  Shakespeare difficult because when it comes to 
attention span might make reading Shakespeare’s  short, or truncated attention spans, we wouldn’t 
works difficult.  have a sufficient amount of patience to interpret 
Shakespeare’s works in our busy, mundane lives.  
 

2 Contemporary​: the writer points out that people  The viewpoints of those from Shakespeare’s time 
living at the same time as Shakespeare also made  support Mack’s claim because they explained how 
arguments that Shakespeare’s work needed to be  literary works are also used by religious 
taken seriously. How do the viewpoints of  figures—appealing to those who believe in 
religion. It shows the seriousness there is to 
Shakespeare’s contemporaries support Mack’s 
learning literature.  
claim? 

3 Phantasmagoric​: Mack characterizes Macbeth’s  A phantasmagoric state is when an object is 

behavior as bizarre and unreal Describe a  surreal and imaginable. It can often be passed of 
phantasmagoric state.    as illusionary. 

4 Vicarious​: Mack says that readers can enjoy  A flight simulator is meant to give an experience 
vicarious experiences by reading Shakespeare.  to someone without actually having them 
Explain why Mack uses a flight simulator as an  undergo the real process. However, by the end of 
example of vicarious experience and how that  this endeavor, the individual leaves with a similar 
feeling that the actual experience would have 
relates to reading Shakespeare.   
given them. 
  This analogy relates to how reading Shakespeare 
puts the reader in a time and place that gives 
them a rushing experience that they would have 

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 had they been in the same world as the 
characters, making them sympathize with the 
character.