So here’s a thought that occurred to me the other night. Bear with me, this is a strange one. But what the heck, it’s my site, the whole point is supposed to be my ideas about stuff.
Lately I’ve been salting my food a lot. Definitely when cooking regular entrees, but also seemingly odd choices, like peanut butter, or chocolate. If you haven’t tried it I highly recommend it. Why? Because, as the cooking shows will tell you, salt makes things taste better. The best way I heard it described was, salt makes things taste more like what they’re supposed to taste like.
Except, of course, if you use too much. Then your food tastes salty. And that defeats the whole purpose.
Ok, who sees where I’m going with this? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Shakespeare makes life better. This is kind of what I’m talking about. You experience something. You give it a little Shakespeare. It becomes a better, deeper, more enriched experience. Sure, you can give your girlfriend a card for Valentine’s Day, or you can drop a quote from Romeo and Juliet in there. Someone’s getting married, or having a baby, and you want to send congratulations. Shakespeare’s got you. Or maybe somebody’s passed on, and you need to express your grief or condolences. Shakespeare can handle that for you, too.
Just like salt, too much can ruin it.
Not many friends are to be made if you
insist on speaking all your lines this way.
Not my greatest couplet but that was kind of my point. Working some Shakespeare into your life isn’t supposed to be a challenge or a chore, it’s supposed to come naturally. If you have to force it, maybe change your approach.
My favorite part of this analogy is when you add the salt. You add it at the beginning (or during). That brings out the flavor at every level. If you add it at the end, after you’re done cooking, all you get is a surface layer. So when’s the best time to teach Shakespeare? When a student’s formal education is approaching its end? Or right at the beginning?