Ron de Santis Bans Shakespeare from Florida High Schools

In recent months, there has been a trend in Florida to restrict the teaching of Shakespeare in high schools. This is one of the casualties of the passage of laws regarding sexual content in school reading materials.

One of the victims is classroom Shakespeare where several school districts are interfering in the curriculum and insisting on the teaching of Shakespeare via extracts of his plays rather than reading the whole play, and completely excluding some. Such minimization of Shakespeare – the use of extracts in place of reading the whole text – comes in the context of a general conservative backlash against the teaching of classic literature.

That is part of a larger trend of censorship in the United States generally. Conservatives often argue that classic literature is harmful to children because it contains content that is considered to be inappropriate, such as violence, sex, and profanity. They also argue that classic literature is not relevant to our lives in the modern world. The people making the rules are not teachers, nor do they have the wisdom of those who have sought the lessons of great literature.

This backlash is particularly strong in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis has made it a priority to restrict what students are taught in schools. In 2022, DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

The backlash is also being fuelled by the rise of social media. Conservatives who are opposed to teaching classic literature often use social media to spread misinformation about these works. They may claim that classic literature is racist, sexist, or homophobic. They may also claim that it is something of the past and not relevant to the lives of today’s teenagers.

The move against classic literature is a serious threat to education. It is important to remember that classic literature is not harmful to children. In fact, it can be a valuable tool for teaching them about history, culture, and the human experience.

Students are losing out on the opportunity to learn about important works of art and literature. And the state of Florida is becoming less educated and more divided. If the Floridian model catches on it will drag America backwards. Oh dear, just think of the great geniuses of literature. Ernest Hemingway, Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, Emily Dickenson, and so many more – consigned to the dumpster.

In particular, the Parental Rights in Education Act (also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law) prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. This law has been interpreted by some school districts to mean that Shakespeare’s plays, which often contain sexual references, can no longer be taught in full.

So back to Shakespeare.

Some of his plays have even been removed from the curriculum altogether. This has been met with criticism from many educators and parents, who argue that Shakespeare is an important part of the literary canon and that his plays can be taught in a way that is age-appropriate and respectful of all students if left to teachers.

There are a several burning reasons why Shakespeare should be taught in high schools. The plays are rich in language and can help students to develop their own writing skills. They deal with themes that are as relevant today as they have always been, such as love, loss, betrayal, friendship, family and revenge.

One of the most targeted plays by this movement is Romeo and Juliet. This play, which tells the tragic story of two young lovers from feuding families, contains a number of sexual references that have been deemed inappropriate by some school officials. As a result, some schools in Florida have begun to only teach excerpts from Romeo and Juliet, or have even removed the play from the curriculum altogether. Censoring it is based on a narrow and outdated understanding of what constitutes “inappropriate” content. The sexual references in Romeo and Juliet are tame by modern standards, and they are essential to the plot of the play. Removing them would fundamentally alter the work.

Moreover, there are a number of specific reasons why Romeo and Juliet in particular should be taught. First, the play is a classic of English literature. It is one of the most frequently performed plays in the world, and it has been adapted into numerous films and television shows. Second, Romeo and Juliet is a timely play. It deals with themes that are highly relevant to teenagers today, such as love, family, loss, and violence. Romeo and Juliet is a well-written, gripping drama. The characters are complex and believable, and the plot is suspenseful and engaging. It is the perfect Shakespeare play for teenagers.

Teenagers in the 21st century are exposed to much more explicit sexual content than they would find in Romeo and Juliet. They see it on TV, in movies, and on the internet. They also have access to more information about sex than ever before, and they access a lot more sexual material than their parent’s generation does.

If we want to protect our children, we need to teach them about sex in a healthy and age-appropriate way. We need to give them the tools they need to make informed decisions about their bodies and their relationships. And we need to let them enjoy the works of art that have inspired and entertained people for centuries.

The plays that DeSantis enthusiasts have removed are among the greatest works of literature:

• Macbeth – because it contains themes of violence, murder, and witchcraft.
• Romeo and Juliet – because it is about teenage sexuality – a love story between two teenagers from feuding families. It contains some sexually suggestive language, although nothing near what today’s teenagers encounter in their daily lives.
• The Taming of the Shrew – a comedy about a man who tries to tame a headstrong woman. It contains some misogynistic language, (which provide excellent teaching opportunities)
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream – a comedy about love, magic, and fairies, but it contains some sexually suggestive language.
• The Tempest – a fantasy about a magician who shipwrecks on an island and uses his magic to control the inhabitants. But, oh dear, It contains some violence and sexual content.

After all that we should remember that the censoring of good things never endures. Centuries after the age of Ron DeSantis Shakespeare will still be popular, enjoyed in the theatres of the future, and interpreted in ways we can’t yet imagine. As Shakespeare himself wrote:

“So long as men can breathe and eyes can see

So long lives this and this gives life to me.”

Ron de Santis bans Shakespeare from Florida high schools