In school, I had always earned an A on any English or English-related course I took until I became a Junior in college. As an English major, I was required to take Shakespeare, and although it was a senior course, I talked to my counselor about taking it a year early. I was a transfer student and had a lot of credits to make up. He advised against my taking Shakespeare until my senior year, but I persevered.
Stacked deck
Unfortunately, my counselor was also the Shakespeare teacher! I was one of just a few juniors in the class, but I didn’t foresee a problem. The work consisted of four essays. We were to write about certain plays and our interpretation of Shakespeare’s thought process as he created them. As it turned out, grading was based on how close we came to the professor’s interpretation, so I found it a very confusing course. At the end of it, the professor flunked not only all of us juniors but about eight seniors as well. That meant they couldn’t graduate, and their parents raised holy hell with the university. The professor was fired, which was gratifying, but that didn’t change our failing grade.
A brighter view
Fortunately, there was a brighter side to my chosen major that year: my English Lit teacher was a gem. He patiently and often humorously explained even the most complex subjects. There were always questions, indicating that he was successfully reaching the minds of his students. Ours was his last class of the day, and it sometimes went into overtime. When that happened, those who wished to do so would adjourn to the local bar/eatery and continue to pepper the professor with questions in a more laid-back atmosphere.
Lasting impressions
The things I learned in English Lit have stayed with me. I am a happy, eager reader and reading has no doubt helped to sharpen whatever skills I possess in terms of writing. As for Shakespeare, I’m afraid that flunking the course has put me off the ability to thoroughly enjoy The Bard’s works. No doubt he labored long and hard over his plays. I can’t help but wonder if my personal views of his writings were closer to the mark than what my professor obviously thought they should be.
James River Writing 