Great Regulars: When I was a boy, Shakespeare was no more a

mass art form than it is now. In fact, a case could be made that with film, TV and mass schooling till 16, Shakespeare is more read, more known than before. I've worked with young people doing Shakespeare and I find that after a short while they get it. As one drama teacher working in schools told me: "When we do Shakespeare, it seems like it's the quickest way to get to the 'big stuff'--love, death, hate, power, rich, poor--all that."

from Michael Rosen: The Guardian: Why Ralph Fiennes is wrong about short words dumbing down language

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