The subject of teaching Shakespeare at college level having been introduced: First of all, dismiss ideas, and social background, and train the freshman to shiver, to get drunk on the poetry of Hamlet or Lear, to read with his spine and not with his skull. Kinbote: You appreciate particularly the purple passages? Shade: Yes, my dear Charles, I roll upon them as a grateful mongrel on a spot of turf fouled by a Great Dane.
The discussion on how to teach Shakespeare in college emphasizes the need to move beyond students' preconceived notions and backgrounds. The goal is to immerse freshmen in the profound emotional experience of Shakespeare's poetry, urging them to engage deeply with works like Hamlet and King Lear. The teaching approach encourages students to feel the text instinctively and viscerally, rather than analyzing it purely intellectually.
In a lighthearted exchange between the characters Kinbote and Shade, Shade expresses his enjoyment of the rich, vivid passages in Shakespeare's work. He compares his appreciation to a dog relishing a spot of grass, highlighting a sense of joy in the beauty of the language. This metaphor captures the essence of experiencing literature not just as a tedious academic exercise but as a source of delight and emotional resonance.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
