The Benefits of Shakespeare: What Science Says

If you're reading this post, you could probably come up with a hundred reasons someone should read Shakespeare. An adversary might then tell you that your reasons are all opinions, so they don't count. But are the only reasons to read Shakespeare based on opinion? See why a sonnet a day keeps the doctor away.

1. Puzzling over Shakespeare makes us smarter

The brain loves puzzles. Working to understand Shakespeare's words––the sounds, the meanings, and the emotions––is a workout for our brain. Just like lifting weights strengthens the biceps, reading poetry strengthens the brain.

2. Figuring out Shakespeare gives us a rush

A study by scientists at the University of Exeter (UK) used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) technology to examine the minds of people as they read poetry. The researchers saw certain regions in the right hemisphere of the brain––the regions linked to emotion and reward––light up. Our brains, quite literally, recognize that understanding Shakespeare is an accomplishment.

3. Reading Shakespeare makes us more empathetic

Researchers at The New School (NYC) found in 2013 that reading literary fiction (like Shakespeare) improved participants' performances on empathy tests. This makes sense, as the Exeter study saw poetry stimulate the most emotional parts of the brain. Shakespeare, in particular, is charged with so much emotion that it is particularly good at increasing empathy.

4. Speaking Shakespeare strengthens our memory 

The same Exeter fMRI study found that poetry stimulates the parts of the brain responsible for memory almost as much as the parts responsible for reading. Shakespeare's skillful use of iambic pentameter, in particular, makes it even easier for your brain to remember. All this stimulation improves overall memory.

5. Reading Shakespeare makes you smarter (again, but for a different reason)

Reading and understanding Shakespeare expands your vocabulary––that's easy to see. (And Shakespeare, even more than others, expands your vocabulary by a lot.) As E.D. Hirsch explains in the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, expanding vocabulary increases the number of connections in your brain that cause you to have a thought. When you have more connections, then, put simply, you are more likely to have a thought.


See why a sonnet a day keeps the doctor away!


Comments

  1. I am a writer and study artistic process. I, very closely, study S-speare to be a better story teller.

    ReplyDelete

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