Shakespeare: High Art or Entertainment?

 Should we consider Shakespeare's works as high art, or entertainment?

Today, we usually consider Shakespeare's works as a form of "high art." We include his plays in survey courses of great literature, and refer to his works in political speeches and other works of literature. While we define literary "high art" as that which represents the best of what literature has to offer (and Shakespeare certainly falls within this category), we also define it as that which is appreciated by those with "good taste"––an vague phrase that usually means "highly educated." So considering Shakespeare's works as "high art" suggests that they are intended for consumption by the elite.

We know, of course, that this assumption of intent is false. The audience for Shakespeare's plays at the time of their first productions included people from many different walks of life: from servants and apprentices to ambassadors and members of the royal court. So the interpretation of Shakespeare's works as entertainment for the masses is more historically accurate.

What are the implications of how we consider Shakespeare's work? We have already established that if we introduce Shakespeare's works as "high art," we misrepresent their intended purpose. In scholarly settings, the label of "high art" also risks intimidating students even before they read their first word of Shakespeare. And in the theater, approaching Shakespeare's works as "high art" can kill the comedy of Shakespeare's works. As we discussed in our recent post "The #1 Thing Modern Audiences Miss in Shakespeare," much of Shakespeare's comedy is sexual. Sexual comedy does not fit into the interpretation of Shakespeare's works as "high art." So the only option when considering Shakespeare's works as "high art" is to downplay this comedy.

But should we consider Shakespeare's works as pure entertainment? If we do, we risk undermining all the beautiful literary and rhetorical techniques that have led us to consider Shakespeare's works as "high art." 

So where does that leave us? We need to remember that Shakespeare's works are both forms of "high art" and entertainment. Doing so will lead to performances that are more enjoyable for the audience and lessons in school that are less intimidating for students.

Left: Raphael's "The School of Athens" (1509-1511)
Right: June Leaf's "The Salon" (1965)