Editorial Development: Bonnie Brook Communications

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Daily Reading Comprehension • EMC 3458 • © Evan-Moor Corp.
Name: 
WEEK 20
DAY 4
READ THE PASSAGE
Look for evidence that supports the author’s argument.
Shakespeare Is for Everyone
Many people say William Shakespeare’s writing is old, boring, and difficult to read. 
However, that is simply not true. Even though Shakespeare wrote during the 1500s and 1600s, 
his themes are still relevant today, and his writing is actually easy to understand if you take the 
time to break it down.
Shakespeare wrote many plays and poems that had excitement, suspense, comedy, romance, 
and human drama. For example, Shakespeare wrote about teenagers hanging out with their 
friends, fairies playing pranks on humans, ghosts haunting castles, suspenseful sword fights, and 
lovers dying in each other’s arms. Shakespeare’s writing also shows that people faced the same 
challenges and emotions in the Renaissance as they do today. For example, he wrote about a 
young man who had to prove to his father that he was responsible.
Shakespeare’s language is not too difficult to figure out if you have patience and focus on the 
words as metaphors. For example, think about this quote: “Let every eye negotiate for itself” 
( from Much Ado About Nothing). You know what all of those words mean individually, but you 
may not understand what they mean together. That is because he sometimes used words in a 
nonliteral way. Basically, Shakespeare is saying “Let each person decide for himself or herself.” 
He is saying that everyone should be able to make his or her own choices or judgments. This 
message is as relevant today as it was when it was written long ago. Whether you like comedy
or tragedy, action or romance, you may find that you can relate to Shakespeare’s stories more