Shakespeare is to modern literature what Pong is to video games. He is basically the origin of so much but we've also come a long way from there and while he certainly captured a lot of the basic human psyche and managed a portfolio that was amazing and groundbreaking for his time, his works are far less relevant now than they were back when they were new. The only people to whom it should be worth reading, then, are people who are actively interested in performing theater, and only that to truly understand the origins of what we have today. I have no problem acknowledging his contributions as long as others will acknowledge that, to the average audience, his plays are not interesting. And, if you know what Shakespeare did, you should know that his works were intended for the average audience. They were full of slapstick, foul language and crude humor as well as intense, over-the-top violence and atrocities intended to shock and amuse even the most basest of viewers. Now not only is his language cumbersome to understand to the average viewer but his plots, due to a lifetime of being re-written and adapted and plagiarized, have become familiar and redundant to most people without even realizing so. I think Shakespeare should be remembered for what he did, but also recognized as unnecessary in its original form to the modern world.
However, I still think his sonnets are rubbish.
EDIT: Having studied a lot of theater, I enjoy Shakespeare's plays. However, I've had this experience in other situations and I can fully understand this point of view and why people would not find him interesting or worthwhile.
maybe it's just because i'm an english major, but i don't think shakespeare is capable of being overrated. the magnitude of his contribution to language and literature is staggering. virtually every basic storyline can be traced back to one of his plays, and most more complex ones too. the depth and realism of his characters is unprecedented, and was almost definitely beyond the ken of many of his contemporaries. that and they ALL embody various social standards and conventions that were prevalent then and linger today, from racism to insanity.
