Essay Done Right: Denying Shakespeare

As I get older, I find myself appreciating a good essay more and more. Some of that probably dates to the American school experience - essays are just another word for structured writing homework, without a lot of time devoted either to the point of the exercise or the value of a tightly-structured argument. The rest probably relates to how rarely I come across a well-done argument. Too often the op-ed pages are filled with boilerplate arguments devoid of writing style, novel propositions, or much regard for the dictates of logic or fair, reasoned argument.

Here's one that's done particularly well - Denying Shakespeare from the Wall Street Journal. In fairness, I was probably inclined to enjoy it because I already agreed with the overall point. (Although I find the "denying the possibility of genius as a democratic impulse" to be backward. Egalitarian gets closer to it, and one could argue that the perceived need for an aristocratic Shakespeare is an anti-democratic desire. But I digress.)

Technically, this is really good. The argument flows so smoothly, drawing the reader along to each obvious-in-retrospect point, that it is really convincing. The opening fantasia, too, really encapsulates the argument without coming across as trying too hard or false, as so many examples of the technique do.

Well done, Mr. Teachout. Well done.