Shakespeare's plays work but not in simply reading them, which is what our schoolchildren do, but it in performance by a good company. What would you expect to get out of reading a script for Hancock, Dad's Army, or Miranda? They are nothng without the skill of the performance,seeing them brought to life, but they would be easy to read, at least. But his sonnets are another matter. Even a bad reading gets something out of them. Children should be introduced to Shakespeare through those.