Completely Useless – Kwesi Pratt Criticizes Use of Shakespeare in Parliament by Afenyo Markin
Seasoned journalist and political commentator Kwesi Pratt Jnr has questioned the relevance of highbrow literary references in Ghana’s parliamentary debates, arguing that such rhetoric often alienates the very citizens lawmakers are meant to represent.
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV and monitored by MyNewsGh, Pratt shared his confusion after the Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin opened his parliamentary address with a quotation from Shakespeare. Though a literature student himself, Pratt admitted he struggled to understand the point of the reference.
“I studied Shakespeare and I still read him today,” he said. “But I couldn’t make head or tail of what the Minority Leader was trying to say with that quotation.”
He wondered aloud whether even a small fraction of Ghanaians could relate to or grasp the meaning of the quote, given the country’s literacy levels. “How many of us even understand Shakespeare?” he asked. “Do you think even 10 percent of Ghanaians understood that?”
According to Pratt, parliamentary speeches should be clear and accessible, since lawmakers are elected to communicate issues that affect everyday citizens. He argued that intellectual displays, however elegant, have little use if they fail to connect with the audience.
“As a parliamentary speech meant for our understanding, it was useless,” he stated bluntly. “Maybe it shows that he’s a learned man, but what relevance did that have to the matter before the appointments committee?”
