How Did Plutarch Influence William Shakespeare

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Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest playwrights and poets of all time. He introduced many new styles to the language arts and wrote many plays and poems, which today in our generation are still beloved. On April 23, 1564, William Shakespeare was born. He was a great playwright and poet and is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom and grew up with 7 other siblings. He then married at 18 to Anne Hathaway and has 3 children; a daughter and a set of twins named Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. Shakespeare had many influences throughout his work. He was influenced by Geoffrey Chaucer and Plutarch two amazing playwrights and poets. However, Shakespeare influenced many …show more content…

He was influenced by Geoffrey Chaucer and Plutarch. Chaucer was known as the father of english literature and is considered to be the greatest poet of the middle ages. Chaucer’s work “Troilus and Criseyde” inspired shakespeare's play “Troilus and Cressida” and Chaucer poem “The Knights Tales” sparked Shakespeare to craft “The Noble Kinsmen”. Another influence was Plutarch, a greek biographer and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. Shakespeare used North's translation of Parallel Lives as the primary source of “Antony and Cleopatra”, “Julius Caesar”, “Coriotanus”, and “Timon of Athens”. Not only did he have influences, he also influenced many writers today; such as Aldous Huxley, John Keats and Maya Angelou. Many authors have used phrases from shakespeare work as title for their own novels like Aldous Huxley did for “Brave New World”. The Romantic poet John Keats was so influenced by shakespeare that he kept a bust of bard beside him while writing, hoping shakespeare would inspire him to do great things with his writings. Many writers have admired and been influenced by shakespeare. In the 18th century, Alexander Pope, one of the greatest poets of the enlightenment. Pope wrote an edition of shakespeare on 1725, with significant commentary. He has also influenced major novelists such as Herman Melville, Charles Dickens, and William Fulcher. Charles used many of shakespeare's quotations throughout his works. Melville was even more influenced by shakespeare because he used devices such as formal stage directions and extended soliloquies in Moby-Dick. George Bernard ridiculed those who worshipped shakespeare, inventing the term bardolatry, to denote the study of Shakespeare. Scholars believed he secretly admired Shakespeare. “West Side Story” was influenced by Romeo And Juliet, when one group doesn't get along with another group and someone ends up falling in love from opposite sides. Romeo claims his love

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