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Shakespeare's influence on English literature
Relevance of Shakespeare and his plays to the contemporary world
Shakespeare's influence on English literature
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In today’s world the quality of the art form called writing is said to be somewhat diminishing, it is important for English literature to keep some studies of classic literature, such as Shakespeare. I think well rounded education must have a strong foundation in both modern and classical literature, for the foundation in classical literature, an in-depth study of Shakespeare’s works would be more than sufficient. Not only was Shakespeare so skilled in his writing that he has become a significant point in the history of literature, but a majority of his works were written on such basic human themes that they will last for all time and must not be forgotten.
William Shakespeare has become landmark in English literature. One must be familiar with the early days of English literature in order to comprehend the foundation of much of more modern literature’s basis. Shakespeare’s modern influence is still seen clearly in many ways. The success of Shakespeare’s works helped to set the example for the development of modern dramas and plays. He is also acknowledged for being one of the first writers to use any modern prose in his writings.
Another sign of a truly dominant writer is one who finds even the entire existing vocabulary of the language limiting to his creativity. Shakespeare often did, and so on occasion created his own form of grammar and vocabulary, much of which has since become commonly used. Few modern writers have the skill to make new words which stick in the language, or to write in such a way that their words become used centuries later.
By using just the right combination of words, or by coming up with just the right image, Shakespeare wrote many passages and entire plays that were so powerful, moving, tragic, comedic, and romantic that many are still being memorized and performed today, almost four centuries later. But the greatness of Shakespeare’s ability lies not so much in the basic themes of his works but in the creativity he used to write these stories of love, power, greed, discrimination, hatred, and tragedy.
Therefore there can be no doubt that knowledge of the works of Shakespeare is needed for any education of English literature to be considered complete and well rounded.
The works of William Shakespeare have been one of the diligent hotspots for adaptation and appropriation. We see dramatic adaptation of Shakespearean playtexts began as early as Restoration period. Different fields like poetry, novels, advertisements, and movies have connected themselves with Shakespeare as well. The adaptation of Shakespeare makes him fit for new social settings and distinctive political philosophies.
Shakespeare was and is an extremely crucial figure in the English language. Period. Some may say that “Shakespeare’s use of the English language is irrelevant in today’s modern world”(Dusbiber 1), or simply “Shakespeare is useless”. Some may also refute that there are other great writers out there that are from all sorts of different cultures, that can teach students of different ethnicities the same ideas and same topics that Shakespeare teaches, which may be the case for some people. However, if you look at the
Shakespeare is Important William Shakespeare’s plays are being made into box office film hits at an incredible rate. Films such as Much Ado About Nothing with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, Hamlet with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, Othello with Laurence Fishbourne and Henry V with Kenneth Branagh have been seen by a surprising number of teenagers. Often they have not understood it all, or even half of it, but they have been affected by the powerful characters and by the Shakespearean magic which has affected audiences around the world for centuries. They want to know more, they want to understand, and what better motivation can any teacher ask for than that students WANT? That alone is sufficient reason for any English teacher to start a course in Shakespeare.
Although William Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most revered and well-renowned authors of all time, controversy surrounds the belief that he actually produced his own literary works. Some rumors even go so far as to question the reality of such a one, William Shakespeare, brought on by paralleling the quality of his pieces with his personal background and education. With such farfetched allegations, it persuaded others to peek into the person we all are taught to learn as “Shakespeare”, but who is actually the person behind these genius works of literary promise and enlightenment? To some, Shakespeare is as much accredited to his works as frequently as you see his name placed. To others, Shakespeare is a complex enigma into which we the people are supposed to unravel; the true author behind a falsely-given pseudonym. The debate pertaining to the true authorship of William Shakespeare’s works are still questioned in today’s society.
William Shakespeare, a playwright of the 1600’s, changed how English literature is looked at to this very day. He has influenced the way a character’s emotions are captured on a page and shaped the English language. Drama, tragedy, romance, and comedy are shown in a new light as he manipulated words to become stories of his own. Shakespeare has written numerous classic pieces that he has been credited to such as Romeo and Juliet. Each work has a new plot and storyline, but, Shakespeare seems to use common techniques and styles throughout many of the pieces. Numerous authors use this same method, which develops fluidity and patterns to their stories. This allows the author to be known for a style through their work. For Shakespeare, his works share similarities such as power struggles, love and romance, immediate conflicts, and interlinking sub stories.
One of the greatest controversies in today’s schools is deciding whether or not to integrate Shakespeare into the classroom setting. It should be taught because it is productive, as well as having very beneficial outcomes which are excellent for students. Ms. Busbiber believes “that our students should be excited about what they read — and that may often mean that we need to find the time to let them choose their own literature,” (“The Washington Post”). Reasons to view Shakespearean works in a positive light are that they not only require students to “be knowledgeable about the London theatre in Shakespeare’s time: the plays, actors, and wider culture,” (“Irish Times”), but also expand a person’s way to problem-solve. Shakespeare is notorious
William Shakespeare should be taught in the 9th grade because Shakespeare’s work is still relevant till this day. In this essay I will prove that Shakespeare is still relevant by using multiple arguments. I will be proving that Shakespeare tells the truth in his plays, that his audience can relate to his plays, and I will prove he is still relevant. I will be using multiple resources to backup my claim.
Through comedy and tragedy Shakespeare reveals the vast expanses and profound depths of the character of life. For him they are not separate worlds of drama and romance, but poles of a continuum. The distinction between tragedy and comedy is called in question when we turn to Shakespeare. Though the characters differ in stature and power, and the events vary in weight and significance, the movements of life in all Shakespeare's plays are governed by the same universal principles which move events in our own lives. Through myriad images Shakespeare portrays not only the character of man and society but the character of life itself.
Shakespeare is well-known throughout the world today, as it is taught to teenagers in their high school years. The relevance of Shakespeare’s play in today’s day and age is up for great debate as to whether or not it should be taught at all. Many believe that it is a necessity to English class and the overall English language, while other believe it to be a waste of time and energy considering how difficult it is to understand. Shakespeare is no longer relevant in twenty-first century classrooms; therefore, it should not be a requirement in English classrooms. Many English teachers are told that they must teach their students Shakespeare without their opinion on the subject, even though they come to know the children in their classrooms and
Shakespeare is not relevant because he wrote over 400 years ago, he wrote in Old English which is not easily understood now, and it’s not relatable toward teenagers because the teeanagers described by Shakespeare are silly and unrelenvant.
Romeo and Juliet have the most well known love story of all time, even though some people have never even read it. This is the impact Shakespeare has had on literature. He wrote plays over a century ago, yet they are still known and popular, such as Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, and of course Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s work should be taught in school due to that fact that he made so many advancements in the English language, he is a popular reference, and his works explain how people used to live and speak.
The impeccable style and craft of Shakespeare’s writing has always been looked upon with great respect, and it continues to serve as an inspiration to writers and thinkers today even as it did when it was being first performed in London. Shakespeare’s modern audience, however, is far less diverse than the one for which he originally wrote. Due to the antiquity of his language, Shakespeare’s modern readership consists mostly of students and intellectuals, whereas in Shakespeare’s own time, his plays were performed in playhouses packed with everyone from royalty to peasants. Because of this, Shakespeare was forced to write on many different levels, the most sophisticated of which appealed to his more elite audience members, while the more straightforward and often more crude of which appealed to his less educated viewers, and the most universal of which still appeals to us.
Shakespeare’s novels are timeless relics of history, and the literary genius behind the crafting of these books should not be ignored. First, his writing promotes teamwork in classrooms. According to a student, who was interviewed by the University of Alberta, “At the beginning I thought it was hard to read. But as we together as a class went through line by line, it was easier to understand.” (Balinska 5). If classmates work through the text as a group, a sense of determination is shown as they decipher the thematic elements of the novel. On the other hand, some claim that studying Shakespeare’s work in class leads to lack of interest among students. This is false. When a pupil reads this type of writing with a group, he will take more time
Across the Universe of Time: Shakespeare’s influence on 21st century society. It is harder to imagine a more universal writer than William Shakespeare. Rarely, if ever, is one of his many plays not being performed anywhere in the world and similarly rare is the tertiary English student who has not examined his work at length. His plays, sonnets and poems are common fodder for high school English departments across the globe.
Arguably the greatest playwright of his time, perhaps in all of history, William Shakespeare's literary works have had a tremendous impact (see Appendix 2). Reaching into the pop culture of the modern world through movies and quotes used in everyday conversation, Shakespeare's influence is astounding (see Appendix 1). One rarely stops to think, however, about events that had an impact on Shakespeare's life, particularly his writing. The outbreak of the plague, social disparity, political unrest, just a few of the historical happenings that impacted Shakespeare's plays, including Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Henry IV