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Shakespeare influence on modern culture
Influence of literature on society
Influence of literature on society
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Shakespeare: A Common Knowledge in Society
Almost anywhere that you go in America or even the world, the people have heard of William Shakespeare. His name is probably one of the most common ones in our society today, and has been since his time. But has anyone ever raised the question why? Why do we, as a society, read William Shakespeare's plays? The answer is a simple one and that is to have a common knowledge in our societies. So many diverse groups of people can be brought together with Shakespeare's plays, for discussions, arguments, and more. The timeless ideas that are put into his plays are something that everyone can relate to, which in the big picture could bring all societies together.
If a person is walking down the street talking with his or her friend about love, and they mention the play Romeo and Juliet and someone walking nearby hears them, they will understand what they are talking about. This is called common knowledge. Because Shakespeare put so many ideas that are part of everyday life, even in this day in age, people can always relate to them. Love, hate, foolishness, jealousy, and anger are just some of the countless ideas that were put into his plays. Despite what the situation in Kosovo is or which team is winning in the Stanley Cup finals, there will always be these ideas in the world.
Anyone can relate to the ideas in Shakespeare's plays, that is what makes them so great. No matter how advanced the world becomes or no matter what kind of wars we fight, these feelings will always be there. Love is in everyday life, if not intimate than parental. Hate, such as the war going on right now, is in everyday life. People have always be entertained by these ideas and feelings, but at the same time they become closer to each other and more open minded and educated.
Common knowledge is a great thing to have. Even though we speak different languages in the world, we can all still relate to the feelings that are brought out in Shakespeare's plays. Knowledge is something that almost everyone craves, and the more that everyone knows about a subject, the more questions are raised about it and more thinking comes from that and then in the long run more knowledge comes. It is a continuous cycle that never stops.
No matter how different we think that we are, as a human race, the feelings that are brought out in Shakespeare's plays bring us together in spirit.
To start off, Shakespeare made his plays to entertain and not to study. According to Powell, Shakespeare’s “plays are not meant to be taught like this.” Shakespeare made his plays to entertain and let people escape reality. In addition, Powell stated, “ Shakespeare made students feel stupid and not
Shakespeare plays have fascinated audiences with their ability to seemingly portray the depth of the meanings and descriptions of each scene. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was for many years the world’s best love story and influenced readers and writers from around the world. Understanding the contrasting natures is one of the most important themes in this play and underpins the plot. Love and hate, life and death, lastly, missions and reality will only increase every reader’s sense of curiosity.
Shakespeare’s plays show the complexity of human beings. Everyone is different in reactions, actions, and thought. Shakespeare explores various themes throughout his writing career. Each play is unique, and their themes are handled in a very distinct way as Shakespeare writes each work with great care. Two major themes are appearance versus reality and relationship between motive and will; Othello, Hamlet, and Henry IV, Part 1 all portray these two themes in similar and different ways.
Mabillard, Amanda. “Why is Shakespeare important?” Shakespeare online. N.p., 20 Aug. 2000. Web. 19 Jan. 2014. . Fourth.
Many details of Shakespeare’s person life were left a mystery for which we as readers must wonder if his plays and sonnets give clue. When going to a Shakespearean play one will find the experience in its self, is one of love, loss, and tragedy. People would come from all around to feel the way Shakespeare wanted the audience to feel. He wanted to express his life and his way of thinking through his art which was dramatic writing. Shakespeare expresses his love through his plays such as Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Hamlet and many others through his use of wit, humor and dramatic talent.
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.
As seen through Shakespeare’s exploration of universal themes, relatable, insightful, and knowledgeable characterization, and it’s intellectually stimulating entertainment value, Hamlet, demonstrates that it is still appropriate for students to study it today. In an era where nothing is simple and nothing is easy to understand, Shakespeare has managed to capture – 400 years earlier- the issues and people of our society today, all the while engaging us at the same time.
Our knowledge is a key to our success and happiness in our life to give us personal satisfaction. Knowledge is power but not always. Sometimes our self-awareness and growth as an individual gives us negative thoughts that make us want to go back to undo it. Everyone wants to unlearn a part in our life that brought us pain and problems. Good or bad experiences brought by true wisdom can be used for our self-acceptance, self-fulfillment and these experiences would make us stronger as we walk to the road of our so called “life”, but Douglas’s and my experience about knowledge confirmed his belief that “Knowledge is a curse”. Both of us felt frustrated and sad from learning knowledge.
Shakespeare to create a lot of contrasts and moods, as and when he wants to.
Shakespeare consists of classic tales, as some would say. He uses such a beautiful language and a strong depiction of his characters, atmosphere, background and even the overall message he tries to send through his productions. Specifically, Hamlet is a very important play because it covers a broad range of themes that we encounter today in the 20th century ranging from love, betrayal, politics, war, death, insanity, espionage and so on. Shakespeare’s work was a form of art and you can get a lot out of his
Shakespeare has perhaps contributed the most to the English language of any writer known to man – literally. Over 1000 words and phrases that he coined as part of his plays and prose are now in common use across the globe. He changed nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, added on previously unheard-of prefixes and suffixes and in some cases made words out of nothing. Even culturally sensitive words such as ‘ode’ (The ANZACS) and scientific jargon (‘epileptic’) are in fact products of Shakespeare. Bernard Levin probably summed this up best when he wrote: “If you cannot understand my argument, and declare "It's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought, if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle… had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, … - why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare;…” (Bernard Levin. From The Story of English. Robert McCrum, William Cran and Robert MacNeil. Viking: 1986).
It makes sense to me to see in this Shakespeare's sense of his own art--both what it can achieve and what it cannot. The theatre--that magical world of poetry, song, illusion, pleasing and threatening apparitions--can, like Prospero's magic, educate us into a better sense of ourselves, into a final acceptance of the world, a state in which we forgive and forget in the interests of the greater human community. The theatre, that is, can reconcile us to the joys of the human community so that we do not destroy our families in a search for righting past evils in a spirit of personal revenge or as crude assertions of our own egos. It can, in a very real sense, help us fully to understand the central Christian commitment to charity, to loving our neighbour as ourselves. The magic here brings about a total reconciliation of all levels of society from sophisticated rulers to semi-human brutes, momentarily holding off Machiavellian deceit, drunken foolishness, and animalistic rebellion--each person, no matter how he has lived, has a place in the magic circle at the end. And no one is asking any awkward questions.
Shakespeare manages to make a person feel something that is indescribable better known as the feeling of love. Love will find its’ way in the end; it is something that drives all of us as human beings, for everyone wants to be loved. In Shakespeare's sonnet 116: Let me not to the Marriage of True Minds, the importance of love is discussed. As well the importance of interfering with love is noted. Love has a path for everyone, and sometimes not every follows their path. Sonnet 130: My Mistress’ Eyes are nothing like the Sun, explains the importance of individuality when dealing with love. Not just in love, but in life in general you must stay true to yourself. For it is far better to be yourself and be happy than be something or someone you are not and not be happy. Love is a challenge, there are going to be broken bonds when dealing with love, not everything is going to instantly connect. In Shakespeare’s sonnet 147: My Love is as a Fever Longing Still, he writes about the infatuation with love itself. “My love is a fever longing still” (Shakespeare). Love is what ultimately keeps you going. It is the driving force behind everything that everyone wants out of life, for if you have no one to s...
Shakespeare’s plays are still relevant today in today’s society because the relationships shown, people can still relate to. They are part of our everyday lives, even though the play is based around Shakespearean times. I think that the moral message of the play is that when people commit themselves to one another they need to be mature and have consent of their parents.
...also makes me influential. So having a greater knowledge will help me tackle problems and overcome challenges..