Shakespeare

Eng 3000
Sect SU1X Fall 2008
Anna M. Rappa


Identify why Shakespeare is still after 500 years, considered to be the greatest storyteller who has ever lived.

Shakespeare's plays have endured for so many years and are considered timeless. Their appeal is the universal appeal of the human aspect that he gives his characters. His characters are filled with emotions that do not change over time, even though other issues might. His plays portray recognizable people in situations that deal with love, marriage, death, mourning, guilt, and the need to reach agreement among themselves. The language in his works is expressive and powerful and is still considered the most challenging and rewarding roles ever written. His characters are complex and varied in nature, which include Kings, drunkards, generals, pickpockets, shepherds, hired killers, and philosophers. Shakespeare had a great understanding of people and their nature. He included many morally flawed characters and revealed their struggles and failures just as people do in real life, sometimes successful or sometimes with tragic failure.
Shakespeare also contributed greatly to the development of the English language. Many words and phrases from his plays and poems have become a part of our everday speech. For example, phrases like fair play, a foregone condition, catch cold, and disgraceful conduct. He also invented common words such as assassination, bump, eventful, and lonely. Many people can identify his powerful phrases without ever reading one of his plays. Examples include, "To be, or not to be," "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," and "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"
His plays have influenced our thinking by presenting individual characters with conflict and emotions that everyone can relate to. He has shaped the attitudes of millions of people by his ideas on heroism, romatic love, and the nature of the tragedy, along with the portrayal of historical figures. Shakespeare's widespread influence reflects his popularity even after 500 years.