William Shakespeare Essays (2753 words) - William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare Shakespeare, William (1564-1616), was an English playwright and Poet, he is considered the greatest dramatist the world has ever known and the finest poet who has written in the English language. Shakespeare is known as the most popular author, no other writer's plays have been produced so many times in so many different places. Many reasons can be given for Shakespeare's popular audience, one is because of his broad understanding of human nature. Shakespeare understood people like nobody else did, he could see a dramatic situation in all of humans that relate to each other. From this he could create characters that have meaning beyond the time and place of his plays, yet his characters are not symbolic figures, there individuals. Shakespeare wrote at least thirty-seven plays which have been divided into comedies, histories, and tragedies. These plays contain characteristics of all walks of life. Some of these walks of life are Kings, pickpockets, Drunkards, generals, hired killers, shepherds, and philosophers all were in Shakespeare's works. In addition to his deep understanding of human nature Shakespeare had knowledge in a wide variety of other subjects, such as Music, the law, the Bible, military science, the stage, art, politics, the sea, History, hunting, woodcraft, and sports. As for as we know Shakespeare had no professional experience in any field except the theater. Shakespeare was born to what today would be called middle-class parents. His birthplace was the small market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. After Shakespeare got Married at the age of 18 he left Stratford to go to London to seek fortune in the theatrical world. Within a few years he became one of the city's leading actors and playwrights. By 1612 Shakespeare had become England's most popular playwright. Shakespeare had a huge amount of influence on culture throughout the World, his works have shaped a lot of the English speaking world and other Countries such as Germany and Russia. Shakespeare contributed to the development of the English language also, people say he prevented literary English from becoming fixed and artificial. Shakespeare's works have not just been used by scholars, many words and phrases from his plays and poems have been a part of everyday speech. Some examples of the everyday speech are fair play, a foregone conclusion, catch cold, and disgraceful conduct. As far as sholars know common words such as assassination, bump, eventful, and lonely have been invented by Shakespeare. Many people can identify lines by Shakespeare even though they have never even seen or read one of his play's a few examples are To be, or not to be, Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears, and A horse! A horse! My Kingdom for a horse! Shakespeare's genius as a poet enabled him to express an idea both briefly and colorfully. In a tragedy Othello he described jealousy as the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on. Another tragedy King Lear, Shakespeare described a daughter's ingratitude toward her father as sharper than a serpent's tooth. Besides influencing language and literature Shakespeare had effected other cultures of the English speaking world, his plays and poems have been a part of education. As a result Shakespeare's ideas on such subjects as heroism, romantic love, and the nature of tragedy have shaped the attitudes of millions of people. His portrayals of historical figures and events have also influenced our thinking, for examples many people visualize Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Cleopatra as Shakespeare as Shakespeare portrayed them not like they been described in history books. Even historians have been influenced by Shakespeare's greatness. Shakespeare lived in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth a period known as the Elizabethan Age, historians consider the Elizabethan Age as a peak of English culture. Some have questioned whether the period would seem so important if Shakespeare had not lived and worked in it. Shakespeare's influence reflects his astonishing popularity, his plays have been a vital part of the theater in the Western world since they were written more than 300 years ago. Through the years the parts of Shakespeare's play are considered to be the supreme test of their art. Shakespeare's plays have been attracting audiences in big, sophisticated cities and in small, rural towns. His plays were performed on the frontiers of Australia and New Zealand, they were part of the cultural life of the American Colonies and provided entertainment in the mining camps of the Old West. Today there are theaters in England, the United States, and Canada dedicated to staging some of Shakespeare's works. Shakespeare's plays appeal to readers as well as to theater goers, his