William Shakespeare was an extremely famous and influential playwright in his time. His works continue to be known and read in the present day. In fact, people still quote him on a regular basis without even realizing it! While he might not be as popular as he once was, his legacy lives on with so many of our common phrases, idioms, and expressions. Also, there are many reasons why he remains relevant today, even if you don’t like or understand Shakespeare’s works.
William Shakespeare’s plays have withstood the test of time, making him one of the most widely read and influential writers in history. Still, there are many people who wonder whether his work really has much to offer today or if it’s too old fashioned to matter anymore.
If you asked people on the street, who was the best writer of all time? Most people would probably say Shakespeare without even thinking about it. His work still resonates with people today in a way that no other writers can come close to matching. Why is this? And more importantly, how can you apply his lessons to become a better writer yourself? The answers are simple and complex at the same time, but once you understand them, Shakespeare’s relevance becomes self-evident.
A Quick History of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright who is considered one of the greatest writers in the English language. He lived during the Elizabethan era, a time of great change in England. Shakespeare’s plays were very popular in his day, and they are still performed today. Many people believe that Shakespeare’s works are still relevant because they deal with universal themes that are still relevant today.
For example, Hamlet deals with revenge for family members killed by another person. Revenge for killing loved ones is still a common theme seen in movies and TV shows today. In this way, we can see how Shakespeare is still relevant to our modern culture. Another example of how Shakespeare is still influential today would be Romeo and Juliet.
In this play, Romeo and Juliet, Romeo falls in love at first sight. We see many examples of this kind of love at first sight trope in books and TV shows today as well. The story ends tragically when Romeo kills himself after Juliet dies after drinking poison which he had mistakenly given her earlier when he believed she was dead already.
How He Set the Tone for Modern Literature
Though he died centuries ago, William Shakespeare’s literary works are still studied and performed today more than ever. Why? His writing set the tone for modern literature as we know it. He introduced iambic pentameter, a poetic meter that is still used in English poetry today. He also popularized the use of soliloquies, asides, and puns in his plays – all devices that are still used by writers today.
In addition, his works deal with universal themes that are still relevant to audiences today. Love, betrayal, ambition, power – these are all themes that we can still relate to. Finally, Shakespeare’s works have been adapted countless times to different settings and cultures – further proof of their timelessness. For example, The Taming of the Shrew was transformed into an Indian musical called ‘Makdee’. And Romeo and Juliet has been retold over 130 times. These adaptations often include changes to both dialogue and plotlines, which illustrate how contemporary society interprets the text differently each time. It is difficult to argue against Shakespeare’s relevance when this level of diversity exists within just one play.
His Political Views
Shakespeare was a very political playwright, and many of his plays reflect the social and political climate of his time. For example, his play Julius Caesar is about a leader who is assassinated by those who feel he has too much power. This is a theme that is still relevant in today’s world.
There are many examples of leaders who have been killed recently such as Anwar Sadat and John F. Kennedy Jr., to name just two. What else is similar? Some scholars believe that Shakespeare’s King Lear shows a democracy going bad and becoming an oligarchy. How does this compare to America? These connections might not be so strong if it weren’t for the fact that George W. Bush won re-election despite having low approval ratings from voters!
Another similarity between current events and old texts lies in terrorism: The same thing happens in Hamlet when Hamlet goes back home after being away for 20 years and finds out his father had died while he was gone, so he plots revenge against Claudius, which results in him being surrounded by the most revolting circumstances.
References to Him in Popular Culture
Though he died centuries ago, Shakespeare’s works are still quoted in popular culture today. For example, his plays have been adapted into movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s the Man. His words are also often used in everyday conversation. For instance, phrases like all that glitters is not gold and a rose by any other name would smell as sweet are both from his play Romeo and Juliet. Clearly, Shakespeare’s works are still very relevant in today’s society.
They’re even more so when you consider how many people take these quotes to heart. It might be hard to imagine an author who has had such an impact on modern life. However, despite being over 400 years old, there are several reasons why Shakespeare is still very relevant today. First of all, there are many different translations of his work available.
In addition to this, there have been adaptations of his work made into movies or TV shows such as Hamlet starring Mel Gibson or She’s the Man starring Amanda Bynes. Secondly, he continues to influence our language with phrases we use daily coming from his work such as a rose by any other name would smell as sweet and all that glitters is not gold.
And finally, due to the timelessness of his work it remains relevant for future generations long after we’re gone because it doesn’t need updating. Despite the fact that he lived hundreds of years ago, his work seems less dated than ever before. It almost feels as if he knew exactly what was going to happen hundreds of years later which makes him seem much more prescient than before.
See Also:
A Literary Analysis of Shakespeare’s Famous Sonnets
Shakespeare’s Most Famous Playshttps://literarywonders.com/shakespeares-most-famous-plays/
