| 
 'So,
Shakespeare wrote some plays - big deal! He's been dead for 400
years, so why do we have to learn about him?'
There has to be a reason why so many people would argue that
Shakespeare was the greatest writer who ever lived.
The fact that people are still reading and performing Shakespeare's
play 400 years after his death is quite an achievement. It would
be like people still reading Harry Potter or watching Star
Wars in the year 2400!
Nowadays, if you watch a film that was made in the 1960s or 1970s,
you may think it's badly dated by the clothes worn and the way
actors speak. These are films that were only made 30 years ago.
People can still watch Shakespeare's plays and, apart from a few
'doth's and 'wherefore's, they have not really dated.
Although Shakespeare wrote about Kings, Queens and princes, which
you may think has nothing to do with ordinary people, these characters
have problems and faults like everyone. Therefore, everyone can
relate to them. (See section on 'Shakespeare's
Style') Whether it is King Lear's pride, Othello's jealousy
or MacBeth's ambition that causes their problems, we know how they
feel.
These plays show us basic human flaws played out to their tragic
conclusion. But Shakespeare doesn't judge these faults. He doesn't
preach: he simply tells us the story and we make our own minds
up. That is why they can be so effective because we as an audience
draw our own conclusions. Recently, some people have even suggested
that because of this, Shakespeare helped shape society!
Another reason why Shakespeare's plays have survived this long
is because he wrote brilliant parts for actors! Down through ages
actors have always wanted to play in Shakespeare's plays. Why?
Because it proves how good you are as an actor!
In a lot of the programmes we watch on TV, anyone could play
the parts. But how many people can play Hamlet or MacBeth well?
But this isn't just for men. Even though women weren't even allowed
to act on stage when Shakespeare was alive, (see the section on Shakespeare's
theatre) he wrote some of the best parts for women in roles
such as Lady MacBeth, Viola, and Juliet.
But Shakespeare's contribution went beyond writing some good
parts for actors. He also introduced several hundred words to the
English language including: aerial, assassination, countless, hurry, disgraceful and sportive.
Also, he coined phrases and expressions we still use to this day.
For example; 'fair play', 'a foregone conclusion' and 'to wear
your heart on your sleeve'. (see section on 'Shakespeare's
Language')
All this wouldn't mean a thing if his plays weren't popular.
But they were huge. The population of Britain at the time was a
fraction of what it is now. Even so, tens of thousands of people
would go to see his plays. That's more than some modern day pop
concerts or football matches. Nowadays his plays would be like
blockbuster films.
All this from an ordinary man. He didn't come from a rich background,
and he didn't go to the best schools. He was from the midlands,
went to a good school, but in those days if you were to be taken
seriously as a writer you normally had to go to university. |
