FREE ESSAY ON SHAKESPEARE OVERALL ESSAY: HISTORY AND EFFECTS ON HISTORY

SHAKESPEARE OVERALL ESSAY: HISTORY AND EFFECTS ON HISTORY

SHAKESPEARE
Let me tell you a story of two young lovers torn apart by the wrath of their parents...
oh, you've heard this one already? How about the story of the evil villain plotting to
overthrow his king? Heard that one too? Surprisingly enough, these stories came into
creation over two hundred years ago. The wonder lies not in the stories, but in the man
behind them. William Shakespeare is really the defining icon for modern literature.
Because of his plays, prose, and poems; the works of Shakespeare are considered to be
some of the finest literature ever written. His stories established a foundation off
which thousands of dramas, romances, and histories have been based. During his fifty-two
year life, Shakespeare produced plays that have been the models for books and movies for
hundreds of years. One of Shakespeare's outstanding points as a writer was his colorful
mastery of the English language, which was nothing short of genius. Shakespeare's keen
annotations into the 16th century granted historians a glimpse into traditional 16th
century life. The one quality in Shakespeare's writing that never fails to astound me is
his ability at capturing the essence of human passion and feeling. My goal for this paper
is to convince you, reader, that William Shakespeare had the greatest affect on the
future of modern literature. Wish me luck. 
Before I begin to verify my thesis, I shall give you little history of the Shakespeare
family. William's family was fairly well off, and their wealth fluctuated as according to
John Shakespeare's income. John Shakespeare was William's father. John Shakespeare came
to Stratford from Snitterfield some time before 1532. He came as a leather tanner's
apprentice, although he later became involved in dealing wool and farm products. In 1582,
Shakespeare married Mary Arden, William's mother. Throughout William's life, John had a
number of professions, but was predominantly a trader in farm products and wool. Prior
and after William's birth, John Shakespeare was an exceptional member of the Stratford
community. He was elected to several high civic positions, such as ale-taster to the
borough, chamberlain of the borough, alderman, chief alderman, and high bailiff, or
mayor. However, by 1578, John Shakespeare was behind in his taxes and became an absentee
on the civic council. Finally, he was forced to mortgage his wife's estate; and was even
fined for missing church. John Shakespeare's business ventures would affect William's
future. John began as a leather tanner, became a farm products and wool dealer, and later
a justice of the peace. However, luckily for literature, it was John's later financial
difficulties that would prevent William from becoming an apprentice to his father. 
The now world-renowned author began his life with humble beginnings. William Shakespeare
was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, on April 26, 1564, (St. George's Day) to
John and Mary Shakespeare. William's accepted birthplace was John Shakespeare's home on
Henley Street. William faced many obstacles while growing up, and was lucky to have lived
till adulthood at all. During Shakespeare's childhood, plague and pestilence was running
rampant throughout England and Europe. Although we are certain William did survive
childhood, little information is known about William's education. It is assumed he began
Stratford Grammar School, because of its proximity to his house, and because of John
Shakespeare's social status. If Shakespeare did attend school there, he would have
learned reading and writing from a hornbook. This would be an accomplishment, since most
scholars believe both John and Mary Shakespeare were illiterate. Assuming William did
attend Stratford Grammar School, he would have been trained in English literature as well
as been familiarized with Latin authors such as Seneca, Cicero, Ovid, Virgil, and Horace.
Shakespeare's grasp of Latin evidently expanded beyond what he was taught in school, for
both his Latin vocabulary as well as grammar is both used cleverly and eloquently in his
writings. Aside from Latin, Shakespeare had the tendency to incorporate events from his
own life into his writings. In some of his later stories, William recounts events which
are taken as those from his own childhood schooling. Unfortunately, because of his
father's financial troubles, William had to be removed from Stratford Grammar School at
the age of thirteen. After being removed from school, fragmented sources say William
worked for a butcher as well as helping his father with his business. After Shakespeare
left school at 13, and before he re-emerged as an actor in the late 1580's, historians
have no firm ideas of what was happening in his life. This period in Shakespeare's life
was known as the lost period. The next significant event Shakespeare's life was his
marriage to Anne Hathaway in 1582; Shakespeare registered a marriage license in the
Episcopal Church in Worchester for himself and Anne. When Shakespeare married Hathaway,
she was eight years his elder, and Hathaway was already several months pregnant. After
the couple married, Anne moved into the home of John Shakespeare on Henley Street, as was
custom at the time. For some reason, this greatly aggravated the tenant sharing the house
with the Shakespeare's, actor Richard Burbage. A fight ensued between Shakespeare and
Burbage, (how Shakespearian) and Shakespeare would not allow Burbage to abandon his
lease. After the fight between Burbage and Shakespeare, Burbage sued Shakespeare until
both sides agreed to release Burbage from the lease. Hathaway and Shakespeare lived
contentedly in John Shakespeare's house after the trial until the birth of their
children. On May 26, 1583, when Shakespeare was nineteen years old, he became a father.
His first child was a girl, Susanna. Two years later, on February 2, 1585, Hathaway gave
birth to twins, Hamnet and Judith. The twins were named after the Shakespeare's
neighbors, the baker Hamnet and his wife Judith. Sadly, on August 11, 1596, Hamnet, at
the age of eleven, died. Passages from plays give us little insight on Shakespeare's
reaction to Hamnet's passing. How I may be deliver'd of these woes, and teaches me to
kill or hang myself. (King John 1595) By the early 1590's, Shakespeare was a
distinguished playwright and player in London, and probably worked for an acting company.
So begins the literary and dramatic influence of William Shakespeare.
(www.shakespeare-online.com 1-6)
The works of Shakespeare can be divided into four periods of literary development. Each
period was characterized by Shakespeare's elaboration in his writing, and his development
in his personal style. The first period of Shakespeare's writing career was really his
experimental stage. Shakespeare followed traditional formatting, and did not venture
beyond what was considered typical writing in the 16th and 17th centuries. Most of
Shakespeare's works in the first period were chronicle history plays. These were
basically plays based on facts chronicling the life of a person, or in the case of
Shakespeare, most likely a king. The first period was also characterized by Shakespeare's
plays concerning the Lancastrian and Yorkist kings. This allowed Shakespeare's plays to
be more factual than fictitious, and contain valuable insight into the royal histories of
the time. 'Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III,' (1595) 'King John' (1596) and 'Richard III'
(1598) are all based on the lives and times of the kings themselves. Because many of the
kings' lives were corrupt and violent, not a bit of drama was lost on these plays.
Shakespeare' second period began in the mid and late 1590's, while he was still working
in London. During the second period, Shakespeare's writing became very individualized,
and he strayed from traditional writing methods. The second period included mainly
tragedies and comedies, and experimentation with mixing the two to give a greater depth
to the humanity of the characters. Two of his most famous tragedies were written during
the second period, 'Romeo and Juliet,' (1595) and 'Julius Caesar.' Although Shakespeare
did progress in his writing, he retained some characteristics from the first period, such
as continuing the chronicle dramas, as is demonstrated by 'Julius Caesar.' Shakespeare's
comedies blossomed during his second period, and characters took on whole new meanings.
Shakespeare's comedic characters really distinguished themselves from his other
characters, and at the same time, broadened Shakespeare's literary perception of
humanity. The comedic characters in Shakespeare's plays each are well-developed
personalities, each possessing foibles and strengths. The interesting thing about this
is, in Shakespeare's tragedies, his characters resemble his comedic characters, in that
they each contain strengths and weaknesses that affected the outcome of the characters,
as well as the play. Several notable comedies that Shakespeare wrote during the second
period were 'A Midsummer's Night Dream,' (1595) 'As You Like It,' (1599) and 'Much Ado
About Nothing' (1599) An interesting commentary about Shakespeare's second period
comedies is that the heroines stand out and are just as outstanding as the heroes.
Heroines such as Beatrice in 'Much Ado About Nothing' and Titania in 'A Midsummer's Night
Dream' are examples of strong ambitious women in Shakespearean literature. This is a
noteworthy feature, because during the time Shakespeare wrote, women had little or no
power in society, and were never given admirable qualities in literature. All that lives
must die, passing through nature to eternity. (Hamlet) So began the third stage of
Shakespeare's writings, the period of tragedies. During the third stage, Shakespeare
produced eternal works such as 'Hamlet,' (1601) 'Macbeth.' (Macbeth) 'Othello,' (1604)
and 'King Lear.' (1605) During the third stage, Shakespeare touched base with the essence
of human feeling and misery. This achievement shows itself in the characters. In securing
the Scottish throne, Macbeth dulls his humanity to the point where he becomes capable of
any amoral act. (Encarta 99) The fourth and final period included the romantic
'tragi-comedies,' plays which are more optimistic with humanity than his previous plays.
By this I mean Shakespeare exhibits more of man's redeeming qualities, and grants the
characters happier ending. Critics are uncertain whether this is a reflection of
Shakespeare's personal life, or the change in dramatic writing at the time. Needless to
say, the stages Shakespeare's literary development underwent each were vital to history.
Weather in capturing the essence of a 17th century kingdom, creating strong female
characters, or just crafting a new writing style, each change William Shakespeare made
certainly affected literary history. (Encarta 99)
Shakespeare's characters encompassed humanity. Earlier this year, I read 'Othello' in
English class. Although the language was difficult to understand, the book was a
captivating read. One point that Ms. Vincent emphasized the most while reading 'Othello'
was to remember that the characters are just characters, and not real people. Although
this is indeed true, readers feel differently. He writes real people, one actress said
after acting in an Oscar-winning Shakespearean movie just last year.
(http://www.geocities.com/fiver_1/Articles/newsweek.html Dench, Judy) While reading
'Othello,' or any Shakespearean play for that matter, readers tend to lose themselves in
the rich plots and intricate characters, and completely forget that the stories are for
the most part, fiction. One of the reasons that Shakespeare's characters are so genuine
is that they are not limited to one emotion or characteristic. A character may start off
with a sincere attitude of goodness, and as the plot thickens, unravel a scheme to murder
the king. Characters such as Othello and Macbeth each acted out upon personality and raw
emotion, each coping with multiple emotions as well as their own consciences. Characters
don't behave according to the play; they behave according to their own individual
personalities. It was once said of Shakespeare's characters, we know to such a degree as
we know few if any persons alive.
(http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/1/0,5716,117521+12,00.html Shaw, George
Bernard) For example, in the play Othello, the main character exhibits intense feeling
and passion while debating between both reason and action. Because of Othello's
personality, action prevailed over reason, and Othello ended up making a mistake that
cost him his wife. Although many heroes in stories end up saving the day and getting the
girl, Shakespearean heroes are not invisible; they all contain one tragic fault, which
always leads to their downfall. The Achilles heel of the hero, all depends on the
character's personality, again emphasizing reality. The faults of the heroes are used in
the plays to make the characters seem more human and realistic. Shakespearean plots are
another factor that adds realism to the dramas or comedies. Murder, lust, greed and
revenge are themes that have remained enticing since biblical times, and remain enticing
today. Shakespeare's plots center around universal issues that have no right or wrong
answers. Readers identify with the stories, even several hundred years later. Because of
this, the plays have remained entertaining and accepted for hundreds upon hundreds of
years. So, I think it's safe to conclude that Shakespeare has remained popular for so
many years because his universal themes, and his very personalized characters. 
Shakespeare's writing has been unparalleled throughout history. William Shakespeare was
not only famous for his stories; he was famous for how he wrote them. Shakespeare
employed poetic verse in his comedies, tragedies, histories as well as his poems.
(Encarta 99) Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more
temperate: rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too
short a date. (Encarta 99 Sonnet 18) Shakespeare's usages of metaphors have made his
works able to interpret on many levels, for the casual playgoer, to the literary scholar.
Shakespearean lines usually contain insight into the plot, hero, or villain. Despite the
heavy use of metaphors, Shakespeare's plays do not have a set form, however they do have
a rhyme scheme. Shakespeare is also credited with being the first writer to ever use
modern prose in his writing. Shakespeare's intellect was so expansive, he found the
English vocabulary he had to work with limiting, so he invented new words for his
writings. Some of the words which came into existence because of Shakespeare are
lackluster, amazement, dislocation, and premeditated. (www.shakespeare-online Ashlee
Jensen) Shakespeare's capture of the English language has been neither rivaled nor
repeated throughout history. Several favorite themes in sonnets and plays are time,
truth, life and love, other universally appealing issues that still remain in the favor
of most modern audiences. These plays attracted both the pauper and the prince to the
theaters, both two hundred years ago, and two days ago. Most modern playwrights have
borrowed Shakespeare's plots, weather realizing so or not. Hero faces villain, love
struck teenagers torn apart by parents, racial injustice in society, many Shakespearean
issues re found in most modern-day forms of entertainment. We are faced with the
infuriating fact that Shakespeare is still our model.
(http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/1/0,5716,117521+12,00.html Brooks, Peter)
Today in England, it is extremely difficult for an actor to reach prominence without
having acted in at least one of Shakespeare's plays. Post-MTV Shakespeare has also come
into style lately, with the releases of movies like the 1997 'Romeo and Juliet,' and
1999's 'Ten Things I Hate About You.' Not only is Shakespeare being tolerated in the
classroom, he is being enjoyed outside of it. This just goes to show Shakespeare's
amazing talent at reaching all levels of age, intellect, social ranking, and individual
taste. 
Shakespeare's chronicle histories have done more than just provide us with an interesting
story about a corrupt king or a murderous son, they have given historians a second-hand
glimpse at events and times which would have otherwise been lost. Plays such as 'Richard
III,' 'King John,' 'King Henry VI,' and 'Hamlet' have reflected on actual European
history during the times they were written. The play 'King Henry VI' was based on the
Tudor family during the War of the Roses in the early 1450's in England. Although the
play was written accurately, many events were exaggerated to support the Lancastrian
side. 'Richard III' was the story of the son of King Edward, who came to be prince at the
tender age of eleven. Although Edward's brothers were the appropriate ages and had enough
political knowledge to be able to be king, the deeply rooted English traditional clearly
stated that it was the right of the eldest son or his immediate male heir to inherit the
throne to the exclusion of the younger sons.
(http://orathost.cfa.ilstu.edu/shakespeare/research/ISFr2.html) And so Richard became
king. The theme of the play Richard III' presents another universal problem. The problem
is whether to persist with tradition, despite bad conditions, or to do what is best at
the time. For the nation of England, having a ten-year-old king would not be a smart
political move. However, the reins of tradition hold tight. So comes forth this question,
If a king rules unconscionably, do his subjects have the right to replace him?
(http://www.dartmouth.edu/~engl24/essays/fleming.html Fleming, Brian) Remember that
although these plays are historical, they are also drama, and present not only
information but also a cause for interest. Shakespeare's chronicle histories not only
present information of Shakespeare's time, but they also have an even more important
underlying message; how average people viewed the situations happening around them. This
reflects not only the change in world culture since the times of the plays, but also how
values and thinking have changed as well. 
Over the years, William Shakespeare, as all writers, has suffered literary criticism for
his plays and his writing style. I am going to present to you, reader, several arguments
against Shakespeare so that you may come to a conclusion yourself about my thesis. One
argument that has been made about the writings of Shakespeare attacks his ambiguity with
his meanings. Prof. Hawkins of the University of Wales Cardiff believes Shakespeare lacks
necessary distinction in his plays, or a clear interpretation. The argument is
essentially that since there is no clear meaning for Shakespeare, then he is a black hole
into which we throw our meanings.
(http://svpaserver.perform.utas.edu.au/resources/unit_resource/drama2/shakes1.html
Hawkins, Terence) Kristie Bush disputes the belief that readers identify with
Shakespeare's characters easily, which explains for his endurance over time. She uses the
character Othello as an example, ...a mentally healthy person usually will not be able to
relate to many of Shakespeare's lead characters because, as their motivations and actions
reveal, many of them had what are now diagnosed as serious mental disorders and even
psychoses. (http://student.cscc.edu/ENGL/Engl264/res.htm#Bush: Bush, Kristie) Bush goes
on to diagnose Othello with delusional disorder, jealousy type, and explosive disorder.
Bush believes that Shakespeare's characters are not easily identifiable because they have
mental disorders. Naturally this begs the question, if people do identify with
Shakespeare's characters, does that imply they're crazy? 
To conclude, I think that yes, Shakespeare is the best modern author yet. I believe this
because of three reasons. Shakespeare's eloquent writing style, namely his use of prose,
metaphors, and his open interpretations allows the reader to take what they want out of
his play, rather than have it forced at them. Shakespeare's characters and plots are so
richly developed; the characters behave by their own personalities, an element foreign to
prior literature. The plots wrangle with universal questions of morality and tradition,
while the characters are very realistic and genuine. Shakespeare's historical plays are
an area of interest, not only for the history, for they provide a mirror for society.
Over the years, society's views have changed on many issues. Plays such as 'Richard III'
and 'King Henry VI' demonstrate how culture and people have changed over a matter of a
few hundred years. Imagine, someone in three hundred years may read Richard III and react
totally differently than you or I would react to the play today. So, all in all,
Shakespeare's literary achievements made him the most significant modern author in the
history of the English language.