Shakespeare’s Influence on English Literature and Language Development
Many writers of our history have influenced modern and classical English literature and language. No writers; however, have made such an impact as William Shakespeare. This Renaissance writer, poet, and play write has created a lasting legacy for himself. Shakespeare is considered the greatest English writer of all time (Barrie). His work was very impactful to the evolution of English throughout history. Shakespeare was vital to the development of both the English language, as well as its literature.
Many of William Shakespeare's works have contributed to the development of the English language. A multitude of the popular expressions or terms that have been used throughout
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For example, before Shakespeare’s innovation of English literature, soliloquies had a different use. Commonly used in dramatic plays, soliloquies are the thoughts a character thinks out loud to him or herself. They were used to introduce a character, scene, or provide information to the reader. William Shakespeare diverged from this traditional use of the literary device and changed the way it was implemented in English writing. His unique use of soliloquies was primarily to explore a deeper understanding of the characters in Shakespeare’s plays and provide insight into their motives, thought process, conflicts, and emotions (Mandell). Shakespeare’s alternative use for the literary device allowed for readers to comprehend the actions and qualities of each character. Having a deeper understanding of the personalities in a play allows the reader to have a greater appreciation for the characters. William Shakespeare’s unique use of soliloquies has impacted the way a reader develops a greater understanding for events and characters in English literature today. Shakespeare’s innovative writing led to a deeper understanding of written work and was vital in the development of English …show more content…
He introduced almost 3,000 new words into our vocabulary. Many of the expressions that Shakespeare created in his writing are still often used today. Additionally, William Shakespeare is known for his clever insults. He used shocking and comical language to describe negative qualities displayed in his characters. Audience members attending Elizabethan plays found these insults to be amusing. Today, people still consider Shakespeare’s insults to be clever and relative in our modern English language. An example of a Shakespearean insult used in our modern language is when someone says I will bite my thumb at you. When using this insult people are implying the use of the middle finger and intentionally disrespecting the other person. This insult comes from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Carnagie). William Shakespeare used intense and brilliant words to mock his characters in his plays that have stood the test of time and are still referred to in our modern language. Shakespeare was vital to the development of the English language due to his descriptive and clever
This shows just how much impact Shakespeare has had on the English. language, to still be able to find phrases that are 400 years old. existence today. Not only this, but the wide, complex spectrum of emotions created by The words Shakespeare uses add depth and underlying meaning to his
William Shakespeare has become landmark in English literature. One must be familiar with the early days of English literature in order to comprehend the foundation of much of more modern literature’s basis. Shakespeare’s modern influence is still seen clearly in many ways. The success of Shakespeare’s works helped to set the example for the development of modern dramas and plays. He is also acknowledged for being one of the first writers to use any modern prose in his writings.
Wikipedia contributors. "William Shakespeare." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Mar 2012. Web. 27 Mar 2012.
Shakespeare’s ability to mold the English language into eloquently written poetry gave him the ability to affect the language as he did. Hundreds of clichés that are used daily by English speakers were invented in Shakespeare’s writings. Few people are aware, but expressions such as “dead as a doornail” (Henry IV, Part II) or “something wicked this way comes” (Macbeth) can both be accredited to Shakespeare. In The Story of English, Bernard Levin writes that “if [the reader] cannot understand my argument, and [declares] ‘It's Greek to me’, you are quoting Shakespeare” (McCrum, Cran, MacNeil 99). Levin is simply reminding the reader that much of common English speech can be traced back to idioms used in Shakespeare’s writing. Shakespeare even took the liberty to invent words of his own, supposedly inventing over one thousand commonly used words. Shakespeare was able to create words in multiple ways, including changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and coming up with words that were completely original (pathguy.com). Shakespearian words include “assassination” and even “obscene” (McCrum, Cran, MacNeil 99), and other such words that are used by English speakers daily. Although a number of writers have used the English language to their advantage, no writer has taken the language to the level that Shakespeare was able to do.
The use of puns is one prominent element in Shakespeare’s writing as it entertains the audience with references that can help better understand situations. In the play, the characters of working
...somewhat to fit the modern English language. William Shakespeare was truly a legendary author that helped expand the English language we speak today. His remarkable work will help teach and influence English for many years to come.
William Shakespeare, poet and playwright, utilized humor and irony as he developed specific language for his plays, thereby influencing literature forever. “Shakespeare became popular in the eighteenth century” (Epstein 8). He was the best all around. “Shakespeare was a classic” (8). William Shakespeare is a very known and popular man that has many works, techniques and ways. Shakespeare is the writer of many famous works of literature. His comedies include humor while his plays and poems include irony. Shakespeare sets himself apart by using his own language and word choice. Shakespeare uses certain types of allusions that people always remember, as in the phrase from Romeo and Juliet, “star-crossed lovers”.
In an overview according to Shakespeare Online, the esteemed playwright invented more than 1,700 words through various means such as combining words, adding suffixes and prefixes to already existing words, switching nouns into verbs, converting words into adjectives, and generating new words altogether (Mabillard). Some examples of words devised from Shakespeare include nouns “addiction” originating in Henry V, “exposure” from Troilus and Cressida, and “rant” introduced through Hamlet (Mabillard). In addition, Shakespeare coined countless cliches and phrases, many of which are still used on a daily basis. Currently, people are familiar with terms such as “break the ice” and to “kill with kindness” from The Taming of the Shrew, “wild-goose chase” from Romeo and Juliet, “heart of gold” from Henry V, and the popular “knock knock! who’s there?”
Generally, when people think of Shakespeare, they tend to associate him with old English and plays like Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. They wrongly disassociate him from modern English terms used by youth. People inaccurately think Shakespearean English and modern English are two very different things. However, Shakespeare authored a number of today’s catchphrases. Countless people quote Shakespeare without realizing! While many people know that William Shakespeare’s way with words rose high above his peers’, few recognize that Shakespeare devised several of today’s popular phrases, including, “it is all Greek to me”, “break the ice”, and “too much of a good thing”.
Shakespeare is famous for writing in a way that challenges the reader’s brain. He uses irony, simile, and other literary devices to form depth
Shakespeare has perhaps contributed the most to the English language of any writer known to man – literally. Over 1000 words and phrases that he coined as part of his plays and prose are now in common use across the globe. He changed nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, added on previously unheard-of prefixes and suffixes and in some cases made words out of nothing. Even culturally sensitive words such as ‘ode’ (The ANZACS) and scientific jargon (‘epileptic’) are in fact products of Shakespeare. Bernard Levin probably summed this up best when he wrote: “If you cannot understand my argument, and declare "It's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought, if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle… had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, … - why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare;…” (Bernard Levin. From The Story of English. Robert McCrum, William Cran and Robert MacNeil. Viking: 1986).
Understanding how Shakespeare uses language in this way and his craft to its fullest demonstrates how the...
Due to the amount and context of the information used by Shakespeare, I have decided to
Shakespeare, William, G. Blakemore Evans, and J. J. M. Tobin. The Riverside Shakespeare. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. Print.
Shakespeare got much recognition in his own time, but in the 17th century, poets and authors began to consider him as the supreme dramatist and poet of all times of the English language. In fact, even today, no one can match his works or perform as well as he did. No other plays have been performed as many times as Shakespeare’s. Several critics of theatre try to focus on the language of Shakespeare and to take out excerpts from the literary text and make it their own resulting in various persons, poets, authors, psychoanalysts, psychologists and philosophers.