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Shakespeare influence essay
Shakespeare influence essay
Shakespeare literary analysis
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William Shakespeare's Authenticity
Over the past several centuries, many scholars have been debating the authenticity of Shakespeare and his works. Many books have even been published questioning if the legendary playwright from Stratford is the author of his many plays and poems. This theory still remains as a possibility today and much of the evidence stems from Shakespeare’s great literary achievements, his humble beginnings, his inadequate education and the missing chapters in his life.
Throughout his writings, there is evidence of similarities between the language and literature of the time period with subjects such as law, history, politics and geography as well as manners and knowledge of the courts which would not have been known by a common citizen or the son of a tradesman. The range of knowledge which he displays would only be expected of a man of extensive education during the time period that was familiar with the royal figures that are depicted in his works. The insufficient records have added even more mystery as none of the original manuscripts have survived and were possibly destroyed to conceal the identity of the actual author. Although Shakespeare is considered by many to be the greatest playwright of all time, much speculation surrounds his authenticity through theories based on linguistic and historical problems as well as criticism.
Since the four centuries that have passed since Shakespeare’s times, several theories have been developed which claim that others may be the legitimate authors of his works. The playwrights usually focused on are Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere, William Stanley, Roger Manners and Christopher Marlowe. Other theories support the fact that perhaps sev...
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...e’s works which allow for authentic spectacle and realism with all of the available modern theatre techniques at their disposal. These presentations have led to different forms of media such as opera, ballet, sound recordings, television and movies. Even musicals have been created with "The Taming of the Shrew" acting as the inspiration for "Kiss Me Kate" while "Macbeth" acted as the inspiration for a political satire called "Macbird!"
In "Hamlet" it is said that the reason for theatre performance is to “hold the mirror up to nature.” To most, this is exactly what Shakespeare has done with the lasting impressions left by his works from their first productions to the latest versions. While Shakespeare’s influence is undeniable, many factors still question his genius and intellect as a legitimate author that still fascinates literary enthusiasts today.
Shakespeare's first tragedy has been a topic of discussion since the day it was written. Titus Andronicus "was staged on 24 January 1594 by the Earl of Sussex's Men at the Rose Theatre" (Welsh 1). Though this tidbit of information seems somewhat irrelevant to Titus, we must note that there are certain standards and practices established by a play from its first performance. It is also important to establish the general attributes that audiences attribute to Shakespearean performance.
Vickers, Brian. 1993. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
Vickers, Brian. 1993. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
In 1564, a man was born by the name of William Shakespeare. He was born to a poor family, was given little education, and had no interaction with sophisticated society. Thirty-eight plays and over 150 sonnets are not attributed to this ignorant man. Those who believe that Shakespeare was the author have no definitive proof but instead point to Hamlet’s declaration: "The play’s the thing(Satchell 71)." The true author, however, lies hidden behind he name of Shakespeare. Edward de Vere the premier Earl of Oxford is not only considered a great poet in history, but he may also be the great playwright who concocted the sonnets and plays which are now attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford, England.
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as on the of the best playwrights and poets to have ever existed. “It is a widely speculated topic that William Shakespeare did not write the poems and that up to about 50 other poets could have writen them.”("Shakespeare facts: Read," 2011) “William Shakespeare is the second most quoted writer in the english language.” ("Shakespeare facts: Read," 2011) It is widely speculated that the true Shakespeare is actually Edward De Vere. I firmlybelieve Shakespeare was not the true playwright because of his lack of education, lack of upper class etiquette, and the different penmanship over time.
Vickers, Brian. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 1993.
At least six or seven years pass after the writing of Midsummer Night’s Dream before we find Shakespeare engaged in Hamlet, the second of the great plays with an important Supernatural element, and, in the opinion of many, the greatest tragedy ever penned. (99) There is no more exalted ranking than the above. Richard A. Lanham in the essay “Superposed Plays” maintains that no other English tragedy has generated the literary comment which this play has produced: “Hamlet is one of the great tragedies. It has generated more comment than any other written document in English literature, one would guess, reverent, serious comment on it as a serious play” (91).
As evidenced by the popularity and profitability of Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise, which features the absence of any semblance of character growth and plot, spectacle can absolutely act as a substitute for poetry and art. However, as shown by the embracing of spectacle in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which was written nearly two thousand years after the Greek tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, spectacle can work simultaneously with poetry. Shakespeare intentionally plays with spectacle as a way of building anticipation and making the ending’s embracing of spectacle more impactful. The killing of King Hamlet, the bedroom, and final scenes of the play act as perfect examples of this. King Hamlet’s death, the catalyst of the play’s events, occurs before the play begins, and the manner in which it is “shown” is through the words of a ghost to young Hamlet.
Edmondson, Paul, and Stanley Wells, eds. Shakespeare Beyond Doubt: Evidence, Argument, Controversy. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, n.d. Print.
Vickers, Brian. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 1993.
Shakespeare thus leaves his audience to fabricate their own perception with serving only minor stage directions. They are then left with Hamlet’s lingering words, actions, and the reactions to predisposed whether Hamlet’s madness is actually feigned or legitimate. Nevertheless, The evidence does not actually define Shakespeare’s character, Hamlet. To relate, modern audiences must do their research to become accustomed to the way of thinking done by people of the Renaissance. All in all, Hamlet’s true soundness is left up to the people of today’s
Many would perceive madness and corruption to play the most influential role in Hamlet. However, it could be argued that the central theme in the tragedy is Shakespeare's presentation of actors and acting and the way it acts as a framework on which madness and corruption are built. Shakespeare manifests the theme of actors and acting in the disassembly of his characters, the façades that the individuals assume and the presentation of the `play within a play'. This intertwined pretence allows certain characters to manipulate the actions and thoughts of others. For this reason, it could be perceived that Shakespeare views the `Elsinorean' tragedy as one great puppet show, "I could see the puppets dallying".
Stratfordians believe that William Shakespeare was the true writer of many great plays like Hamlet, Macbeth, and Othello. This belief may be true, but there are many pieces of opposing evidence showing that he did not actually write these plays or poems. From the lack of information about his life, to his lack of education, there is almost no true reason that he could have written such amazing plays. There are many pieces of evidence showing that an earl named Edward De Vere wrote these plays. De Vere was a well educated nobleman with a degree from Oxford University. He had knowledge of the places most plays were set, and had a perfectly wide enough range of knowledge to be able to have written these plays. Because playwriting was considered
The simplicity of the Jacobean Stage and its lack of scenery focused the audiences’ attention on the actors. Discuss how Shakespeare created the grandeur of the Worlds of Rome and Egypt, and the magnificence of the protagonists, through his use of imagery in ‘Antony and Cleopatra’.
The name most associated with excellence in theatre is William Shakespeare. His plays, more than any other playwright, resonate through the ages. It may be safe to say that he has influenced more actors, directors, and playwrights than any thespian in the history of the stage. But what were his influences? During the Middle Ages theatre was dominated by morality, miracle, and mystery plays that were often staged by the church as a means to teach the illiterate masses about Christianity. It wasn’t until the early sixteenth century that Greek tragedy experienced a revival, in turn, inspiring a generation of renaissance playwrights.