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Shakespeare cultural relevance today
Influence of Shakespeare in today's culture
Literary analysis of William Shakespeare
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Recommended: Shakespeare cultural relevance today
Not many people might be interested in plays and the theatre, and many plays soon after being performed become forgotten to the ages. However some become timeless, ask any random person walking down the street what they know of Shakespeare or any of his plays and they most likely will be able to quote a few lines of the famous “to be or not to be” or mention Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare has stood the test of time, it has been many years since his death and we continue to study and read his works, amazed and baffled by the language, his plots, and in awe of his poems. Shakespeare’s plays are still relevant today because of the timeless themes and realistic characters; while the author is relevant himself because of how strongly he has impacted …show more content…
Themes such as love, betrayal, revenge, death, and greed are still relatable in today’s society; it is because of themes such as these that we can still connect and understand his plays. Themes such as the ones Shakespeare used comes straight from the human condition which we are able to feel; everyone feels love, most of us have at one point dealt with death in our lives, some might have felt betrayal and the need for revenge, and some might fight with their greed (Jenson). All these are emotions that we can relate to in some way or the other. Take the play Hamlet for example; as the audience listens to Hamlet’s monologue we are able to relate to his shock, anger, and disgust for his situation. The audience is able to at least sympathize with his need to avenge his father’s death. Furthermore, in Romeo and Juliet the theme of love and tragedy rings strong as the young couple fights for their relationship and the audience roots for their happily ever after. Everyone wishes for a love just as passionate as Romeo and Juliet’s. No matter how many generations pass human emotions do not change and because of this Shakespeare’s plays still stay relevant and just as compelling as the era it was written in
Romeo and Juliet is arguably the most famous story about love in literature. This is in part because of the tension caused by the look the different characters have towards what love means and its role in life. These views were very important for the progression of the story. Their different views collided and caused much grief and sorrow for the characters throughout play. Many important events that propelled the story forward would not have happened without the various feelings towards love the characters have and how they felt of and reacted to the other characters’ view on love.
The prosperous and vibrant Elizabethan Age made England the heart of all commerce, culture, and most importantly, theatre. Romeo and Juliet, the masterpiece tragedy by William Shakespeare, takes place in this time period and relays the story of two young lovers whose ill-fated deaths eventually end an ancient family feud. The two, Romeo and Juliet, come from quarreling families who adamantly disapprove of their union. Thus, after knowing each other for only a few days, the star-crossed pair marries in secrecy and continues their furtive relationship. The situation complicates as the story progresses, with a previous love, arranged marriages, a perilous plan, and several deaths. Ultimately, Romeo and Juliet both fall to the consequences of their actions and have a pain-filled and sorrowful demise. Shakespeare’s use of various tactics in developing Romeo’s character in the play Romeo and Juliet shows that Romeo has an impulsive and emotional disposition. Romeo’s inner feelings, his actions and responses, and others’ opinions about him all help shape his character. William Shakespeare’s methods all combine to draw Romeo’s disposition.
In Act I of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare demonstrates different forms of love that characters face. From the beginning, Romeo struggles to find true love and what love really is. As for Juliet, she also struggles on what love is, but also finding her own voice. And when finally finding true love they discover that they have fallen in love their own enemy. They both realize that the idea of love can be amazing, but also a painful experience. Shakespeare demonstrates love versus evil and the forms love takes that is acknowledged as an universal issue that connects different types of audiences. Audiences are captured by relating on love and the emotions that are displayed. From Romeo and Rosaline’s unrequited love, Paris and Juliet’s false love, and Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated love, create the forms of love that establishes love as a leading theme in Act I.
Even though, Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet over 500 years ago the struggles and social pressures portrayed in the play are still present in the cutthroat society of high school. Two perfect themes that are shown tremendously throughout Shakespeare’s time and our modern times are; “Love” and “Fate”. These are constantly running through people’s minds all day as they try to unravel them. No matter the time period there will always be similarities especially between the teenager years.
Shakespeare plays have fascinated audiences with their ability to seemingly portray the depth of the meanings and descriptions of each scene. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was for many years the world’s best love story and influenced readers and writers from around the world. Understanding the contrasting natures is one of the most important themes in this play and underpins the plot. Love and hate, life and death, lastly, missions and reality will only increase every reader’s sense of curiosity.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – popularly considered by many to be the quintessential love story of all time – is a play that we are all familiar with in one way or another. Whether it be through the plethora of portrayals, adaptations and performances that exist or through your own reading of the play, chances are you have been acquainted with this tale of “tragic love” at some point in your life. Through this universal familiarity an odd occurrence can be noted, one of almost canonical reverence for the themes commonly believed to be central to the plot. The most widely believed theme of Romeo and Juliet is that of the ideal love unable to exist under the harsh social and political strains of this world. Out of this idea emerge two characters who, throughout history, have been heralded as the world’s greatest lovers and who have been set up as yardsticks against which future lovers must be measured. The tragic courtship between Romeo and Juliet has become so idealized and revered that even the Oxford English Dictionary lists this definition under the word ‘Romeo’:
Love is often perceived as something perfect and flawless in today’s society. However, Romeo and Juliet, a play written by William Shakespeare, portrays love as a form of passionate and violent force that comes with both rewards and consequences.The tragedy focuses on two young lovers called Romeo and Juliet, whose families are intertwined in an ancient feud that disrupts the peace in Verona, Italy. For love, the two teenagers are driven to overcome obstacles they will never imagine doing, and as a result, they along other family members are forced to pay the price of their lives. Through the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare exhibits the reality of young love through the portrayal of the Queen Mab Speech, the impulsive actions taken by both lovers, and the results caused by the powerful nature of their love.
Shakespeare is Important William Shakespeare’s plays are being made into box office film hits at an incredible rate. Films such as Much Ado About Nothing with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, Hamlet with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, Othello with Laurence Fishbourne and Henry V with Kenneth Branagh have been seen by a surprising number of teenagers. Often they have not understood it all, or even half of it, but they have been affected by the powerful characters and by the Shakespearean magic which has affected audiences around the world for centuries. They want to know more, they want to understand, and what better motivation can any teacher ask for than that students WANT? That alone is sufficient reason for any English teacher to start a course in Shakespeare.
The classic play Romeo and Juliet by the famous playwright William Shakespeare is one of the most beautiful love stories of all time and has captured and inspired readers everywhere. Regardless of the fact that it was written in the 1500’s, it is still being performed and extolled today. There is a multitude of reasons for such continuance of the play. First of all, its everlasting themes of love and hate enable people to deeply relate to the story. Secondly, its memorable characters deeply imprint on the minds of readers. And lastly, above all, is its magnificent language which many writers today regard in awe. These three elements make the acclaimed play, Romeo and Juliet, one of the most timeless stories of our lives.
Countless people all around the world are familiar with the idea of the famously tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. Their heart wrenching love story has been an inspiration for many literature pieces throughout various genres and later cinematic works of art. The young couple was not only memorable for their passionate, devoted love, but also the tragic events that ultimately lead to their death. One aspect of the play that has a strong impact on the audience is Shakespeare’s use of charismatic and compelling language seen throughout the play. The unique personality traits used to describe Romeo and Juliet allows many to relate to the young lovers. Shakespeare’s use of descriptive language, allows the audience to understand the societal expectations, beliefs, and values set out for the men and women of Verona, Italy. Romeo’s character, however, can be been seen defying these expectations and also
Across the Universe of Time: Shakespeare’s influence on 21st century society. It is harder to imagine a more universal writer than William Shakespeare. Rarely, if ever, is one of his many plays not being performed anywhere in the world and similarly rare is the tertiary English student who has not examined his work at length. His plays, sonnets and poems are common fodder for high school English departments across the globe.
Shakespeare has created stories that are so powerful, emotional, comedic, tragic and romantic that they are still continuously remembered and studied in the modern era. Though the essence of his talents does not lie in the simple themes behind his plays, but more so in
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.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a play commonly viewed and known as a true love story; however, after analyzing several hints portrayed by the protagonists, it is evident that Shakespeare did not intend to make Romeo and Juliet seem like a true love story but a criticism of how superficial society’s view on love is.
William Shakespeare's Relevance Today For as long as formal education has existed in Britain it has been a largely standard assumption that teaching the works of William Shakespeare is relevant and necessary. Perhaps the relevance of his writing is taken for granted, perhaps it is necessary to re-examine the role of Shakespeare for the modern audience. There are indeed many people who question the relevance of this 440 year old playwright to a 21st century audience, taking it even as far as perhaps the greatest heresy of all, questioning the necessity of GCSE pupils learning Shakespeare at all.