William Shakespeare Research Paper

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Recommended: The relevance of Shakespeare

William Shakespeare has been credited by the Oxford English Dictionary for introducing almost 3,000 words to the English language. It has been estimated that Shakespeare’s vocabulary range is at least double the number of words used by the average conversationalist. Yet, some people still believe that Shakespeare is irrelevant today.
Good morning/afternoon all. I would just like to take a moment to really stress how important it is for Shakespeare’s works to be taught and studied in schools today. Shakespeare’s works, especially his tragedies, are still most definitely relevant. The development of the English language and the foundation of contemporary English literature has been contributed to significantly by Shakespeare. Shakespeare very …show more content…

Rhyming couplets and blank verse were incorporated into all of his play, introducing newfound language. These language features that Shakespeare developed are timeless and still used every day in Literature. Shakespeare was a pioneer in signifying a character’s social rank or changes in personality through the character’s speech patterns. Take Othello for an example. As Othello lost his reputation and social rank his language rapidly declined. Not only did Shakespeare create this phenomenon, he also managed to invent his own words. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think many people can be accredited to inventing their own words, and still have them used in everyday language some four hundred years later. I’m sure every single one of you has used some of the words that Shakespeare invented. Amazement, premeditated, dislocate, lacklustre? William Shakespeare’s works have been the building blocks for English literature and the English language as we know it today. This obviously makes Shakespearean tragedies relevant to society and a necessity to be taught. Those of you who believe that the language isn’t relevant and students should study ‘modern’ literature are discredited because without Shakespeare’s works we wouldn’t have modern literature as we know it …show more content…

Every single one of us can relate to most of these themes. These themes reflect feelings and behavioural traits of humankind; they reflect our human nature, which has not changed some four-hundred years later, allowing the message of his work to withstand time. Shakespeare’s tragedies demonstrate his understanding of the human condition. He manages to portray the same the feelings, conflicts and issues that the average teenager experiences. How many of you have experienced unrequited love, just like Roderigo? How many of you have succumbed to your weakness, perhaps caring too much about your reputation, just like Othello? How many of you have needed guidance to stay true to your moral when facing difficult decisions? How many times have you been told to face the consequences of your actions? These messages that originate from Shakespeare’s tragedies are lessons that act as stars, helping us navigate through the journey that is life. Shakespeare’s tragedies mirror the turbulent emotions teenagers’ experience as they succumb to the human condition. Teenagers are often capitulated by feelings of dread, despair and disappointment as they traverse maturity. These heightened emotions exemplify teenagers’ susceptibility to succumbing to the human condition, often letting their emotions rule as the try and develop a sense of belonging and

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