Premium Essay

Shakespeare's Style of Writing

In:

Submitted By Salsabil
Words 348
Pages 2
Literary genius of the 16th century

Shakespeare's style of writing

Who was Shakespeare ? What made him “the greatest writer in the English language ?
Why Shakespeare's work has stood the test of time ?

To understand Shakespeare's great gift for writing or rather try to we have to learn more about his style of writing.
Shakespeare had a very moving writing. He was an emotional and passionate man. He has the ability to write human feelings as eloquently as nobody can. In Sonnets and Hamlet : examples : "Doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love". Hamlet Quote (Act II, Sc. II).
"Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs." Hamlet Quote ( Act I, Sc. I).

Shakespeare used over 25,000 different words in his writings.
He is the magician of words.
He made many play-words, quotes and expressions still used nowadays.

(Beginning of his career in 1592
Robert Greene : Elisabethan playwright called WS “upstart cow”)

Shakespeare wrote mainly tragedies.
His work contain thousands of quotes from the Gevena Bible (Matthew)

There is many changes in his style of writing.

His first plays were acknowledged by the public :
The Comedy of Errors, and Taming of the Shrew
He wrote tragedies as well as comedies.
From 1580 to 1613 : he wrote 37 plays!
He had the ability to represent human nature. He saw life as a theater and theater as life. He gave the public what he want. He was a formidable storyteller. He told every kind of story: comedy, tragedy, history, melodrama, adventure, love stories and fairy tales.
After he was known for his humorous plays he shifts his style to darkness and tragedy : Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Othello.
Incidentally many comedies he wrote were noticeably un-humourous.
Some suggest that this switch in style was family-related, others that he wanted to please the crowds at

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Western Standards

...Mullen skillfully mimics the sonnet “my mistresses’ eyes are nothing like the sun.” Mullen’s expert use of poetic structure and subject matter highlights the similarities and the differences to the original writing by Shakespeare. Despite Mullen and Shakespeare’s pieces being written more than three decades apart, Mullen identifies the same slanted view of beauty that is present in Shakespeare’s original work, although Mullen presents his view in a contemporary fashion. The poem “Dim Lady” provides current readers with a lively satire that is concerned with flawed standards of beauty in a modern day format. Although “Dim Lady” and “my mistresses’ eyes are nothing like the sun” share many similarities in the areas of subject matter, style, and rhyme scheme, the two pieces also present many differences. Shakespeare’s sonnet “my mistresses’ eyes are nothing like the sun” exhibits a very traditional style and poetic structure. The poem includes a rhyme schemes that is used as the conclusion for the piece. Shakespeare uses a traditional form of sonnet in his work because this was the honored style during his period. Shakespeare’s sonnet includes many outdated and invalid stereotypes as well as some vocabulary that is not utilized in present day. For instance, in Shakespeare’s sonnets uses the noun “dun” which is defined as a dusty color, but the word is not common and is unfamiliar to the readers and modern day poetry. The word was used mostly between the seventeenth and nineteenth...

Words: 897 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

William Shakespeare Research Paper

...Renaissance because his work has influenced literature and theater for over 400 years, and he created a mirrored thought of the Renaissance. William Shakespeare's early life is considered mysterious, but with the help of scholars they think that William shakespeare went to King's New School which taught reading and writing. William Shakespeare was born in an english town of Stratford-on-avon. Scholars assume and consider Shakespeare's birthday as April 23, 1564. William Shakespeare’s death was also unknown but what we do know is that he was interred at Trinity Church on April 25, 1616, but it is believed that he died on his birthdate. William Shakespeare married at the age of 18 with Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582 in Worcester. One of Shakespeare’s famous works is “Hamlet”. This work shows valued failure, revenge, and betrayal. These examples are what made William’s...

Words: 569 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

William Shakespeare

...thought of to be an inspiration to many upcoming writers and has helped to shape literature into what is today. Shakespeare’s writing s give vivid and interesting details about the topic he is writing about. His writings also tend to make others enjoy reading more often. Even though Shakespeare has no birth records there are church records which indicate that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. From that information they believed that he was born either on or near April 23, 1564. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. William was 18 and she was 26 and also pregnant. Shakespeare’s first child was a daughter born on May 26, 1583, they named her Susanna. Shakespeare was the third child of John Shakespeare who was a leather merchant and his mother Mary who was a local landed heiress. Shakespeare had two sisters Joan and Judith, and his three younger brothers Gilbert, Richard and Edmund. From roughly 1594 Shakespeare was an important member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men Company of theatrical players. It was said that “Shakespeare wrote plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict. Shakespeare was also often called the English national poet and is to be considered the greatest dramatist of all time. Also there are little Cox 2 records of Shakespeare’s childhood and virtually none about his education, but scholars think Shakespeare attended King’s New School. Others...

Words: 616 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

William Shakespeare Research Paper

...Shakespeare, a household name, was a British playwright who changed theatre forever through his life, works, and legacy. His birth was a significant event for the world of theatre. Shakespeare’s works radically changed literature by setting a new standard of excellency. His legacy, a legacy of greatness, will live on. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. His actual birthdate is unknown. During his lifetime, children were baptized three days after their birth. He was baptized on April 26, 1564, so his birthday is speculated to be April 23, 1564 (Bio.com). Because his family was so large, William’s parents didn’t keep very accurate records of their children. William was the third child of John and Mary Shakespeare....

Words: 888 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Merchant of Venice Thematic Essay (Falsehood)

...William Shakespeare: Merchant of Venice The name William Shakespeare will be remembered for as long as one can imagine. People from all around the world constantly read Shakespeare’s plays, as they are known to be some of the best plays in history because of their unique and profound qualities that helped Shakespeare earn his title of “the greatest dramatist of all time.” Unfortunately, because Shakespeare lived long before modern-day playwrights and poets, the worlds literary society knows much less about him and his background than they do about his plays. Although there is very little evidence that proves Shakespeare’s existence, he did once live during the 16th century. Historians have made assumptions about Shakespeare’s life and the events that he experienced in order to piece together a timeline of the mysterious poet’s life. There are not any actual birth records that exist, but scholars have found church records, which state that a William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Educated assumptions are all that scholars have in terms of sources relating to the early life of Shakespeare. However, information about his adulthood has been gathered and allows for people to get to know the poet a little more personally. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582, in Worcester, in Canterbury Province. Shakespeare was only 18 when he and Anne got married. His young age did not stop him from becoming a father shortly after his...

Words: 2032 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

The Works of Shakespeare

...RUSANGU UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE ENGL 210 Shakespeare Notes LECTURER SAMBOKO, B. M. There are many outstanding people in history: - our heroes… our role models…. Politicians: Napoleon, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, John F Kennedy, Margaret Thatcher, Mahatma Gandhi, Kenneth Kaunda Community Service: Mother Teresa, George Muller, David Livingstone Religious: Apostle Paul, the other apostles, Ellen G White, Anderson, The pope, Martin Luther, Sports: Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo, Benzema - Michael Jordan, Pele, Maradona Music: Lady Gaga, jZ, Tupak, Michael Jackson, Jim Reeves, Jimmy Hendricks, Literary Circles: Before Shakespeare the great names in literature were: o Homer – Ancient times - well known for his great epics o Dante – Middle Ages – wrote brilliantly on circumstances of human existence o Aristotle – the great philosopher ENTER SHAKESPEARE – THE LITERARY GIANT Spelling of Shakespeare: Spelling not yet standardized, thus name spelled in different ways • Shakespeare, Shakspere, Shackspere, Shaxper, Shagspere, Shaxberd, etc. Shakespeare: The most well known playwright of Elizabethan times is Shakespeare. But there were also other writers who in their time were just as, or even more famous than him. WHAT MAKES SHAKESPEARE STAND OUT? – The volume of his works Plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare ■ 14 COMEDIES – funny play...

Words: 8454 - Pages: 34

Free Essay

How to Write Research Ppaper

...Chapter 1. How to Write an A+ Research Paper This Chapter outlines the logical steps to writing a good research paper. To achieve supreme excellence or perfection in anything you do, you need more than just the knowledge. Like the Olympic athlete aiming for the gold medal, you must have a positive attitude and the belief that you have the ability to achieve it. That is the real start to writing an A+ research paper. CONTENTS: STEP 1. CHOOSE A TOPIC STEP 2. FIND INFORMATION STEP 3. STATE YOUR THESIS STEP 4. MAKE A TENTATIVE OUTLINE STEP 5. ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES STEP 6. WRITE YOUR FIRST DRAFT STEP 7. REVISE YOUR OUTLINE AND DRAFT Checklist One Checklist Two STEP 8. TYPE FINAL PAPER STEP 1. CHOOSE A TOPIC Choose a topic which interests and challenges you. Your attitude towards the topic may well determine the amount of effort and enthusiasm you put into your research. Focus on a limited aspect, e.g. narrow it down from "Religion" to "World Religion" to "Buddhism". Obtain teacher approval for your topic before embarking on a full-scale research. If you are uncertain as to what is expected of you in completing the assignment or project, re-read your assignment sheet carefully or ASK your teacher. Select a subject you can manage. Avoid subjects that are too technical, learned, or specialized. Avoid topics that have only a very narrow range of source materials. STEP 2. FIND INFORMATION Surf the Net. For general or background information...

Words: 2333 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Literary Heritage Poetry

...period-of-time the work was created was significant to a person, the person likes the style of the writer or singer better, or maybe he or she just likes the authentic or rendition version itself better for no exact reason. There are several examples where this exists. A specific poetic example of when the original is considered better than the rendition is, “Shall I Compare Thee To a Summer’s Day,” by William Shakespeare recreated by Howard Moss and a specific example of when the rendition of a song is considered better than the original is, “I love Rock N’ Roll,” by The Arrows covered by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Both of these authentic works are classics and are still popular today. When comparing them to their renditions, beauty, style and rhythm play an important role and can conclude why one is favored over the other. “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” by William Shakespeare is considered to be one of his most popular sonnets, number 18 out of the 154 sonnets he wrote. This poem stands out from the others because of the comparison that is made of a young beautiful girl or boy to a summers day. For example, when Shakespeare says, “Thou art more lovely and more temperate” (line 2), he is comparing, as listed above, a young, beautiful human being to the season of summer and saying that he or she is more delightful. Another important aspect that adds beauty to Shakespeare’s sonnet is the rhythm that it portrays as the reader views the poem. This is because...

Words: 969 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Sonnet 29

...William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 Reflection and Analysis Ashley Terreforte Introduction to Literature Instructor Danielle Slaughter March 27th, 2013 In this paper I will be explaining why I find William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 interesting and what about the sonnet that catches my attention. I have always been a big fan of all of Shakespeare’s work only because his writing style and the words he uses to make his point within the play, sonnet, or piece of literature. The way Shakespeare writes I find very interesting and sometimes confuses me but that is what keeps me interested because I am continually learning how to define what it is that Shakespeare is trying to say within his literature. In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 the form, language, and content of the poem are what keep in engaged and wondering what would go through Shakespeare's mind when he sat down to write Sonnet 29. The form in which Shakespeare wrote Sonnet 29 and many other of his sonnets with the AB AB CD CD EF EF GG form reminds me of the notes on a music staff and that is what keeps most interested because in my head I look at it as a song and in a way it kind of is. The Elements in which kept me intrigued in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 did not affect my response to the poem, however because of the language used to write the poem I did tend to focus more on trying to understand what Shakespeare was saying because of the language used. In William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 the form in which he...

Words: 952 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

William Shakespeare Influences

...Many authors and poets have impacted writing and poetry all throughout history. These authors and their different styles of writing and unique ideas are still being used in classrooms today. Among these authors, William Shakespeare’s work has made a huge influence, especially in poetry. Throughout Shakespeare’s life, he accomplished great things and is still being recognized even after his death. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 23, 1564. He is the son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden(Academy of American Poets). He had 6 siblings, who he spent his childhood with, these include: Joan Shakespeare, Gilbert Shakespeare, Edmund Shakespeare, Margaret Shakespeare, Anne Shakespeare, and Richard Shakespeare(Shakespeare...

Words: 533 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Romeo And Juliet Compare And Contrast Essay

...is enchanted by her beauty and immediately confesses his love to her. During their conversation they agree to marry each other the next afternoon. The original script and the movie version differ on many aspects. While the script can limit the reader from certain understandings, it also provides the possibilities for the reader to make their own conclusions and reasonings. The Movie also has it’s limitations and possibilities mostly attributed to a time limit. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet there are limits as well as possibilities. The first limit would be the language barrier. The language is very difficult to interpret and understand. The reason for this is that english has changed greatly so the modern day reader is not able to understand Shakespeare’s way of writing. I often find myself rushing to sparknotes or texting a friend when reading by...

Words: 604 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Essay

...England. From roughly 1594 onward he was an important member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men company of theatrical players. Written records give little indication of the way in which Shakespeare’s professional life molded his artistry. All that can be deduced is that over the course of 20 years, Shakespeare wrote plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict. Known throughout the world, the works of William Shakespeare have been performed in countless hamlets, villages, cities and metropolises for more than 400 years. And yet, the personal history of William Shakespeare is somewhat a mystery. There are two primary sources that provide historians with a basic outline of his life. One source is his work—the plays, poems and sonnets—and the other is official documentation such as church and court records. However, these only provide brief sketches of specific events in his life and provide little on the person who experienced those events. Though no birth records exist, church records indicate that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. From this, it is believed he was born on or near April 23, 1564, and this is the date scholars acknowledge as William Shakespeare's birthday. Located 103 miles west of London, during Shakespeare's time Stratford-upon-Avon was a market town bisected with a country road and the River Avon. William was the third child of John Shakespeare, a leather merchant, and Mary Arden,...

Words: 2089 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Shakespeare’s Writings

...Shakespeare’s Writings William Shakespeare used many different writing styles in order to capture the minds and hearts of his audience. He wrote thirty eight plays (Boyce 119), two narratives (Boyce 294), and 154 sonnets (Boyce 607). In order to do his writing, Shakespeare had to put his mind, body, and soul into his work. Shakespeare wrote three different types of genres, comedies, histories, and tragedies. “A comedy is a drama that provokes laughter at human behavior, usually involves romantic love, and usually has a happy ending.” The plots of the comedies were usually about the struggle between two young lovers. Shakespeare wrote eighteen comedies (Boyce 119). His histories dealt with England’s historical events. He wrote his histories to define the perfect king. Shakespeare wrote ten histories (Boyce 294). “A tragedy is a drama dealing with a noble protagonist placed in a highly stressful situation that leads to a disastrous, usually fatal conclusion.” He developed his tragedies from other tragic plays. Shakespeare based all of his plays from these three genres (Boyce 652). Shakespeare had five major themes about which he wrote. He used these themes in almost all of his plays. In his comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, a “drunkard” named Christopher Slay is tricked into believing he is a lord and later finds himself in many conflicts with the ladies of the house (Chazelle, n.p). In this comedy, Shakespeare demonstrated contrasting worlds by comparing men versus women...

Words: 586 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Shylock the Victim

...has befallen him in this play, The Merchant of Venice. My first point is that Shylock was probably portrayed as a villain when this play was first written by Shakespeare between the years 1596 and 1598. We must keep in mind his audience usually had anti-Semitic views so their way of interpreting Shylock as a villain is based entirely upon the culture that they were brought up in. However I feel Shakespeare was a writer ahead of his time who wrote not only for the general public but for much more philosophical minds. These are in my views the definitive points of Shakespeare’s distinctive writing style – the interpretation the reader has is usually different, writing not only for the general audience but for great minds and of course being a writer ahead of his time I feel he knew we would interpret it differently to the audience in his time of living which is what interests me. Many great minds use Shakespeare’s works to refer as ‘proof’ of their theories, a good example is the psychologist Sigmund Freud who often referred to Hamlet in his explanation of the oedipal complex. I strongly feel Shakespeare was attempting to subtly show the unfairness and anti-Semitic views of people in his time. A famous part of the play where Shylock delivers his speech ‘Hath not a Jew Eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions…’ ; asked rhetorically it emphasises that Jews are just as human as Christians and that when they have been abused their lust for revenge is no different to a Christian’s...

Words: 367 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Plutarch and Julius Caesar

...English 326 – Shakespeare’s Tragedies Essay #1 – Julius Caesar Source Study Sourcing Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Reading the works of William Shakespeare has often proven quite interesting, as most of his plays are works of fiction, due in part to Shakespeare’s wild imagination. The same cannot be said for his tragic drama of Julius Caesar, a story heavily based not only real life events, but also on Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, as translated by Sir Thomas North. In studying a source, readers are privy to the creative genius that is Shakespeare, as one takes note of what he has kept in his plays as well as what he changed and added himself along the way. While the majority of the plot of Act three in Julius Caesar is mostly the same, there are subtle changes here and there that reflect the liberties that Shakespeare took in writing his own version. For the most part, the changes are not so much words, but rather the physical actions of the characters and their dramatized presentation. Plutarch’s source states that Caesar’s entrance into the Senate house was cause for all members of the Senate to stand, and as a result of this, the men surrounded Caesar standing, before they stabbed him. In Shakespeare’s version, the men each come forward and kneel before Caesar prior to the violent stabbing. The kneeling is reflective of their pleading for Plubius Cimber’s return from banishment. The brutality of the stabbing is most likely a dramatic effect intended...

Words: 1002 - Pages: 5