For theatrophiles and indeed for English speakers around the world, April 23 is a day to be celebrated. On this date in 1564, the poet and playwright William Shakespeare is believed to have been born. What is it about Shakespeare that continues to entertain, educate, and challenge people today? Why are his plays still performed? Why is his material still taught in classrooms around the world?
In a word, relevancy.
Shakespeare’s plays touch on the human condition, whether they are examining love and loss, jealousy and ambition, or honor and betrayal. These themes transcend time. Because of this, his plays are adaptable to different time periods. Romeo and Juliet is just as at home in a modern setting as Macbeth is set in the 1920s or Hamlet in the 1980s. Creative directors frequently place Shakespearean plays in different periods to underscore how relevant they remain in Western society. The language, though, remains Shakepeare’s.
While some people might declare Shakespearean language difficult to understand, it is actually surprisingly modern, especially when viewed through the lens of the development and evolution of the English language as a whole. Old English, which was spoken from about 450 to 1150 and is exemplified by the epic poem Beowulf, bears very little resemblance to our modern tongue. The Middle English that arose around 1150 through 1500 succeeded it and is observed in The Canterbury Tales. Although it is somewhat more recognizable, it is still a challenge to comprehend. Known as Elizabethan English, which is an early part of Modern English, the language of Shakespeare arrived around 1500, and much of it is still being spoken today. In fact, many people daily use direct phrases from Shakespeare’s plays without ever realizing it. Consider the following.
It’s Greek to me (Julius Caesar, Act 1 Scene 2)
What’s done is done (Macbeth, Act 3 Scene 2)
Break the ice (The Taming of the Shrew, Act 1 Scene 2)
Neither rhyme nor reason (The Comedy of Errors, Act 2 Scene 2)
Too much of a good thing (As You Like It, Act 4 Scene 1)
Foregone conclusion (Othello, Act 3 Scene 3)
The world is my oyster (The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 2 Scene 2)
Wild-goose chase (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 Scene 4)
Not only have Shakespeare’s phrases permeated the English language, so too has his vocabulary. Some words, such as bedroom, dwindle, and swagger, were reportedly invented by the Bard. Others, such as alligator, lonely, and jaded, were supposedly popularized by him.
In addition to the approximately thirty-seven plays attributed to Shakespeare, he is also the author of more than 150 poems. The Shakespearean sonnet has its roots in the Italian form and was filtered through the English sonnet. Possessing a rigid structure, the form consists of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter. The verse has three quatrains and concludes with a rhyming couplet. Some of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets include Sonnet 18 (“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”) and Sonnet 116 (“Let me not to the marriage of true minds”). One selection, pulled from The Merchant of Venice, appears in Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization, Level 4. It is titled “The Quality of Mercy.”
While people celebrate April 23 as Shakespeare’s birthday, the date holds additional significance in that it is also his death date as he passed away on April 23, 1616, at the age of fifty-two. His contributions to the English language and Western society will reverberate long into the future. To celebrate his birthday, perhaps read one of his sonnets aloud to your students and savor the language. Afterwards, light a candle and sing “Happy Birthday” to the Bard!
by Jennifer Mauser
