Shakespeare is the most excellent writer in the English language, who has received universal recognition and is still read, studied, and staged worldwide. His works have been translated into all major languages, and his plays are performed more often than any other playwright’s. Shakespeare remains relevant today because his themes are timeless, and his faithful depiction of characters’ motives and emotions provides insights into human nature and behavior.
In his plays, Shakespeare writes about life, love, and death, which are themes that will always be relevant to any human being. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, he tells “one of the truest, most selfless, and epic love stories ever created,” which has significantly influenced the western ideals of romance (Huls, 2016, p. 12). Love is portrayed as an overpowering force that supersedes all other emotions and values, which is the idea that has inspired many writers and poets and remains one of the main themes of popular culture.
Shakespeare has a profound knowledge of human behavior and creates characters with whom readers can identify. In the preface to the 18th-century edition of Shakespeare’s plays, Samuel Johnson wrote that his characters “act and speak by the influence of those general passions and principles by which all minds are agitated” (Jonson, 2018, p. 4). Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lyre, Ophelia, Romeo, and Juliet are well-known all over the world because they represent the passions and patterns of human behavior that are familiar to everyone.
Shakespeare remains omnipresent in culture, and his contribution to the understanding and poetical representation of human nature is invaluable. He wrote about themes that resonate with every human being, developed ideas that still dominate popular culture, and created characters that everyone can recognize. Without Shakespeare, the literature would not have been the same, and the knowledge of his works is required for anyone who wishes to understand the modern culture.
References
Huls, L. (2016). Shakespeare’s use of romantic relationships: Western romanticism causing inaccurate readings and misinterpretations. Aisthesis, 7, 11–16.
Johnson, S. (2018). Preface to Shakespeare. Outlook Verlag.