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Delving into the Personality of Shakespeare in “What Was He Really Like? by Stanley Wells

Decent Essays

Most biographies written about William Shakespeare attempt to explain his life chronologically from birth to death. These accounts aim to describe his life through discussing his works and accomplishments. The problem with this pattern is that there are only so many ways humans can rewrite the same facts about the same person. Contrary to most papers about Shakespeare, the essay titled “What Was He Really Like?”, written by Stanley Wells, focuses internally on who Shakespeare was as an ordinary person. Instead of discussing when Shakespeare got married or explaining his life in relation to his works, Wells delves into the personality of the famous playwright. Stanley Wells encourages the reader of “What Was He Really Like?” to look at …show more content…

He explains that Shakespeare was not immune to the normality’s of human life; he urinated, laughed, went to school, ate, drank, worried, and experienced these life events just like the rest of us. Wells makes a point to remind the reader that it is important to realize that we have these basic characteristics in common with the famous playwright. After coming to this realization, one can then dive into the task of discovering what made Shakespeare unique. Wells states that “The mind and imagination of this ordinary man produced some of the most extraordinary works of art ever created, works which have caused him to be admired and revered as one of the greatest geniuses who have ever lived”(111). Although William Shakespeare was the author of great works of art, he was an ordinary man. The way in which Stanley Wells sets up the essay makes it easy and enjoyable for the reader to follow and understand. Instead of listing out dates and over used facts about William Shakespeare, Wells explores the many different and intricate aspects of figuring out who Shakespeare really was as a person, not just a playwright. While explaining these aspects, Wells makes sure to keep the focus of the essay on Shakespeare by discussing how some of his plays are an example of how personality was important to him. Wells presents that “His plays are full of speeches in which one character assesses the personal characteristics of another.

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