Shakespeare Cultural Beliefs

Shakespeare is one of the greatest playwrights and authors of all time. There is a reason for this. His plays transcend any simple understandings we have about life and the human condition. Throughout most if not all of his plays we see common themes of the human condition and how they play a role in our lives. Through these themes, Shakespeare teaches us what it means to be human and what it means to be a part of the human race. We learn this lesson through his use of conflict, mortality, and growth in his characters.

William Shakespeare is a name familiar to nearly every English-speaking person. He is known as a poet, playwright and actor, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. While many people might know a thing or two about Shakespeare, does anyone stop to think about what the world was like around him? What kind of trials and tribulations did the people of that Era have to face? What type of people did Shakespearian productions attract?

One of the reasons why Shakespeare was so popular and still is distinguished from other writers of his time is because of his ability to create topics that reach and speak to all types of people. He strayed away from what was normal for that time by

Shakespeare was a straight genius. Shakespeare may be the most admired author of all time. He would be a huge celebrity if he was living in today's world. Instead,

There he began his training as “hireling”, working odds and ends jobs and taking small roles. It was as a hireling, though, that Shakespeare received his true education. He arrived in London during the reign of Elizabeth I, who had just firmly established her rule as queen by destroying the Spanish Armada. For the first time in decades the people of England felt safe and sure of their monarch, who also happened to be a lover of the arts. The London theatre scene experienced an event similar to the Golden Age of film after the end of the Great War. Instead of the rise of the silver screen, we see the beginnings of true English playwrights. Shakespeare’s arrival in London could not have been more perfectly timed. Acting troupes were frequently among the Queen’s court mingling among nobles, scholars, and poets. These interactions are evident throughout Shakespeare’s works. There is hardly one of his plays that does not revolve around court life, including The Tempest. Elizabeth even took a troupe under her own patronage (Halliday). Among these men was Robert Greene a well-bred, well-educated writer, who a young Will Shakespeare gave a run for his money. An early play of the Bard’s was brought to Greene’s attention, and he was so threatened by the blank-verse drama he said Shakespeare was “in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country”. Shakespeare had obviously observed and absorbed enough knowledge to challenge the university educated Greene

William Shakespeare is one of the world 's most influential people to ever live. “BBC audience survey names Shakespeare as Britain 's Man of the Millennium.” (Andrews 2) Shakespeare’s works continue to be evident globally in modern society. Hundreds of years after William Shakespeare’s death, his influence continues to make an effect in the modern day English language, modern movies and film, and authors or artists today.

In the time of the Elizabethan Era there was a strict role of diversity. People were judged by fame, wealth, skills, and birth; then placed in social groups based on how they were judged. In this era many people did not rise above what they were born into, but for William Shakespeare he made becoming famous in the late 1500’s look easy. Still to this day he is talked about, even though somethings about his personal life are uncertain.

Throughout the Elizabethan Era no one in that time period knew how much of an influence they would have on all of the world. In Caffery’s words, “[The] Elizabethan Era was a period of time from 1558 to 1603 known as the golden age in English history. Queen Elizabeth I reigned over England while all around the arts flourished in the society” (Caffrey). William Shakespeare was one of the most iconic writers in this era, for his use of all the genres like history, tragedy, and comedy in his plays and sonnets. During this time people became more comfortable with this unknown that most plays and

   William Shakespeare is considered the greatest playwright of all time.  His gift for developing characters is one major aspect that accounts for this lofty acknowledgement.  Shakespeare created various characters from drunks and fools to kings and generals.  The characters are so human and so real that the audience can see aspects of their own personalities represented on stage for better or worse.  Inadvertently, Shakespeare's ability to characterize any type of person demonstrates his holistic education and knowledge of everything from military strategy and open sea sailing to music and religion.  As a result of Shakespeare's true-to-life

Beauty is seen differently by every human being, and standards change from person to person. Worldly standards are what all women are compared to versus an individual’s standards. This can make all woman feel like an outcast until one explains that the world’s standards mean nothing and show them what it means to have true beauty. Shakespeare explains his mistress’ appearance compared to the world’s thoughts on beauty which makes it seem as if he is being judgmental when he is actually showing that he accepts her as who she really is.

While previous questions have all been fairly self-explanatory, it may be necessary to better define what is meant when one asks “when were the plays done?” When this question is asked, a few clearer topics must be addressed, such as what circumstances they were under, the time of day the plays were performed, the settings of the plays, the span of the plays, and how long it took to write the plays. The circumstances of the plays varied from play to play. Julius Caesar, for example, was performed shortly after the Gunpowder Plot, and due to those circumstances, it may have been seen by the audience as a warning against assassinating kings, yet “during the Palatinate crisis of 1619–1620, when public opinion became polarized, and when the king’s

William Shakespeare's Relevance Today For as long as formal education has existed in Britain it has been a largely standard assumption that teaching the works of William Shakespeare is relevant and necessary. Perhaps the relevance of his writing is taken for granted, perhaps it is necessary to re-examine the role of Shakespeare for the modern audience. There are indeed many people who question the relevance of this 440 year old playwright to a 21st century audience, taking it even as far as perhaps the greatest heresy of all, questioning the necessity of GCSE pupils learning Shakespeare at all. This “proposed vandalism from the policymakers” (Guardian 09/02/01) is opposed wholesale by supporters

William Shakespeare is at the heart of British Literature. His name is associated with the most brilliant minds in history. He is in the very history of the evolution of culture. From entirely new styles that inspired many to directly changing history by interacting with the officials of the time. He sculpted the English language and dictionary new words and rhythms. Shakespeare is truly one of the greatest expressionist figures to have ever existed. His legacy will live on far past the last spoken

Shakespeare's world was different than ours in quite a few ways. Some ways are how they talked or wrote in the plays, how important plays were (and how unsafe the theaters were), and how Shakespeare was able to write his historical plays.

Back in Shakespeare's day theatre was different in many ways but also some parts were the same. How is it different? Well, obviously everything was cheap. Pennies for the pit seats, a few more for the galleries, and then the boxes were the most expensive which were probably not as expensive today. Another thing is, they had posters but they weren't really posters or like programs. They contained no lists of actors, and there were no programs, ushers, or tickets or any of the stuff we have today. The name was announced when you got to the actual play. Their playhouses were not sheltered. They were outside, unlike today how we have a building with a roof over our head for plays. They even had vendors walking around giving out food, like at a stadium!