Jan Volcheck, age 11, of Richmond, Va., for her question:
WAS SHAKESPEARE REALLY GREAT?
William Shakespeare was born more than 400 years ago (in 1564) in Stratford upon Avon, England. He was the third of eight children born to a middle class glove maker and his wife. Married at age of 18 in 1585, he spent his young adult years in London’s theater life as an actor. In 1592 he added playwrighting to his list of talents—and the rest is history.
Almost every scholar agrees that William Shakespeare is the greatest dramatist the world has ever known. They also say he is the finest poet who has written in the English language.
Was Shakespeare really great? There’s probably no writer who is greater. And to prove this point is the fact that his plays and poems have been read and produced so many times in so many different countries for more than 300 years.
Shakespeare is great because his appeal is broad. He had great understanding of human nature. In a specific dramatic situation he captured the qualities that relate to all human beings. With this outstanding ability, he was able to create characters that have meaning beyond the time and place of his plays.
Shakespeare’s characters are not symbolic figures. They are individual human beings. They struggle just as people do in real life. Sometimes Shakespeare’s characters were tragic failures and sometimes they were happily successful.
The great writer turned out at least 37 plays. Included were comedies, histories and tragedies. Characters included kings, generals, pickpockets, drunkards, criminals, shepherds and philosophers.
Shakespeare’s writing genius enabled him to express an idea colorfully and briefly. He has had tremendous influence on our language and added to our cultural heritage. His brilliant portrayals have influenced our thinking.
A great many admired and respected writers have been on the literary scene during the past 300 years, but only Shakespeare has generated such varied and continuing interest and such constant affection.
Shakespeare generally followed the Elizabethan custom of basing his plots on published historical and literary works. But he differed from most dramatists in one very important way: In retelling a story, he shaped the borrowed material with such genius that he produced a work of art that was uniquely different from its source.
Unfortunately, no manuscripts of Shakespeare’s plays exist. Because of this, modern editions of his plays were based on early published texts. Through the years there have been constant attempts by editors to correct what appear to be errors and to explain difficult words and phrases in the light of new historical information. The changes have certainly not been needed. Shakespeare’s words stand and live as they were written.