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William Shakespeare Points of Analysis


 * Aim: Sanne Casello ** William Shakespeare was a poet in the early 1600’s. Some of his most famous works include: A Midsummers Night Dream, Macbeth, Hamlet and Julius Caesar. The beliefs of early 1600 London society had a large impact on Shakespeare’s work. For example, the class system under the monarch leaders King George III and Queen Elizabeth I was very significant in this time period; it was not accepted to be seen as something “different” in society. Moreover Queen Elizabeth I instilled a law ensuring, “plays were never to contain religious or political subject matter in connection with the leaders of the day. Interestingly, playwrights were not censored or banned for simply having contradictory beliefs--it was those plays which ridiculed the hierarchy (including influential foreign leaders), or threatened to unleash civil unrest that were most likely to meet with disapproval from the censor” (Flores). Therefore, due to the cultural beliefs of his audience, Shakespeare’s plays were almost used as a way through theme to voice his political beliefs. Many of his works themes were not supported by society. For instance, Romeo and Juliet's theme of “love conquers all”, if blatantly stated by Shakespeare, would not be accepted of society from that time; many people valued the family dynamic and trust and feel Romeo and Juliet did wrong by betraying them. Essentially, Shakespeare was using his work to publicly voice his thoughts, feelings, and opinions without being ridiculed.

William Shakespeare writing in the time of the early 1600’s was a popular influence for everyone in that time. His works commonly portrayed his feelings and often took the idea of dramatics, that drew people in. This allowed for a broader audience to connect with Shakespeare. An article discussing his style of literature called, William Shakespeare, states “In his poem and plays, Shakespeare invented thousands of words, often combining or contorting Latin, French and native roots” (William Shakespeare). This quote expresses the variety and complexity of Shakespeare’s style that is able to draw in all sorts of people to read his plays. Since his listeners were also a range of the social separation that was present at the time it created an even bigger audience for his work. The same article as mentioned above states “Shakespeare wrote more than 30 plays. These are usually divided into four categories: histories, comedies, tragedies, and romances” (William Shakespeare). This also comes to show that Shakespeare’s plays and literature was a combination of several types of genres. Because of the social classes that were present at the time it gave them all something to call their “favorite” or “own”, allowing them to connect with the one they most related to. To Shakespeare this could be considered a strength on his part.
 * Audience: Yuvia Estrada **

William Shakespeare has had a large effect on the world’s culture for hundreds of years. At the time of the publishing of his works, many of his ideas were quite controversial. He wrote of lust, betrayal, and politics; his view on these topics however, differed from the public’s. The power of his works had brought hundreds of new ideas and themes to the world, as many authors and poets took topics and abstractions from his myriad of influential pieces. An article explaining the influence of Shakespearean literature states, “ Shakespeare utilized his knowledge of Greek and Roman classics when writing his plays. Before the renaissance, these texts had been suppressed by the Catholic Church,” (Jamieson). All of the controversy he wrote opened the eyes of his audience and changed the culture of 17th century Europe. The people became aware of the world outside of the Catholic Church’s views and many began to stray from their authoritative grip. Since then, Shakespeare has become an iconic figure in the literary world. Billions of people still read, watch and analyze his poems and plays, and his influence still remains an impactful superpower in the world of literature.
 * Cultural: Andi O’Bert **

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, William Shakespeare is a significant playwright and poet that left a pivotal impact on the world of English, literature better yet. “Never before had a playwright enjoyed sufficient acclaim to see his works published and sold as popular literature in the midst of his career” (“Shakespeare’s Last Will and Testament”). Amidst a time period where royals were inundated with personal turmoil and religion was a controversial topic, Shakespeare had written an astonishing amount of sonnets and plays. Interacting with the critical audiences of 17th-century London, the playwright had shared his social, cultural, and religious beliefs through his acknowledged works. Contributing his arguments to audiences strengthened the influence they felt, them being able to relate to such relative topics to contemporary society. Moreover, historical events affect the written text, for modern audiences of Shakespeare’s highly acclaimed works centered on innumerable themes take note of the history influencing the texts. Because today’s audiences are more knowledgeable of past events that affect social occurrences, they are able to connect to Shakespeare’s works. Furthermore, because of the social and cultural aspects of history, audiences are able to establish a connection with William Shakespeare’s renowned pieces.
 * Historical: Iliana May **

Works Cited:

Flores, Stephan. “Shakespeare.” English 345.01. N.p., 1997. Web. 21 October 2013.

Jamieson, Lee. "Shakespeare's Time." About.com Shakespeare. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

“Shakespeare’s Last Will and Testament.” Bardweb. Shakespeare Resource Center, 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

[|"William Shakespeare." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.]