SHAKESPEARE AND HIS IMPACT ON THE HISTORY OF LITERATURE
Shakespeare was born in London in 1564. Having started as only an actor, he grew to become one of the most influential names in the history of English literature. The presence of his influence is evident till today ranging from academics to theatre to contemporary movies.
What’s most interesting about the immense influence Shakespeare has had in the history of English literature has to do with the onset of the Renaissance period which happened to coincide with the time when he was producing his most exemplary literary artworks.
The Renaissance era was possibly the most cardinal period in European history which saw a rediscovery in the field of art, culture, science, literature, classical philosophy, architecture. The Renaissance period and the life of Shakespeare were well intertwined and have had quite the influence on one another. While the era stayed in momentum from the 14th century to the 17th, Shakespeare’s literary artwork gained quite the recognition during the early part of the 17th century and the latter of the 16th.
The artworks that Shakespeare produced at the time fared really well for him since Renaissance was a period which highly encouraged new unseen ideas and creative techniques. English before Shakespeare’s dominance in literature was not standardized. He introduced a lot of words to the English vocabulary including 1700 commonly used English words and a lot of new phrases. He formulated plays which were inclusive of both emotional intensity and witty humor.
Shakepeare constructed English in a way like was never seen before which was tremendously well acknowledged worldwide. Shakespeare’s prominence is highlighted in all fields of English literature varying from dramas, to poetry, to plays and poems.
Shakespeare has succeeded to stay relevant even in the contemporary literary field today partly because he was writing plays which went on to be performed and which can still be reinvented by each generation even today.
His poetic undertone gave strength to the English language and the plays he directed were unswerving in such a way that it seldom left room for vagueness. All the literary artworks that Shakespeare produced left a significant impression on the audience then till now.
Thus, it is during the wave of Renaissance which encouraged all kinds of creative endeavors that Shakespeare gained popularity for his contribution making him the master of the language and a chief contributor in the formation of the English language.
