Discuss the significance of Shakespeare's contribution to world literature
What will be an ideal response?
William Shakespeare, a poetic and literary genius, has exercised an enormous influence on the evolution of the English language and the development of the Western literary tradition. In his hands, the English language took on a breadth of expression and a majesty of eloquence that has rarely been matched to this day. While he is best known for his plays, he also wrote some of the most beautiful sonnets ever produced in the English language. These poems feature extraordinary technique, biting wit, satire, and word play, while delivering profound universal messages of humanity.
Shakespeare's plays, seen at the time as popular entertainment, carry refined meanings as springboards for the exploration of human nature. His historical plays explore the ways in which individuals behave under pressure: the weight of great social responsibilities and the difficulties of reconciling those obligations with more individual aspirations. His comedies deal with such popular themes as the battle of the sexes, rivalry among lovers, and mistaken identities. His tragedies—Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear—achieve a concentration of thought and language that has made him the greatest English playwright of all time. Human flaws and failings—jealousy, greed, ambition, insecurity, and self-deception—give substance and drive the action of the play. Through his characters, Shakespeare sought to probe the psychological forces that motivate human action.
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