We can safely say that this person has changed the world, mentality, perception, attitude to art as such. William Shakespeare, whose works are studied in the school curriculum, was a real genius. His plays and poems can be called a genuine encyclopedia of human relationships, a kind of mirror of life, a reflector of the shortcomings and strengths of human beings.
Great genius
Shakespeare's works are an impressive contribution to world literature. During his life, the great Briton created seventeen comedies, eleven tragedies, a dozen chronicles, five poems and one hundred and fifty-four sonnets. It is interesting that their subject matter, the problems described in them, are relevant to this day. Even many researchers of the playwright’s creativity cannot give an answer how in the sixteenth century a person could create works that concern all generations. Even the hypothesis was put forward that the work was written not by one person, but by a certain group of authors, but under one pseudonym. But the truth has not yet been established.
short biography
Shakespeare, whose works are so beloved by many, left many mysteries behind him and very few historical facts. It is believed that he was born near Birmingham, in the city of Stratford-upon-Avon, in 1564. My father was engaged in trade and was a prosperous city dweller. But issues of literature and culture were not discussed with little William: at that time there was no environment in the city that would favor the development of talent.
The boy went to a free school, at the age of eighteen he married (forcedly) a rich girl, she was eight years older than him. Apparently, Shakespeare did not like family life, so he joined a wandering group of artists and went to London. But he was not lucky to become an actor, so he wrote poetry in honor of influential persons, served the horses of wealthy visitors to the theater, worked as a prompter, added plays. Shakespeare's first works appeared when he was 25 years old. Then he wrote more and more. They were delivered and had success. In 1599, at the expense of the artists of the group, including Shakespeare, the famous Globus Theater was built. The playwright worked tirelessly in him.
Features of the works
Shakespeare's works even then differed from traditional dramas and comedies. Their hallmark was the deep content, the presence of intrigue that changes people. William showed how low even a noble man can fall under the influence of circumstances, and, conversely, how great acts are made by notorious villains. The playwright forced his characters to reveal the character gradually, as the plot develops, and the audience - empathize with the characters, follow the stage. And Shakespeare's works are characterized by high moral pathos.
It is not surprising that the genius of dramaturgy, during his lifetime, deprived the income of many authors, since the public demanded his work. And he met the requirements of demand - he wrote new plays, replayed antique plots, used historical chronicles. Success gave William well-being, and even a noble coat of arms. He died, as is commonly believed, after a merry feast in honor of his birthday in a friendly circle.
Shakespeare's works (list)
In this article we cannot list all the works of the greatest English playwright. But we indicate the most famous works of Shakespeare. The list is as follows:
- "Romeo and Juliet".
- "Hamlet".
- Macbeth.
- "A dream in a summer night".
- Othello.
- "King Lear".
- "The Merchant of Venice".
- "Much ado about nothing".
- "Storm".
- "Two Veronets."
These plays can be found in the repertoire of any self-respecting theater. And, of course, paraphrasing the famous saying, we can say that the actor who does not dream of playing Hamlet is bad, the actress who does not want to play Juliet is bad.
To be or not to be?
Shakespeare's work “Hamlet” is one of the brightest, most soulful. The image of the Danish prince excites to the core, and his eternal question makes you think about your life. For those who have not read the tragedy in the full version, we will tell you a brief summary. The play begins with the appearance of a ghost in the castle of Danish kings. He meets with Hamlet and tells him that the king did not die by his death. It turns out that the soul of the father demands revenge - the murderer Claudius not only took the wife of the late king, but also the throne. Wanting to verify the veracity of the words of night vision, the prince pretends to be crazy and invites wandering artists to the palace to stage the tragedy. Claudius reaction betrayed him, and Hamlet decides to take revenge. Palace intrigues, betrayals of the beloved and former friends make the avenger prince without a heart. He kills several of them, protecting himself, but dies from the sword of the brother of the deceased Ophelia. In the end, everyone dies: both Claudius, who untruthfully took the throne, and the mother, who drank the husband’s poisoned wine prepared for Hamlet, both the prince and his opponent Laertes. Shakespeare, whose works touch to tears, described the problem not only of Denmark. But the whole world, the hereditary monarchy, in particular.
The tragedy of two lovers
Shakespeare's work “Romeo and Juliet” is a touching story about two young people who are willing to sacrifice themselves to be with their chosen one. This is a story about warring families that did not allow their children to be together, to be happy. But the children of the warring nobles do not care about the established rules, they decide to be together. Their meetings are filled with tenderness and deep feelings. But the girl was found a groom, and parents ordered to prepare for the wedding. In a street brawl of representatives of two warring families, Juliet's brother is killed, and Romeo is considered the killer. The ruler wants to expel the criminal from the city. The monk and the nurse help the young people, but they did not fully discuss all the details of the escape. As a result, Juliet drinks a potion, from which falls into a lethargic dream. Romeo considers her beloved dead and drinks poison in her crypt. After waking up, the girl kills herself with a guy's dagger. Montecchi and Capulet reconcile, mourning their children.
Other jobs
But William Shakespeare wrote works and others. These are funny comedies that cheer you up, light and vibrant. They talk about people, although famous, but those who are not alien to love, passion, desire for life. A play on words, misunderstandings, happy coincidences lead the heroes to a happy end. If sadness is present in the plays, then it is fleeting, such as to emphasize the cheerful clutter on the stage.
Sonnets of the great genius are also original, filled with deep thoughts, feelings, experiences. In poetry, the author addresses a friend, beloved, sad in separation and rejoices at the meeting, is disappointed. A special melodic language, symbols and images create an elusive picture. Interestingly, in most sonnets, Shakespeare refers to a man, possibly Henry Risley, Earl of Southampton, patron of the playwright. And only then, in later works, a dark-skinned lady appears, a cruel coquette.
Instead of an afterword
Each person is simply obliged to read at least a translation, but the full content of Shakespeare's most famous works, to make sure that the greatest genius possessed the ability of a prophet, since he was able to identify the problems of even modern society. He was a researcher of human souls, noticed their advantages and disadvantages, pushed for change. But is this not the purpose of art and the great master?