GIFTED | What’s your first memory of studying Shakespeare? I’m willing to bet it was at school, taking it in turns to read the lines from one of his plays. Did you understand it? Most probably not. Did you enjoy it? Almost certainly not. That was my experience anyway, but my Shakespeare journey has come a long way since then.
Now, I’m a huge fan, I can talk happily about any of his 38 plays, some of his 158 poems, and wax lyrical about the genius of the man. So how did this come about and, apart from his themes, characters and plots, why do I believe Shakespeare is still so relevant today? There are sooooo many reasons but I’m only going to focus on a few, some of which might surprise you.
Is Shakespeare still relevant today?
One of his contemporaries, Ben Jonson, noted that Shakespeare was ‘not of an age, but for all time.’ The late 1500s and early 1600s were a golden time for drama, so it’s saying something that another playwright publicly acknowledged Shakespeare’s craft and influence in a very crowded market. And 400 years later, how many other dramatists, poets, and writers can you name off the top of your head? Shakespeare is like the Manchester United of the literary world: instantly familiar and globally recognisable.
It’s worth remembering that Shakespeare was also an actor, who wrote his plays to be performed by a troupe of actors he knew well. And for sophisticated Elizabethan and Jacobean audiences who would have spotted any and all allusions, puns, and references. Not for clueless students to dissect and pore over in 45 minute chunks.
Shakespeare and the English language
You probably quote Shakespeare most days, perhaps without even realising it. Common phrases he coined originally include: “wild goose chase,” “tongue-tied,” “green-eyed monster,” “good riddance,” “cruel to be kind”, “what’s done is done”, “one fell swoop,” “fair play,” “lay it on with a trowel,” “heart of gold,” and even “son of a bitch.” Plus a few hundred more besides.
Slightly off topic, but I’m a huge fan of Jilly Cooper. One of the things I love about her books is how she always includes a few Shakespeare quotes. Usually edited to suit her plot, like this, from one of her Rutshire Chronicles: “Let me not to the marriage of true mindlessness admit impediments,” (adapted from “true minds” in Sonnet 116).
Shakespeare and propaganda
Much of what we think we know about Richard III is due to Shakespeare’s portrayal of him as a “poisonous, hunchbacked toad.” But he was writing for Elizabeth Tudor, the grand-daughter of Henry Tudor, who overthrew Richard at Bosworth and took his crown to become Henry VII. It was not in Shakespeare’s political interests to write a play that promoted the last Plantagenet king as a hero.
That said, Shakespeare flirted with danger too. His Richard II dealt with the deposition and murder of an anointed regent. This, at at time when Elizabeth was an aging monarch with no designated successor. In 1601, the play was part of the Earl of Essex’s rebellion. Staging its abdication scene would have been seen as provocative, if not downright treasonous. But Essex’s rebellion failed, he was captured, and beheaded for treason.
Shakespeare and the craft of writing
Have you ever tried to write a sonnet? I had to at university and let me tell you, it is HARD. Iambic pentameter, stanzas, rhyming couplets, and all in just 14 lines. Shakespeare wrote 154 of them, not including ones you find scattered throughout the text of some of his plays. Like my favourite from Romeo and Juliet, the prelude to their first kiss. And his theatre audiences would have recognised the sonnet form immediately, even though it’s spoken by two individual voices.
If you want to really appreciate and love Shakespeare, then go and see a play or a film performed by actors who speak their lines “trippingly on the tongue”. In other words, as if they were holding a normal conversation, instead of declaiming iambic pentameter. (Think Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet: “Put up your bright swords,” suddenly makes perfect sense to a 20th century audience. Even if that phrase was pinched from Othello…)
Then, and only then, approach the texts and prepare to be awed by the craft that stitched the magic together. Huge thanks to my A-level tutor who opened my mind in this way for a life-long love of Shakespeare’s work.
Celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday with Viking *
23 April is our national poet’s birthday and this year I’m celebrating it with the help of Viking *, one of the largest suppliers of office stationery in the world. Just look at all these wonderful stationery goodies that they’ve kindly sent me!
Once again, Flora was around for the unboxing, so she has laid claim to the Macbeth #killingit book, sharpie, coloured pens and coloured paper. Note to self: next time, unbox BEFORE she comes home from school…
I will be keeping the inspirational postcard and wooden lettering (expect to see them in future blog posts 🙂)
But I was absolutely over the moon to find this stunning calligraphy writing set, complete with parchment paper and an A4 gold frame. And some Chinese rose tea to assist with inspiration. As you will have noted from my cover pic, my lettering efforts are pretty rubbish, but this has definitely given me something to aspire to. Also, shoutout to Shakespeare for managing to write everything with a quill pen – it’s a lot harder than you might think!
Have I convinced you that Shakespeare is still relevant today?
So what do you think? Even if you’re still not a fan of the Bard, can you agree that Shakespeare’s themes, characters, and works really are for all time? And therefore still full of life lessons which are highly relevant today? Really, whatever you’re looking for, I think you’re guaranteed to find something in Shakespeare’s canon to help you.
While you’re pondering that, I’ll leave you with this comforting thought. As fellow writers and bloggers, it’s cheering to remember that our national poet knew all about the struggle for inspiration too:
“O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention.” Henry V, Prologue, Scene 1.
* This post features gifted items but all opinions are my own.
I have such a deep and enduring love for Shakespeare. I was so lucky that when I did A Level Lit I had an incredible teacher who instilled this love in me when we studied King Lear (which is truly the greatest tragic comedy of all times – it shouldn’t be hilarious, but it is). One of my goals this year is to get to the Globe theatre and watch something, as well as catch a production of King Lear. Me and old Bill Shakespeare share a birthday too, and I think that is cooler than it actually is!
Cordelia || cordeliamoor.com
Oh, wow, that’s wonderful, I’m so thrilled we share another love, Cordelia. And what a happy coincidence that King Lear is one of your favourite plays! I would love to see a Globe performance too, I imagine it would be incredible, to see a play where it was originally meant to be performed. I hope you get to do this, and write about it of course 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comment x
This was a fascinating read, because I didn’t actually know Shakespeare was behind so many common phrases! I’ve never warmed to Shakespeare personally, but I think he is still relevant and influential today. As you say, how many others can we name off the top of our heads? Not many! I love the goodies you received from Viking, especially the calligraphy set! That is beautiful! I think your writing looks really nice (and perfectly suitable for this post)!
Thank you so much, Ruth. Shakespeare and all things Plantagenet/Tudor are passions of mine so this was an easy post to write but hard to decide when to stop! Honestly, I’m so chuffed with the calligraphy set, it’s inspired me to keep going, I love how ink pens make you write in a completely different way to ballpoint too 🙂 x
Wow I didn’t know Shakespeare made so many common phrases that are still used today. I do see the relevance of his writing, even if it confused me throughout high school when I spent reading a semester reading hamlet and dissecting every piece of it. The goodies you got where so interesting, especially the calligraphy set. What a great post Lisa x
Oh that’s such a shame that you had to spend at term dissecting Hamlet instead of seeing it first. And what a play to start with too! Thank you so much though, I feel very lucky to have a gorgeous new writing set! x
I am not a fan of Romeo & Juliet I have to admit but still love Shakespeare. We don’t get to study many plays at school in France but I adore King Lear! I didn’t know there was so much more behind Shakespeare writings!
Yes, I think people are always a little surprised to realise what’s buried in the writing – although I’m always going to advocate going to see the play first before studying it!
I didn’t realise how many of those phrases actually came from Shakespeare! I’ve seen a few of his plays before and they are amazing and even if I still don’t understand completely they are fantastic. I love that calligraphy set! X
I must admit, I was quite surprised myself, he wrote literally hundreds of phrases that we use today, far too many to list here! I’m so glad you enjoyed watching some plays though, that’s how they’re meant to be enjoyed, in the first instance at least 🙂 x
This is a very creative post that I haven’t seen before and we need more of. I like the educational aspect of it. I think Shakespeare has impacted a lot of the British culture and traditions that we have today. I loved reading his poetry at school because of how creative he was with his play on words. I would love to see King Lear! I always love walking past Shakespeare’s Globe in London and hopefully I’ll watch something there one day as some shows are only £5!
Monica @ http://www.thewongblog.com
Oh thank you so much, that’s a wonderful thing to say. I agree, his poetry is wonderful, he packs so much into every line, it’s always a pleasure to dip in and out of and I always find something new to marvel at. I hadn’t realised the Globe was so cheap, I’ll have to get up to London sooner than I thought!
This post made my literature nerd heart happy:) I became a fan of Shakespeare as a young girl, and stayed that way till this day. yes I totally agree. For me, the themes he touched on were always about the most universal human conditionma and the wit and sassiness of some of his plays always amaze me. Than you for writing this
I’m so pleased to find a fellow Shakespeare fan. And yes, I agree, the wit and cleverness in his writing is just amazing. Such a talented writer, I think we can all be very proud!
This was such an interesting read. If I’m being honest, I’ve never thought about reading more into Shakespeare after school finished but I do think it’s very fascinating and I think I’ve learnt more ready your post than in school!
Jessica & James
Oh wow, thank you, that’s amazing to read! 🙂
If you’ asked me if I was a Shakespeare fan, I would have probably said no straight away. But when I think about it, I’ve always really enjoyed watching the plays even if I didn’t necessarily enjoy studying the texts at school. And I think it speaks volumes that most people could probably easily list of at least 5 of his works without really thinking about it. They’ve definitely stood the test of time. Really interesting post! x
Sophie
Yes! That’s exactly it, when you think about studying Shakespeare it all seems a bit daunting but if you go and see a good production (theatre or film) then it comes alive, which is how he intended it. Thank you for your lovely comment 🙂 x
Your writing looks pretty neat and authentic 😊 I think Shakespeare is still relevant today, theme and character-wise. He deals with emotions that are still common today – unrequited love, jealousy, revenge etc. In terms of influencing other writers/film-makers, I’d say he ranks alongside the Bible.
Aw, thank you, this was my third attempt at calligraphy and I still made smudges and blots, haha. I’m glad you’re a Shakespeare fan too, and I completely agree with how much he’s influenced others ever since!
This is such a creative and interesting read. It is amazing to know about the current phrases that you mentioned are from Shakespeare. Especially, the one that is commonly used in movies and shows “son of a bitch” hahah. Romeo and Juliet was my first read in our literature class. It’s been a while. But the way it is studied in India is so different to the one that my son is studying now in the international school. I love that Calligraphy set, you received from Vikings. It is beautiful and I know how difficult it is to write with a quill and Shakespeare has written a lot. I’d say Shakespeare will always be relevant with all the life’s lessons. 🙂
Via | http://glossnglitters.com
Thank you, Via, this was one of my all-time favourite posts to write so I’m glad you enjoyed it. Flora’s a little young to be studying Shakespeare as yet but when she does, I’m sure her first introduction will be very different to mine – at least I hope so! She’s enjoying the Macbeth #killingit book, so I have high hopes for her 🙂 x
Ooh such an interesting post! I have to admit you’re right that I think back to school and not understanding (or caring) about what half of the words actually meant, but I did also play Juliette in high school and really enjoyed the storyline. I love your tip to go and see a play in which they speak in more modern English, what a great way to understand it better and to actually enjoy it rather than just feeling puzzled! I love stationary but haven’t heard of Viking before so I’ll have to have a nosey!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
I think the way Shakespeare was taught in schools has a lot to do with why lots of people think they don’t like him and it’s all too difficult. Which is such a shame, because he has so much to teach us, and if you see a really good production then it’s so awe-inspiring (for me at least!). And yes, do go and check Viking out, they have lots of lovely stationery 🙂 x
That’s a beautiful PR package to receive! That calligraphy set is stunning. I’ll be honest, I don’t enjoy Shakespeare. I never did in school and I still don’t now. I’ve watched the Leonardo DiCaprio Romeo and Juliette (just because Leo’s in it to be perfectly honest haha!) but I didn’t love it. It’s just not my thing but it is cool how many such common phrases he came up with that we use today!
Jenny
http://www.jennyinneverland.com
I know, I feel very privileged – and so does Flora, haha. That’s a shame about Shakespeare, but if you were taught the way I was in school I can’t say I’m surprised. Maybe one day you’ll find a film that you connect with – if I find one I’ll be sure to send you a recommendation 🙂 x
This was such an interesting read! Since I was a litterature student in France, I had to study and read some of his plays & poems which wasn’t always a lot of fun haha! But I didn’t realise how many of those phrases actually came from Shakespeare. Your PR package looks amazing, I love that calligraphy writing set! x
http://new-lune.com
Oh my goodness, I can imagine this was a real challenge in another language! And yes, I was surprised at how many Shakespearian phrases have become part of our language too. Thank you, I absolutely adore my new writing set! x
When I read the title of your blog post and resounding ‘yes’ popped into my head. I wasn’t massively interested in Shakespeare but there are a few of his plays I enjoy, including Hamlet. He’s one of the greatest play rights who ever lived and for good reason. It’s inspiring how much he influenced every day phrases we use even now.
I love the goodies you received from Viking, especially thay stunning calligraphy set. 😍 It makes me laugh that Flora has already claimed some of the items! 😅 Definitely try unboxing before she gets there.
Oh I’m so glad! I only wish more people had been introduced to him via a performance first, text later approach, I’m sure they’d find him so much more accessible. And yes, I know, I need to try and hide my PR packages from that little minx, she’d snaffle everything given half a chance! X
This is such an interesting read, Lisa! As always, I learn so much from your posts. It’s fascinating how many common phrases we use today are actually from Shakespeare, I never knew! The only knowledge I have of Shakespeare is from studying some plays at school so I’ve probably forgotten everything now. That said, I would most definitely read the Macbeth #killingit book, that looks like it would be a fun read. Wow – you got such an awesome bundle of stationery too #stationerygoals and your handwriting looks beautiful with the quill pen. The wooden letters will make for great blogging photo props, I’ll keep my eye out for them in future posts =) Fantastic post and brilliant photos, thanks for sharing lovely! <3 xx
Thank you so much, Bexa, that’s such a lovely thing to say! Ah, your introduction to Shakespeare sounds like mine, which is a shame, it’s not the best approach at all. I’ll have to ask Flora to loan you #killingit when she’s finished with it, haha. And thank you, I feel very lucky to have been gifted so many lovely stationery items – goals indeed! xxx
I wasn’t a big fan of Shakespeare until I took a Shakespeare course in university. It was the first time I was able to truly appreciate his work. This was a lovely post to read. I enjoyed it!
Thank you so much – and I’m very glad to virtually meet another Shakespeare fan!
I loved this post! When I was at school I loved Romeo and Juliet but I think it was because of the hype that always surrounded it and this weird thinking that if I studied Romeo and Juliet then I was finally at that stage of my school life when I was becoming a “proper” teenager and all that malarkey. When I started to study English Lit at A Level I studied Othello, and I hated it. I hated it with everything I had and loathed going to my double English Lit Thursday afternoon classes but something changed in the summer between my first year of sixth form and my second year and I had this great appreciation for Othello and suddenly loved it. Now, I’m a huge fan of Othello and have a great appreciation for Shakespeare. I’d definitely say I’m now a fan!
Once again, this post was great!
Thank you – and wow, that’s so good to hear! I know exactly what you mean about studying the text and not really connecting with it but I’m so glad you had a sea change and fell in love with Othello – I studied it for A level too, along with King Lear, and it’s always been one of my faves because he’s so human, if that makes sense? Anyway, thank you for reading my post and your lovely comment! x
This is a wonderful post! Shakespeare is one of our greatest national literary treasures and it’s so lovely to come across someone speaking so passionately about his work. Out of curiosity, which is your favourite Shakespeare play? x
Oh thank you so much, that’s so kind of you! Shakespeare is definitely underappreciated in many quarters so I was hoping to persuade a few people to revise their opinions with this post 🙂 And a favourite play is hard to pin down because they’re all so different. At a push, I’d go for Othello, followed by Romeo and Juliet, and Henry IV Part 2. What’s your favourite play? x