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The timelessness of Shakespeare's plays

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The timelessness of Shakespeare's plays
Shakespearean Drama

Name: Nathania Roach
Institution: Shortwood Teachers’ College
ID#: SW 9119/11
Option: Language Arts
Year: 3
Lecturer: Ms. D. Robinson
Due-date: September 30, 2013

Assignment #1: What accounts for the timelessness of Shakespeare’s plays?

William Shakespeare’s writing has become an entity unto itself; it is a living well of creativity that assured that the Bard’s spirit was not extinguished at his death (Tate). For this reason, one can undoubtedly say that Shakespeare’s plays have a timeless quality; in other words, his plays are still relevant and appreciated today even though they were written ages ago. The timelessness of his plays is created by the universal themes, skilful characterizations and language that he uses in them.
The themes in Shakespeare 's plays are timeless and universal; in other words, they are relevant in every age across the world. Shakespeare’s use of themes reflects his deep understanding of human emotions. He wrote of betrayal in Macbeth when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth host Duncan, the king of Scotland, and murder him while he sleeps. He explores the theme, love in the play, King Lear, where Lear’s youngest daughter, who genuinely loves him, takes care of him in old age and sickness although he had disowned her and split his fortune equally between his other two daughters who flattered him. Without a doubt, the themes Shakespeare dealt with in his plays can teach people a great deal about morals and the world around them. To a large extent, this artistic value increases the readers’ enjoyment of the plays and is the reason Shakespeare’s works have had a continuing appeal.
The characterizations in Shakespeare’s plays also stand out, making Shakespeare relevant on a personal level to many people. Shakespeare’s skilful characterisations offer readers an insight into



References: Bhattacharyya, Jibesh. The Atlantic Critical Studies: William Shakespeare 's Othello. New Dehli: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors, 2006. Print. Fay, Mirianda. Why Shakespeare is Relevant Today. 31 January 2011. Web. 1 October 2013. Jenson, Ashlee. The Importance of Shakespeare. 20 August 2003. Web. 1 October 2013. McMahon, Mary. Is Shakespeare Relevant Today? 2013. Web. 1 October 2013. Tate, Tee. Reinventing Shakespeare: Why His Stories Are Timeless. 30 April 2013. Web. 1 October 2013. . The Relevance of Shakespeare to Queenland Students Today. 6 April 1999. Web. 1 October 2013.

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