Shakespeare is a genius because we still read his plays and books hundreds of years later. Shakespeare wrote plays for common people that could be easily understood by peasants and kings alike. In times past when people actually spoke in old English the plays were very simple and easy-to-follow. Shakespeare’s genius is even though we have to try 10 times harder to read his plays we still do.

Shakespeare is required reading for every school system because he is considered one of the world’s greatest playwrights and authors. My favorite play is Caesar because I enjoyed the political aspects and back stabbing drama. Political issues were popular topics 300 years ago and they‘re still popular today. You could read into the Shakespeare plays written so long ago and see today’s politicians in the same spot. Ben Carson’s family members: are they on his side or are they hidden Brutus’s? His works are timeless and will be read for centuries still because political intrigue in one century is very similar to political intrigue in the next. These are constant themes that keep people interested in Shakespeare’s plays.

 

Shakespeare and his dialogue are so well known they have invaded every aspect of our life. You would be hard-pressed to find anybody who doesn’t know the story of Romeo and Juliet. Every time you see a miss matched couple you think of Romeo and Juliet instantly. The words Romeo and Juliet now mean an unusual coupling. Every time a friend is betrayed they are called a Brutus. Everybody knows words and parts of all the plays. “Out out damned spot”, “where for art thou Romeo?”, “Et tu Brutus?”: And many more have become so common they are said daily by small children and the elderly alike.

Shakespeare has invaded popular culture as well. Many songs written today are about Romeo and Juliet or Caesar. His plays are so common that everyone gets the references in advertising campaigns, movies, musical videos and more. Because Shakespeare’s themes are so universal the simple retelling of the stories could be done by most highschoolers. Everyone knows the plots even if they don’t understand the words in the actual play.

Having to work so hard to read the actual play highschoolers probably have a better base of knowledge than most adults on Shakespeare. Entire books are written with Shakespeare verbiage on one side and the popular retelling in plain English on the other. Because highschoolers have to work so hard to understand the plays they reach a deeper understanding of each word and sentence.

Shakespeare’s true genius lies in the fact that we are still talking about him hundreds of years after his death and that his themes are still relevant today.