Born in Central England in 1564, English playwright William Shakespeare, was later known to be one of the greatest writers who has ever lived. Growing up, William Shakespeare have attended the King’s New School in Stratford, which emphasized the study of Latin. This school inspired Shakespeare to read works of ancient Roman authors which had influenced several of Shakespeare’s plays.
Shakespeare’s works came in a variety of different genres since he wasn’t afraid to experiment with different stories and tones. Shakespeare wrote plays about comedy, history, tragedies, romances, “problem plays” (mix of comedy and tragedy), and he even based some of his plays on his own life experiences. “The first is his friendship with a young man, whose forgetfulness and ungratefulness are a source of pain for the author. The other is a love-hate affair with a mysterious woman known as the Dark Lady, who is as unfaithful to the poet as she is to her own husband”.
One of the many reasons why Shakespeare was considered so skilled was because of his ability to portray every possible emotional state. The emotions utilized in his plays highlight the elements of human life being that of love, friendship, growing old, and the approach of death. Shakespeare taps into his own humanity by including in his poems, the emotions that he has faced such as jealousy of other writers, concerns about aging, desire for fame, and fear of losing his talent.
Human emotions play a huge role in his plays and this is obvious in “The Tempest” because of how we are aware of Prospero’s need for revenge, Caliban’s greed for power, and Ariel’s desire for freedom. The way in which the emotional state of Prospero changes from wanting his enemies to suffer at the beginning of “The Tempest” to forgiving his enemies and accepting virtue over vengeance at the end, creates a sense of emotional growth. The display of emotional growth allows Shakespeare to portray every possible emotional state and use it to appeal to our humanity.
Works Cited:
“Shakespeare, William 1564–1616 English Writer.” Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students, edited by Paul F. Grendler, vol. 4, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2004, pp. 83-89. Gale eBooks,
https://link-gale com.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/apps/doc/CX3409200427/GLS?u=cuny_hunter&sid=GLS&xid=1f7ec3e5. Accessed 13 Aug. 2020.
