Almost anyone around the world today has heard about Shakespeare. You have to admit, he’s literally everywhere. I remember knowing his name long before reading any of his works; he, or perhaps his plays and quotes (such as “To be or not to be” from Hamlet), are frequently mentioned in children’s cartoons. Romeo and Juliet has been the play-of-choice in more than a couple of high-school movies or series I have watched. Moreover, there are countless Shakespearean references in other literary works; most recently, we have come across an excerpt from Sonnet 1 in Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee: “From fairest creatures we desire increase that thereby beauty’s rose might never die.”
So with all this publicity, one would question if Shakespeare really deserves all the 400 years of attention- is he overrated? There are many arguments concerning this question. The answer merely depends on the person’s personal preference. One could love Shakespeare’s works, regarding them as masterpieces, whereas another might feel that they are quite mundane and not worthy of all the praise.
Although I have read no more than a couple of Sonnets and two of his plays (Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth), I do think that he deserves a lot of publicity, however not as much he is getting now. His works aren’t my favorites, but they are written in ways unique to him and their executions are outstanding. He did not opt for unique, uncommon topics; he chose everyday issues such as love, betrayal, aging, etc. that any human can relate to. This, in my opinion, was one of the factors that made his name last for so long.
However, I think that his name is overshadowing other great writers of his time who perhaps deserve as much credit as he does.
In conclusion, I think that Shakespeare is slightly overrated. He deserves all the credit he gets. However, he is excessively mentioned, especially in today’s media, probably because he is already so familiar to everyone. It’s all a cycle in the end..
4 comments:
oh brava dima, u truely were able to explore and analyze Shakespeare's aptitude from different perspectives. i do agree with u that he is a bit overvalued when it comes to famous quotes used in everyday life!! it is a bit over the top when fans give so much credit for his various works like "Romeo and Juliet" for example! i personally find numerous over love tales which are more romantic and touching!
The introduction of your topic is rich with examples as to how widespread Shakespeare's work is even nowadays. This is an important point to stress on as Shakespeare is a dominant figure in literature. I noticed that you quoted Shakespeare in the book Disgrace, which shows his universality. You have shown some arguments concerning why some might consider him overrated (e.g. "He did not opt for unique, uncommon topics") and why others consider him worthy of all the credit he's received (e.g. "they are written in ways unique to him and their executions are outstanding.") This helps the reader to better position him/herself while reading your essay as your reflections are not biased. Contrary to what you believe, I think that his work isn't overrated but you've provoked me to think about why he might be considered otherwise.
two thumbs up deemz! i really like the way you takeled both sides! alright, i agree that he might not be giving a chance for other great poets and writers to "shine", which leads to the conclusion that he is a bit overrated... i've read beyhan/nour's so far, and none of them really made me think twice about this thing, ur post,just like tanya said, did make me stop and think wether he is or isnt overrated...
tackled**
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