Are you looking to dig into old-world literature? Well, if you are interested but at the same time, hesitant to read some works of William Shakespeare in particular, then this list is for you. After all, Shakespeare is known to be England’s finest playwright and poet, and is worth a read! Here are a few reasons why you should consider including some of his sonnets, plays and more in your reading list!
One thing about Shakespeare is that he wrote for the public, for the working class masses, as well as the royal court, specifically the queen of England. This need to appeal to different members of society while keeping up the ornate language in his dialogues is probably the best thing about his work. Not only does he put forth some enthralling plots, which can engage the spectator immediately, but even in terms of dialogues, though seemingly ornate at first sight, is quite lucid and comprehensible. It is a master playwright, that can achieve this unique combination! Shakespeare's plays are therefore fabulous in that sense.
The thing about Shakespeare's plays is that they can be broadly distinguished into two major types of works. They can be either classified into tragedies or comedies. While this has been a point of criticism by later playwrights and scholars, his formats also make the plots intense and engaging. Comedies such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It, are capable of espousing uproarious laughter. In contrast, tragedies such as Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth, are equally engaging, but espousing an opposite effect of sorrow and shock at the intense betrayals in the play, amongst audiences.
Some very fascinating points, which are instrumental to writing a good script are visible in Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare’s speciality probably lay in his ability to develop wonderful, vivid, nuanced and multidimensional characters. While the overarching plot might have someone as the villain or the hero, there are often other features of their personality reflected, which makes you sympathize with the villain, or dislike the hero. Various questions about conscience and ethics come up. One of the most beautiful examples is in The Merchant of Venice, when Shylock, who is a villain makes a speech about the horrific treatment of Jews at the hands of Christians. Though Shylock is a disdainful villain and nasty to pretty much everyone, except for these few moments in the play, when he has a long monologue- when the reader or the audience feels sympathy towards him. To create such complex characters on stage is key to a compelling play and is probably something equivalent to a wizard waving their wand: It creates a new kind of magic!
Not only are they excellent in their original version, extremely compelling to read and watch, and capable of engaging anyone with the engrossing plots, but one very amazing thing that has happened in recent times is fabulous re-adaptations that have been made of these plays, where the original plotline has remained the same, but fascinating interpretations have been provided. This also confirms that Shakespeare's texts were not only relevant in his time, but in our time as well, and therefore these are timeless. Moreover, these adaptations are often immensely creative and beautifully done. Reading Shakespeare's plays therefore also introduces this new world to you, and is worth pursuing!
