We are all Will, all Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is everywhere and our debt to him is unlimited. If we type his name in on any search engine, we will find him on thousands of Websites. His image, his characters, and quotes from his works can be found in countless movies, on television shows, in literary works, and in advertisements. Even on an auction site, we will find thousands of Shakespeare-related items: books, films, T-shirts, bottle openers, coffee mugs, ties, caps, coat pins, buttons, chocolates, toffees and much more.
But Shakespeare has given us much more than these trinkets. It has been commonly said that a new book about Shakespeare is published somewhere in the world everyday, and millions of people go to theatres around the world to see his plays performed. He has given us wonderful tales peopled with remarkable characters who are windows into our own souls. There are characters, such as Othello, who force us to realize that within each one of us the better angel of our nature is always struggling for dominance with a subtle dark angel.
Shakespeare has given us language of unsurpassed beauty as well. After all, his language is a window through which others may peer into our souls. As we listen to the moving speeches of Juliet, Hamlet and Falstaff, we can also see into their hearts' core.
Shakespeare's mastery of the language is demonstrated by the many expressions which have crept into our modern speech. His language has become our language, and in his book The Story of English, Bernard Levin illustrates this quite adeptly: "If you cannot understand my argument, and declare 'It's Greek to me', you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought, if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, you are quoting Shakespeare."
Bernard Levin continues, "If you stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool's paradise-------why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out of bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you live until the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then to give the devil his due---if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare".
Bernard Levin's listing of our debt to Shakespearean phrases and expressions goes further "even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I were as dead as a door nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stoney-hearted villain, bloody-minded or blinking idiot, thenby Jove! Tut, tut! For goodness sake! What the dickens ! but me no buts---it is all to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare."
The works of Shakespeare have produced many memorable quotes and phrases. However, as a result of his fame, Shakespeare often receives credit for statements that were made by others. So Shakespeare's fame has resulted in confusing his statements with those originated from the Bible.
The popularity of his works is not just a fad. Shakespeare is part of us. References to his works and his name are permanently woven into our culture---- in advertising, films, television programmes, cartoons, newspapers, book titles, music and magazines.
Shakespeare's works have greatly influenced many writers throughout the world, and as a result, they have borrowed thoughts from his works and quoted him, particularly in the titles they have chosen. Even in the contemporary world, Gene Roddenbury and the other series creators, and actors of the many Star Trek series have displayed a love for Shakespeare by using quotes from his works as titles and in the various episodes.
As a fan of Shakespeare I continually see the profound impact that Shakespeare has on his students and modern audiences. Shakespeare offers us the chance to see ourselves in him. As Anthony Burgess said, "To see his face we need only look in the mirror. He is ourselves, ordinary suffering humanity, fired by moderate ambitions, concerned with money, the victim of desire, all too mortal…We are all Will."
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