Who was Shakespeare, what did he write, and why does his work still matter four centuries after his death?

Who Was Shakespeare?

William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father, John Shakespeare, was a leatherworker who specialized in the soft white leather used for gloves and similar items. Shakespeare, as the son of a leading Stratford citizen, almost certainly attended Stratford's grammar school, where its curriculum consisted of an intense emphasis on the Latin classics, including memorization, writing, and acting classic Latin plays. Rather than pursue higher education, sometime between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. Shakespeare's success in the London theatres made him considerably wealthy, and by 1597 he was able to purchase New Place, the largest house in the borough of Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 1616 at the age of 52, and is buried in the sanctuary of the parish church, Holy Trinity.

His Most Important Works

In the First Folio, the plays of William Shakespeare were grouped into three categories: comedies, histories, and tragedies. Among his tragedies, Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear consistently land at the top of the rankings, with Hamlet offering the most complex lead character in literature, Macbeth providing a quick, brutal look at ambition, and King Lear exploring family betrayal on an epic scale. Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear form the famous quartet of Shakespearean tragedies, often grouped together because they push the human condition to its absolute limit, dealing with madness, jealousy, and existential dread. His comedies include Much Ado About Nothing, frequently cited as the top Shakespeare comedy thanks to the legendary back-and-forth between Beatrice and Benedick, whose intellectual chemistry and sharp insults make it the most fun to watch or read. A Midsummer Night's Dream is Shakespeare's most popular and frequently performed play.

Why His Works Still Matter

Shakespeare remains vital because his plays present people and situations that we recognize today, with characters that have an emotional reality transcending time and depicting familiar experiences, ranging from family squabbles to falling in love to war. His plays delve into love, jealousy, ambition, betrayal, power, and fate—feelings and conflicts that remain as relevant today as they were in the 16th century. He was masterful at imbuing his stories and his characters with qualities that audiences and readers identify with — Hamlet's anguish, Ophelia's distress, the enduring love between Romeo and Juliet. His influence is everywhere in classic novels and Hollywood films, with his themes, characters, and plot structures continuing to inspire countless books, movies, and TV shows.

Shakespeare and Language Innovation

William Shakespeare used more than 20,000 words in his plays and poems, and his works provide the first recorded use of over 1,700 words in the English language. However, recent studies, such as those conducted by linguistics professor Jonathan Culpeper, have questioned the claims that Shakespeare invented 1,700 words, with Culpeper suggesting that Shakespeare may have recorded around 400 genuinely new words. Many of these words would likely have been in common use during the Elizabethan and Jacobean era, just not written down prior to Shakespeare using them in his plays, sonnets and poems, making Shakespeare the first known person to document these words in writing. Some of Shakespeare's inventions were completely new words, like 'lonely,' 'gossip,' and 'fashionable.' Others were phrases we still use, such as 'break the ice' and 'wild-goose chase.' He borrowed from Latin, French, and Italian, twisted old English, and even mashed words together, for example creating 'bedazzled' by combining 'be' and 'dazzle.'

The Shakespeare Authorship Debate

The authorship of the plays attributed to William Shakespeare is a long-standing debate. The case against Shakespeare is made by anti-Stratfordians, who hold that he did not acquire an education or experience worthy of a body of work of such depth and diversity, arguing that Shakespeare was a front man for another author or group of authors. The anti-Stratfordians have proposed several alternate candidates as the true author, including Edward de Vere (earl of Oxford), lawyer and statesman Francis Bacon, dramatist Christopher Marlowe, and William Stanley (earl of Derby). However, mainstream scholarship largely rejects speculation about the identity of the playwright, contending that Shakespeare did write the plays. Ben Johnson, among many other prominent poets and playwrights of the time, also never went to university and yet no one accuses him of not writing his works. Shakespeare was a student at Stratford Free School, where he learned how to read and write, and studied Latin as well as Plautus and Terence, Seneca, Ovid, Plutarch, and other classical works.

Why Shakespeare Still Matters Today and How to Begin

Shakespeare intimidates many readers because Elizabethan English isn't the easiest to understand, and his iconic mastery of language can sometimes make it seem like even more of a puzzle. The practical approach is to watch film adaptations first, then read the text with context. If you're new to Shakespeare, it's recommended to start with his comedies, which are generally easier to follow than his histories or tragedies, and they're a lot of fun. A Midsummer Night's Dream is not only one of the more performed plays, but it is widely regarded as the most accessible. A Midsummer Nights Dream is recommended for all kids, young and old, as it has all the great fairies and funny lovers and a magic flower. Much Ado About Nothing is a romantic comedy at its heart, with the real stars being the couple's friends, Beatrice and Benedick — two sharp-tongued cynics who slowly fall for each other despite their best efforts. For those ready to tackle tragedy, Macbeth is Shakespeare's most gripping tragedy: a Scottish nobleman hears a prophecy that he will become king and, driven by selfish ambition and spurred on by his wife, seizes the crown through murder — only to find that the cost of power is far higher than he imagined. The key to enjoying Shakespeare is patience: you should take your time and understand every word so that you're never confused, and pretty soon adults and kids alike start to "get it," and after that they find they can't stop reading.

Shakespeare's enduring relevance rests on his profound understanding of human nature—emotions, conflicts, and moral dilemmas that transcend centuries. While the authorship question persists among some scholars, mainstream academic consensus supports Shakespeare's authorship based on the historical record and the body of evidence. His influence on language, literature, and theatre remains unmatched, and his works continue to speak to audiences worldwide because they explore timeless themes about love, ambition, jealousy, power, and what it means to be human.

Remember that Shakespeare was written for performance, not silent study. Watching a production—whether a traditional stage performance or a film adaptation—alongside reading will significantly deepen your understanding and enjoyment. Information sources change and scholarship evolves; verify current academic consensus and seek out performances in your area for the most direct and engaging experience.

References

• 1. William Shakespeare - Wikipedia
• 2. William Shakespeare Biography
• 3. Shakespeare's life | Folger Shakespeare Library
• 4. The Life of William Shakespeare: Exploring Stratford-upon-Avon & London - The Geographical Cure
• 5. William Shakespeare | Plays, Poems, Biography, Quotes, & Facts | Britannica
• 6. Stratford-upon-Avon for Accommodation, Touring, Dining, Walking...
• 7. About William Shakespeare | Academy of American Poets
• 8. William Shakespeare | Discover | Shakespeare’s Globe
• 9. William Shakespeare: Biography, Playwright, Poet
• 10. Shakespeare’s life in Stratford-upon-Avon | Shakespeare's Celebrations