How Shakespeare Shaped the World
By Chidiebere Sullivan Nwuguru
Ben Johnson in addressing “the Reader”, initially says that “gentle Shakespeare” is the “soul of the age”, hence, establishing the essence and influence of Shakespeare in a metropolitan context, as “the wonder of our stage”. Going further, Johnson appeared to contradict himself with yet another truth by declaring that Shakespeare “was not of an age, but for all time”. In all of these, we see that two truths can indeed coexist, and the dynamic duality that is manifested by the works of Shakespeare is timeless and transcends across generations, thus, making his relevance evergreen. Beginning from his immense contribution to the English vocabulary which saw him being described as “a man of fire-new words”, with words like “equivocal”, “prodigious”, “antipathy”, etc. taking origin from him. Shakespeare's influence in shaping one of the most spoken languages on the face of Earth, English, has continued to put every generation in a position of indebtedness to him. Every day, millions of people consciously or unconsciously quote him, and this is a credit to his unforgettable phrase-making which is seen in phrases like: “the game is up”, “more in sorrow than in anger”, “a fool’s paradise”, “cruel, only to be kind”, “dead as a doornail”, etc. Being a writer who is notable for integrating continental and classical traditions, while uniting Anglo-Saxon in the delivery of his poetry and storytelling, all of which could be traced to the Stratford of his youths that lurked behind the facades of Verona, Syracuse or Padua, it was so easy for him to pick a English language and do with it whatever he wishes. And as the saying goes, “When the good vernacular gets braided with Latin coinages, the English language is remade and renewed.”
To be candid, Shakespeare's influence is cosmopolitan and beyond just the world of language. For instance, the shaping of the modern man is one among the many where the influence of Shakespeare is very evident. His famous play, Hamlet, redefined the theatrical expression of identity. “What a piece of work is a man!” exclaims Hamlet in an attempt to dig into the true identity of a man. In the play, we saw the first Western dramatic protagonist to be embodied by an individual who battled complex personal conflicts and desires. In Hamlet's contemplation of suicide, the popular question of “To be, or not to be” was birthed. Through it, we saw the conflicts that surround man from within. Shakespeare was also able to project his existential vision of human weakness, and this was evident in the celebrated grave-digging scene in the play, “Alas, poor Yorick”, thus, he was able to capture and magnify the vulnerability of a man.
Music and movies are also other aspects of the world that Shakespeare contributed greatly to shaping what we have today. Romeo & Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, etc. are some of the Shakespeare plays that were adapted into movies. Also, the dramatic clarity of Shakespeare’s works makes them perfect for opera. For instance, Verdi’s three finest operas (Macbeth, Otello, Falstaff) were all inspired by Shakespeare. The West Side Story by Bernstein was a masterpiece and viral hit inspired by Romeo & Juliet. Mendelssohn, Berlioz, etc. were other notable classical artists influenced by Shakespeare, and this goes on to exemplify his impact on the world of entertainment.
More so, great thinkers like Sigmund Freud, etc. were equally influenced by Shakespeare. Freud referred to Shakespeare as “the greatest of poets” and was always eager to adopt his quotes. Freud relied heavily on Shakespeare’s fascination to be able to dig into and recognize the unconscious. In all, Shakespeare still dominates the narrative of English history with his influence transcending across generations and through every aspect of our society. He is indeed a writer of all generation whose immense contributions have helped in shaping the world at large.
