Why Shakespeare Remains Relevant in the Modern Day

For over 400 years, the works of William Shakespeare have been widely celebrated, adapted, reinterpreted, and analyzed. But students today may still wonder what makes Shakespeare so important. Why do we still read these antiquated texts full of confusing language written about kings, queens, and fanciful fairies? What does Shakespeare have to offer a contemporary audience?

In fact, Shakespeare’s work remains deeply relevant and meaningful to our present era. Here’s why the Bard’s words still speak to readers and theatre-goers centuries after his death.

Universal Themes

Shakespeare explored the full range of human experience and emotion. His plays tackle universal themes including love, hate, jealousy, betrayal, ambition, and the quest for power – topics that still resonate with audiences today. We still marvel at the madness of King Lear, feel the passion of Romeo and Juliet’s doomed romance, and wrestle with the moral dilemmas posed in Hamlet and Macbeth. The Bard tapped into fundamentally human stories that continue to be retold.

Linguistic Legacy

Shakespeare contributed over 1700 words and countless phrases to the English language, more than any writer in history. From “strange bedfellows” to “green eyed monster,” Shakespeare’s linguistic innovations permeate modern speech. His ability to conjure vivid imagery using clever figurative language set the standard for poetic expression. He expanded the possibilities of language in theatre, literature, and everyday discourse.

Cultural Touchstone

Shakespeare has become a cultural icon whose work helped shape Western society and art. His stories are the very fabric of British and world culture. Lines like “To be or not to be” or “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou” immediately evoke Shakespeare’s enduring legacy. His plays pioneered genres still popular today from family drama to romance to murder mysteries. Phrases from his works constitute common idioms now woven into everyday language and thought.

Psychological Depth

Shakespeare’s characters grapple with complex inner conflicts and shifting emotions from love to rage, offering profound psychological insights. His ability to construct multidimensional characters whose struggles mirror our own make his works continually engaging. Through rich soliloquies and inner turmoil, he explored the depth of human nature.

Educational Value

Shakespeare remains an essential component of literature education. His works model mastery of plot, character, metaphor, and dramatic conventions at the highest level. Assigning Shakespeare provides opportunities for critical analysis, debate, and understanding literature in historical context. His plays are also excellent subjects for exploring stagecraft, performance, and adaptation.

Artistic Inspiration

Countless artists have turned to Shakespeare across all creative mediums for inspiration. His works have been reimagined and adapted endlessly in theatre, film, visual arts, music, and dance. He expanded the boundaries of English theatre and the possibility for dramatic expression. Shakespeare’s artistry continues to influence and shape the creative arts today.

Social Commentary

While written long ago, the moral questions and social issues Shakespeare explored still resonate and lend themselves to reinterpretation through a contemporary lens. His plays wrestle with power, corruption, gender roles, class struggles – societal themes that evolve but endure. Our changing perspectives on his work reveal as much about society as they do about Shakespeare.

Entertainment Value

As skilled entertainers, Shakespeare and his acting company aimed to deliver stories their Elizabethan audiences would enjoy. Today, those same tales of romance, royal intrigue, ghosts, misunderstandings, and bloody revenge provide excitement and amusement for modern crowds. The balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet or the witches’ prophecies in Macbeth captivate us because Shakespeare knew how to spin a riveting yarn.

In essence, Shakespeare remains mandatory reading not because his language and settings are familiar, but because they are not. His words open us to new perspectives, experiences, and ideas that deepen our understanding of humanity. Shakespeare continues to enlighten and challenge us because he so profoundly captures the humanity in us all. The Bard speaks to us because we still see ourselves in his words.