William Shakespeare

Research Paper # 30370

Drama and Theater > English
Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

Examines the influence of William Shakespeare on drama and theater.

9,454 words () | 28 sources | APA | 2003 Pakistan

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the influence of William Shakespeare on twenty first century theater. Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet who he lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. He is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. The paper shows that no other writer's plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his. Shakespeare had a tremendous influence on culture and literature throughout the world and he contributed greatly to the development of the English language. The paper examines how many words and phrases from Shakespeare's plays and poems have become part of our speech. It shows that Shakespeare's ideas on subjects such as romantic love, heroism, comedy and tragedy have helped shape the attitudes of millions of people. His portrayals of historical figures and events have influenced our thinking more than what has been written in history books. The world has admired and respected many great writers, but only Shakespeare has generated such enormous continuing interest. The paper discusses his different works for theater. Costumes trends, audiences and sets are also discussed. It also discusses the formation of Globe theater by Shakespeare.

Outline:
Abstract
Background
Life of Shakespeare
Shakespeare Career
Shakespeare's Influences on Theater
Costumes and Sets
Audience and Plays
Globe Theater
Structure of the Globe
Shakespeare and the End of the Globe
Development of Theater
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Everything had to be conveyed to the audience through words and there is little doubt that the audience had better memories and perhaps higher powers of attention than people do today, so that they took in and retained the information given to them. The majority people in Shakespeare's day could not read or write so they had to rely on word of mouth and on memory; this is in evidence in Romeo and Juliet when the Servant is sent to bid Capulet's guests to dinner. He can't read the list which he has been given and he asks Romeo to read it to him; he hears it read once and then goes off to find the guests; yet, there are well over thirteen people on the list so his memory must have been extremely retentive."