Research: William Shakespeare

"He was not of an age, but for all time!" -Ben Jonson (1573-1637)

 Who hasn't heard of William Shakespeare? The majority of people in our society have heard of Shakespeare, and quite a few (myself included) have read at least one of Shakespeare's works, seen one of his plays, or at least seen a movie version of his plays. If you went up to a person on the street and asked them if they'd ever seen or heard of Romeo and Juliet, chances are the person would say yes. But how many people have heard of The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe or John Marston's The Malcontent? Both of these are plays written during the same time as Shakespeare's, but they are nowhere near as well known as Shakespeare's works. Almost 400 years after Shakespeare's death, his plays are still a huge part of the world's culture. I have seen a number of his plays and have read a few of them as well. I've always enjoyed his works, but lately I have begun to wonder: what gave Shakespeare the edge that made his works so famous and popular?

According to the website Shakespeare Online, one of the main reasons why Shakespeare's works have become so famous and have endured so many centuries is because of their ability to accurately portray a range of human emotions in a very simple, yet strong and beautiful way. The emotions that the characters feel are so real that we often see ourselves in the characters. We relate their struggles to our own. When we see Romeo and Juliet, the classic story of forbidden love, we see our own difficult experiences with love. When we see Benedick and Beatrice quarreling in Much Ado About Nothing, we think about our own stubborn, love-stricken friends. Shakespeare's stories are timeless and relatable. Even hundreds of years later, we can still read one of his stories and identify with the characters and the emotions that they feel. The impact of his works was not limited to one century; it lives on forever.

An article from the website Mannmuseum comments that Shakespeare's life greatly influenced his plays. Shakespeare lived a very interesting life. He lived in a large family, being the third of eight children. He learned Latin and literature in school. He got married to a woman named Annie Hathaway and had three children. William Shakespeare later became a popular actor in Elizabethan theatres, which probably greatly affected his later career as a playwright. Shakespeare was also influenced by other works from the time. For The Winter's Tale, Shakespeare got some of his characters' names from Sir Phillip Sidney's Arcadia, and the story itself was influenced by other stories of the time. Shakespeare also used a popular technique of the time called "pastoral romance," which is fictional, unreal romance. William Shakespeare, considered one of the greatest playwrights of all time, may not have become so if it weren't for the many things that influenced his writing.

Needless to say, the greatest underlying reason why Shakespeare has endured through hundreds of years is simple;  his plays are really very good.  You can get lost in his stories, connect with the characters, and feel every emotion that they feel. The language he uses is incredible, and our thoughts become intertwined with his words. In the words of Robert Graves (1895-1985), "The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he is really very good - in spite of all the people who say he is very good."


Sources
Mannmuseum: What is it that made Shakespeare so famous?
Shakespeare-Online: Why Study Shakespeare?
Elizabethan Playwrights

An Inconvenient Truth: Money Can Buy You Happiness

Ever since I can remember, I've heard people tell me that money can't buy happiness. Money can only buy you material things, and what's really important in life is having loving relationships with your friends and family. But this seems idealistic. How can you be happy if you have no money?

Money provides the basics that one needs to be happy: food, shelter, clothing, health and an education. I've heard many people say, "Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have." In my situation, this sounds like a reasonable statement. But how can we expect someone who has nothing to be happy? It's unfair for us to assume that everyone has enough to live comfortably. People whose basic necessities are not met spend their lives worrying about making ends meet and struggle to provide a decent life for themselves and their families. On the other hand, research based on Gallop polls taken around the world shows that life satisfaction is highest in the richest countries. With money, we can have some peace of mind. We know that we'll always have food on our table and a roof over our head.

Once you are financially stable and have your basic needs covered, many choices open up to you. You can get a good education, which in turn puts you in a better position to have a good career, and ultimately, helps you pursue what you love. If material things make you happy, then, with money, you are in a position to get the things that you want. If what makes you happy is helping others, then having money allows you to be altruistic and assist others in need. If what makes you happy is spending time with your family, then having money allows you to work less and spend more time with the ones you love.

So in fact, money is a prerequisite to happiness. This may sound cynical, but it's actually quite true. The inconvenient truth is, no matter how many people tell you otherwise, money CAN buy you happiness.

Captured Thought: Life is Short. Make a Difference.

“...we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.” -Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs passed away this past week. He was a visionary, he co-founded Apple, he changed the world. And he was only 56 when he passed. His work touched millions of lives and changed the way that the world operates, from the iPod in your back pocket to the laptop that you work on. His life was cut short, but he accomplished more in those 56 years than most do in 100. At 21, most people are still in college, and a lucky few have any idea of what they want to do with their lives. But at 21, Steve Jobs co-founded Apple. He didn't waste a day of his life.

Life is fleeting. We all want to make a difference in our lifetime, but very few of us actually take that desire and make it a reality. I used to think that only some people were destined to make a big difference in the world, that it had a lot to do with who you know and just sheer luck. But Steve Jobs demonstrated to me that this isn't the case. He showed me that what it really takes is hard work, perseverance, and a dream. So what's stopping us from stepping up and changing the world? In all honesty, it's probably ourselves. We forget how short life is; we become preoccupied with everyday nuisances and don't remember the big picture. But what's the point of living if we don't make any difference at all? We don't need to become billionaires to make a difference. We don't need to be world famous, we don't need to create the next iPhone. We can change lives in our own communities.

We choose what we do with our lives. We may not always feel like we have control, but ultimately, we do get to choose. If you found out that you had one month to live, would you be happy with what you're doing? Would you feel confident that you had made your mark on the world? Steve Jobs may have only lived to be 56, but he lived a full life, and he clearly left a mark on the world. Life is short, and our lives are quickly passing. Make a difference. It's our choice, "So it better be damn good. It better be worth it."