Shakespeare’s Longevity: What Did He Do Right?
Anyone who has ever pursued mastery of their art form hopes that they will strike gold. Some try to create memorable work all their lives, to no avail. Others are one-hit wonders. Some may be remembered for several works. And then there’s William Shakespeare, who seemingly struck gold every single time he put his pen to paper. Widely considered the greatest playwright of all time, his plays are still constantly read, studied, and performed 400+ years later. His words, stories, and characters are engrained into the public conscience. Have you seen Disney’s The Lion King? It’s an African-savannah retelling of Hamlet with a happy ending. Did you know that 10 Things I Hate About You is based on The Taming of the Shrew, updated as a teen rom-com? And have you ever noticed that this question graces the lid of Chick-fil-A’s hash brown container: “To Dip or Not to Dip”? By the time Shakespeare died in 1616 at only 51 years old, he had left an immense body of work that would become a lasting legacy. So, what did he do that solidified his enduring popularity? Here are 5 things that I believe contributed to Shakespeare’s success.
SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers for various plays included.
#1: Incredible Roles for Men and Women
In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan era, a life in theater was not looked upon as an admirable profession. Theaters were often outside the city limits, and sex workers were known to attend plays in hopes of finding their next customers. For these reasons and others, acting was not considered a suitable occupation for women, and they were banned from performing on stage. To compensate, female roles were often played by male teenagers. You would think that, since women were not allowed to participate in performance, Shakespeare would focus primarily on strong, meaty roles for men and sideline female characters as much as possible. But while countless strong roles for men permeate his plays, Shakespeare consistently created memorable and interesting female characters. Lady Macbeth often steals the show in productions of Macbeth, as her reckless ambition, manipulation, and eventual madness create an intense and horrific character that actors relish the chance to play. And though Ophelia (of Hamlet) may not be an embodiment of feminine independence, the constant suppression, neglect, and abuse she endures from the men in her life evokes a deeply cathartic reaction from the audience, especially as we witness her demise. As time has gone on and we strive to create a more equitable society, Shakespeare’s plays continue to be a favorite of male and female actors alike, thanks to his juicy roles for both sexes.
#2: Gorgeous Poetry, Dialogue, and Soliloquies
Another significant reason for Shakespeare’s longevity is due to his superior writing. He writes beautiful, clever, and emotionally-driven poetry, dialogue, and soliloquies for each character. All of his plays have famous one-liners: “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” (Macbeth); “To be or not to be; that is the question” (Hamlet); “Though she be but little, she is fierce”, “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream); and “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” (As You Like It). In addition, his monologues and soliloquies are rich, poetic, and character-driven, making them a treat for actors to perform. For example, one of my favorite passages Shakespeare ever wrote comes from his play, The Merchant of Venice, which confronts racism and bigotry (specifically, anti-Semitism).
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”– William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
The symmetry of this quote is perfect; it rolls off the tongue. Poetic in language, the rhetorical repetition adds weight and power. Finally, it carries a powerful critique of racism and bigotry, basically declaring this truth: We all bleed red.
The mere beauty of Shakespeare’s writing has undoubtedly contributed to its longevity and continued adoration through the years.
#3: Ever-Relevant Subject Matter
Just because Shakespeare was writing in the late-1500s and early-1600s, the legendary playwright wrote about topics still prevalent in conversations today. In Othello, the Black titular character is depicted as a deeply insecure hero (perhaps anti-hero?), and the villainous Iago takes advantage of his weakness to tear him apart, without ever laying a hand on him. Othello is a minority figure, newly in a position of power, and recently married to the beautiful and virtuous Desdemona. Therefore, Iago does everything in his power to accentuate Othello’s feelings of “other”-ness, while dropping subtle lies to make Othello doubt his wife’s fidelity. The tragic events that unfold, stemming from Iago’s envy and deceit, break our hearts and warn us anew of the dangers of racism, envy, revenge, and unchecked doubt. On a completely different note, Shakespeare’s underrated comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, is surprisingly feminist and #metoo for a play written/published in 1602. The plot revolves around Sir John Falstaff, who plans to seduce the wealthy Mistresses Page and Ford in order to extract their money and enjoy their love. However, the two women do not play the damsels in distress. Instead, they take matters into their own hands, refusing his advances and utterly humiliating and outwitting him at every turn.
Throughout his work, Shakespeare examines the human condition in ways prevalent since the beginning of time. Love, revenge, hatred, lust, power, avarice, and privilege are among the eternally universal themes that Shakespeare wrote about so beautifully, keeping actors and audiences alike returning to his plays.
#4: The Volume and Diversity of His Work
In his mere 51 years, William Shakespeare wrote 37-39 plays (the exact number is still in question), 154 sonnets, and four longer poems. In short, he wrote an incredible amount of astounding work in a relatively short period of time. In addition to the sheer volume of his work, Shakespeare also had incredible diversity in his writing. Interested in a comedy? Try A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, or The Merry Wives of Windsor— just to start. How about tragedy? Hamlet is perhaps the most famous of Shakespeare’s tragedies, but Othello and King Lear are also among his best works. How about a romance? You’ll love the heart-wrenching tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and Antony and Cleopatra, or the lighter tone of The Tempest and Twelfth Night. Historical dramas? Julius Caesar and Richard III might hit the spot. Or are you more of the horror/thriller type? Look no further than Macbeth and Titus Andronicus, which feature brutal killings, madness, and cannibalism. Basically, Shakespeare wrote something to suit everyone’s tastes. His ability to write so many great works in multiple genres has definitely contributed to his staying power as a giant of the theater world.
#5: He Chose His Friends Well
In the days of Elizabethan theater, plays were not commonly published, as they are today. Primarily, this form of entertainment was to be experienced solely in the theater. However, following Shakespeare’s death in 1616, some of his fellow actors realized that his plays were simply too wonderful to be lost to time. Therefore, they painstakingly compiled his works into Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies, now known as the First Folio. Edward Blount, with the assistance of Isaac and William Jaggard, published this 900-page undertaking in 1623. If it weren’t for Shakespeare’s faithful friends, we might only have the garbled, pirated copies published beforehand, if any at all.
William Shakespeare was clearly a winning recipe. Popular in his time and still popular today, his plays touch the heart of the human condition unlike any playwright before or since. With strong roles for men and women, beautiful writing, still-relevant subject matter, and incredible volume and diversity exhibited in his work, the plays of William Shakespeare are a monumental achievement that remain uproariously popular to this day.