WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE:
THE IMPACT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE WORK HAS HAD IN MODERN
LITERATURE
Kemberly Gil
Honors English 10
Mr. Gold
May 18, 2012
On April 26th, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, John Shakespeare and Mary
Arden gave birth to one of the most influential English poet/ playwrighter, William Shakespeare.
William Shakespeare is known as the greatest writer in the English language and the foremost
important dramatist. Very little is known about William Shakespeare but most scholars believe
he attended a local grammar school at King New School in Stanford-upon-Avon. William
Shakespeare studied Latin rhetoric, logic, and literature. William Shakespeare was Mary and
John’s first born son and survived his child hood unlike his two previous sisters ("The brothers
and," ) . At the age of 18, when William Shakespeare graduated a local grammar school he
marries a local farmer’s daughter, 26 year Anne Hallway. Six months after their marriage Anne
Hathaway gave birth to Shakespeare first daughter Susanna. Two years later she gave birth to
twins Hamnet and Judith. At the age 11 Hamnet died of unknown causes. After his son’s death
Shakespeare had to flee England due to economic encounters and escape prosecution for deer
poaching.
In London Shakespeare began his theatrical career. He started his career as a horse keeper
at Global Theater. Later he was appointed to stage management. He was quickly drawing the
attentions of many ambitious theater owners. Throughout 1593, Shakespeare published several
of his most amorous sonnets. But in 1592, Queen Elizabeth ordered theaters to shut down due to
the Plague. After the theater reopened in 1594 Shakespeare turned to play writing and stopped
writing poetry. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. After
that time period he wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, producing plays, such as Hamlet,
King Lear, and Macbeth, which are considered some of the finest in the English language.
Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did
not rise until the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, his work was constantly adopted
and rediscovered by new movements. His plays remain highly popular today, consistently
performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world. (Ed
Merritt)
As mentioned before not a lot is known about William Shakespeare’s’ life. There was a
time period between him fleeing England to London where no one knows what happened and is
recognized as his “dark period.” But although not a lot was documented about William
Shakespeare many scholars have studied his play and poems and had been able to extract bits
and pieces of his life.
Even though we don’t know much about William Shakespeare personal life, what we do
know is the impact he has created in modern literature. Not only has William Shakespeare
introduced nearly 3,000 words into the English language but Shakespeare's work has helped set
the standards for modern English today (John Kurlak & Greg Ference, 2012). Before
Shakespeare, English grammar and spelling had few standards. If William Shakespeare had not
demonstrated such cleverness in his words as he did, he certainly would not have influenced the
English language so heavily. His ability to compose new, popular words and his ability to
maintain vast vocabulary proudly define him as a "man of words." For his phrases continue to
stand today and will continue for the rest of time.
William Shakespeare, besides setting a standard in today’s English literature, \ has
influenced many plays, novels, books ect. His work is viewed all over the world. William
Shakespeare’s longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English
language is Hamlet. Hamlet was written between 1599 and 1601, this play is set in Denmark and
describes how Prince Hamlet seeks revenge on his uncle Claudius, who murdered the King,
Hamlets father, takes the throne and marries Hamlet’s mother (Jamie Frater, 2008). During his
lifetime the play was one of Shakespeare’s most popular works and it still ranks high. It has
inspired writers from Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch and has been described as “the
world’s most filmed story after ‘Cinderella.’”
It has been said by many that the 1994 American animated musical adventure film
produced by Walt Disney the Lion King is based on the tragedy Hamlet. There are defiantly
many similarities between the two stories, and even in the actual dialogue. Both are the story the
loss of a dear father. The uncle takes over the thrown that should belong to the young prince.
Both of the tragic heroes overcome their fallibilities and uncertainties to take back their thrones
for the benefit of their countries.
The three biggest similarities of the stories is the symbolic presence of the kings sprit, the
actions of the secondary characters, and the uprising of the tragic hero. In the opening scene of
The Lion King Mufasa, the king of the Pridelands confronts his brother Scar. Scar turns as if to
leave and Mufasa stops him by saying "Don't turn your back on me Scar."Muffasa is warning
Scar. Scar responds back "No, perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me!" This is threat on the
king's life, but the kind of threat that had to be read “between the lines.” In the tragedy, Hamlet
the audience is left to wonder whether the king had any notice that Claudius wanted the king
dead. Soon after Hamlet visits his mother and kills Polonius, there is a meeting between him and
Claudius. When Hamlet is told he is being sent to England, he agrees that this is a good idea for
him to leave toDenmark, and the king replies "So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes."(IV, iv, 47)
The king is letting Hamlet know that he as it in for him.
Scar and Claudius consider themselves to be stronger mentally/ physically than their
brothers, and making themselves believe they would make a better king than their brothers. In
both plays Mufasa and Hamlet Sr. were both killed but due to their importance of their character
in the plays Mufasa and Hamlet Sr. spirit maintains alive. This is proven by their symbolic
ghosts the appears throughout the plays. Scar and Claudius see their brother’s successes as a
threat and to recompense their wrong doings they attempt to do evil. Both of the kings visit their
sons and give advice that sets them into action. After seeing their sons lose their courage and
strength, they take personal offense in their inactivity. Mufasa says to his son, " You have
forgotten me... You have forgotten yourself and so you have forgotten me. You are more than
what you have become. Remember... remember... remember..." This is essentially the same
speech that Hamlet father gives Hamlet. Both of the princes seem to forget their purposes as they
get further away from the pain of their father's death.
Death is a reoccurring theme in The Lion King. Scar talks of killing every character in the
play, although he is unsuccessful in killing anyone but Mufasa. When Simba comes back home
after Scar has been in power, the entire Pridelands appears to be dead. There are no animals left,
there is no water, the vegetation is all dead, and there is nothing but sand and rock. The
appearance of the Pridelands reflects the heart of Scar dead. This is the same as the state of
Elsinore reflecting the heart of Claudius. The image of Denmark is destroyed. Resulting for the
rest of the world isolation from Denmark. Claudius occupies himself to try forget his mistakes
but he knows deep down that he is dead inside.
Scar and Claudius both rely on the stupidity of others to get the job done. Scar repeatedly
appoints the hyenas to murder Simba, and Claudius relies on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to
take Hamlet to the leaders of England to end his life. Both Scar and Claudius plan failed, neither
of this hit men got their job done. In Hamlet, Hamlet is too smart to be outwitted, in The Lion
King; the hyenas are just too stupid to kill Simba.
Hamlet and Simba are perfect examples of tragic heroes. Both are tested on their inner
strength and faith. There is even an allusion made by Timone that points to Shakespeare. "What's
in a name?" It's not from Hamlet but it's Shakespeare. Although there are many similarities there
are also many differences. Disney was able to retain all the conflict of emotion that Hamlet felt
and still create a storyline and characters that appeals to children. (Allan, 1997)
The Lion King wasn’t the only one influenced by William Shakespeare the Sound
of Waves, by Yukio Mishima, is similar to Romeo and Juliet but the tragedy is not memorable.
This book is written in modern day Japan, being one of the reasons why the tragedy isn’t a great
as Romeo and Juliet’s. The Sound of Waves focuses around a young fisherman who falls in love
with the daughter of the wealthiest man in town. Similar to Romeo and Juliet when two starstruck lovers from to feuding families ,the Capulet’s and the Montague’s, fall in love both end up
committing suicide causing both feuding families to unite.
The relationships between Romeo and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Shinji and Hatsue
in The Sound of Waves were disapproved of by both of their families. Romeo and Juliet came
from different backgrounds. Romeo was a Montague and Juliet was a Capulet. Juliet said to
herself she would rather leave her family name Capulet so she can be with the person she loves. ,
"Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or, if thou will not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no
longer be a Capulet." (p. 71).
Although Hatsue's and Shinji's families were not rivals, Hatsue's father heard a rumor
about his daughter and Shinji that upset him very much. He therefore banned Hatsue from having
any contact from Shinji. Hatsue said to Shinji, "Last night at the bath Father heard some very bad
gossip about us and became terribly angry and commanded that I must never see Shinji-san
again." (p. 110) Both families, for different reasons, did everything in their power to keep the
loved ones apart. It is the theme that circle both books and makes them so much alike in content
("Romeo and Juliet," 2001).
Not only has Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet impacted modern literature today. So has, A
Comedy of Errors, mistaking the identity of one person for another person, The Taming of the
Shrew, giving a person a taste of their own medicine, Macbeth an evil person who dies because
of their own wrongdoing and much more (Diane Malowney). William Shakespeare will
continue to influence modern literature. People will continue to find new secrets hidden between
in Shakespeare’s books that he left for us to find. It is hard to imagine today’s world without
William Shakespeare.