William Shakespeare

“Word are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find” -William Shakespeare. The Renaissance is used to refer to the movement in Europe between medieval and modern time, marked by a humanistic revival of classical influence and expressed in a flowering of the arts and literature and by beginning of modern science. Humanism is the Renaissance belief that human endeavors are as important as religious study. The humanistic quality of individualism is when Renaissance people could be defined by their actions, not the social class into which they were born. William Shakespeare embodied the Renaissance ideal of humanism by displaying knowledge, exceptional abilities in the arts, and numerous social accomplishments.

Displaying knowledge is one of the ways that Shakespeare displayed humanism. Throught Shakespeare’s work it shows that he has much knowledge of Italy. Shakespeare scholars believe that he visited Italy numerous times though there is no evidence of him ever going. Another way that Shakespeare showed knowledge of the english language and classics. Shakespeare invented over 1,700 words and phrases that are still used today like heart of gold and wild goose chase. Shakespeare used classical sources for many of his plays and poems, jump to the conclusion that he must have been an accomplished classical scholar.

This is only one way that Shakespeare embodied the Renaissance ideal of humanism. Other than displaying knowledge, William Shakespeare’s most important contribution to the Renaissance was his art of writing. Shakespeare created 37 plays including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, and Macbeth. He also wrote 154 sonnets and built his own theater called the Globe. His plays are still performed today all over the world, some have even been made into movies.

Along with being knowledgeable and having a talent for writing Shakespeare was also socially accomplished. He shaped the performing art community by writing plays that were entertaining and educating. Not only informing the public but helping them become aware. He wrote about controversial subjects (i.e. the political system, the judicial system, and others), and had the guts to point out the pros and cons.

He allowed the “underlings” of society attend his plays. Although they had to stand the length of the performance at the head of the theatre he still felt it important to let everyone be cultured and educated. All in all William Shakespeare embodied the Renaissance ideal of humanism by displaying knowledge, exceptional abilities in the arts, and numerous social accomplishments. William Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. He also believed that the lower class people should still be cultured and educated. And he was a knowledgeable man by his knowledge of the English language, Italy and classics.

Everyone wants to leave a legacy, Shakespeare’s is one of the most important.