Influence of William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (National Portrait Gallery), in the famous Chandos portrait

William Shakespeare's influence extends from theater and literatures to present-day movies, Western philosophy, and the English language itself. William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the history of the English language,[1] and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.[2][3][4] He transformed European theatre by expanding expectations about what could be accomplished through innovation in characterization, plot, language and genre.[5][6][7] Shakespeare's writings have also impacted many notable novelists and poets over the years, including Herman Melville,[8] Charles Dickens,[9] and Maya Angelou,[10] and continue to influence new authors even today. Shakespeare is the most quoted writer in the history of the English-speaking world[11][12] after the various writers of the Bible; many of his quotations and neologisms have passed into everyday usage in English and other languages. According to Guinness Book of World Records Shakespeare remains the world’s best-selling playwright, with sales of his plays and poetry believed to have achieved in excess of four billion copies in the over 400 years since his death. He is also the third most translated author in history.[13]

  1. ^ Reich, John J.; Cunningham, Lawrence S. (2005), Culture And Values: A Survey of the Humanities, Thomson Wadsworth, p. 102, ISBN 978-0534582272
  2. ^ "William Shakespeare". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
  3. ^ "William Shakespeare". MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
  4. ^ "William Shakespeare". Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14 June 2007.
  5. ^ Miola, Robert S. (2000). Shakespeare's Reading. Oxford University Press.
  6. ^ Chambers, Edmund Kerchever (1944). Shakespearean Gleanings. Oxford University Press. p. 35.
  7. ^ Mazzeno, Laurence W.; Frank Northen Magilsadasdasdls; Dayton Kohler (1996) [1949]. Masterplots: 1,801 Plot Stories and Critical Evaluations of the World's Finest Literature. Salen Press. p. 2837.
  8. ^ Hovde, Carl F. "Introduction" Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, Spark Publishing, 2003, p. xxvi.
  9. ^ Gager, Valerie L. (1996). Shakespeare and Dickens: The Dynamics of Influence. Cambridge University Press. p. 163.
  10. ^ Sawyer, Robert (2003). Victorian Appropriations of Shakespeare. Cranberry, NJ: Associated University Presses. p. 82. ISBN 0-8386-3970-4
  11. ^ The Literary Encyclopedia entry on William Shakespeare by Lois Potter, University of Delaware, accessed 22 June 2006
  12. ^ The Columbia Dictionary of Shakespeare Quotations, edited by Mary Foakes and Reginald Foakes, June 1998.
  13. ^ "William Shakespeare:Ten startling Great Bard-themed world records". Guinness World Records. 23 April 2014.