Why is Shakespeare so highly regarded?

Seanchai wrote: »

Because he was a better plagiarist than his contempories in the English language. Although the very mention of Shakespeare being, in fact, a plagiarist would provoke the ire of British nationalists.

Seanchai wrote: »

Gauss wrote: »

I've read some of his stuff in school like everyone, I just don't get the hype. Sure he was talented, but the hype is over the top IMO.

Because he was a better plagiarist than his contempories in the English language. Although the very mention of Shakespeare being, in fact, a plagiarist would provoke the ire of British nationalists.

cloptrop wrote: »

Shakespeare is so highly regarded because he is British . Joe Cole , Joe Harte , Prine Haryy and William and Cheryl Cole are also over rated because the Englidh media like to build them up .

"If it were done when it were done then it were well it were done quickly".

• While he did often draw inspiration heavily from other works and historical events, he elevated everything he borrowed with a thematic complexity and a keen insight into human nature, which of course is also evident in his more original works.
  
• His mastery of the English language was amazing. Purely in terms of language, so much of what he committed to paper is utterly beautiful or profound, as well as being gorgeous purely in how it sounds thanks to his choice of words and use of iambic pentameter. To truly appreciate this, it helps to hear his words spoken aloud, though one can still appreciate them while reading them.
  It's a surprisingly rare skill to be able to tell a great story with complex themes and interesting, human characters, combined with language which is attractive in itself. Dickens is another great writer who could do this, but not at Shakespeare's level.
  
• Closely related to this is his contribution to the English language. I could provide some examples of words and phrases coined by him, but I genuinely don't know where to start, so I'll simply include this list.
  I doubt there's a single English-language thread of more than twenty posts on this website that doesn't include a word or phrase on that list.
  
• Lastly, he achieved the nigh impossible goal of appealing to a wide audience. His historical subjects and thematic depth have long-appealed to the intellectual classes, while his broad comedy and recognisable character types had a more populist appeal.
  It's generally now believed that Shakespeare offers nothing to the common man, which is a great pity. A tragedy, if you will. It's not difficult to understand Shakespeare at all. While some of his vocabulary is obviously going to be a little out-of-date, much of it can still be understood in context, and the grammar, crucially, is basically the same as it is now.
  When taught properly by a good, passionate teacher, and performed well, Shakespeare's works can be enjoyed by anyone.
  I saw Much Ado About Nothing (a highly relatable and relevant play about the battle of the sexes, and unlike some of his comedies, still genuinely funny) performed at The Globe last year. Everyone in the audience had a fantastic time and had no trouble following the action. This included a large group of secondary school students who spent most of the time doubled over with laughter. Few modern playwrights, I'd warrant, could achieve a similar effect.