Jonson vs Shakespeare
The works of William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson are known around the world. They knew each other personally and they were friends as well as rivals. William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest English writer. Ben Jonson wrote of Shakespeare, “He was not of an age, but for all time.” He was baptized on April 26, 1564 and died on April 23, 1616. Since he lived in Elizabethan England life was very hard for him because he wasn’t born into a family of wealth or nobility and he didn’t have a great education. Shakespeare wrote thirty-eight plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and two narrative poems. He produced his best-known works between 1589 and 1613, and from then onward they are considered classics. Ben Jonson is regarded as the second most important English playwright after William Shakespeare. He was born in Westminster in late 1572 and died on August 6, 1637. He produced several plays and poems as well as masques. He
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Each had a different style of writing, one being a romantic and the other a classicist. Jonson obeyed the three unities-time, place and action, as if they were laws whereas Shakespeare broke the rules according to his liking. Although their works are very different, they are all great plays and poems. They are universally entertaining for everyone, regardless of the theme of the play. There is a reason why the works of these great authors are being read even today. Despite being written a long time ago, readers in this day and age can still relate to the themes and characters. Each reader can find something that appeals to them. Shakespeare’s and Jonson’s works are evidence that there is no one definition of great literature. Even though they didn’t have the same approach or use the same techniques, they are both perfect and their works are jewels that need to be cherished in years to