Shakespeare’s genius for dramatic clarity has also inspired music, art, and dance in nearly every culture. Within classical music, Russian composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture” in 1869; Finnish composer Jean Sibelius wrote “The Tempest: Complete Incidental Music to Shakespeare” in 1926; and German composer Richard Wagner took influence from Measure for Measure for his opera “Das Liebesverbot” in 1834. William Shakespeare has also impacted the musical theatre world, inspiring productions such as Kiss Me, Kate (1948) and more recently, Something Rotten (2015.) The playwright’s influence is found in some pop music and can be identified in songs like “Love Story” by Taylor Swift and even “I Am the Walrus” by …show more content…
This is what makes Shakespeare so challenging for readers as they must translate between one era of the language to another. The problem with translating is that some words, phrases, or devices are often lost from one language to another, which causes us to interpret the text to our individual opinions and perspectives. However, this is not necessarily a disadvantage, as so many have come to believe. Because the text is not perfectly modified to modern speech, the reader is able to analyze it from their perspective based on what is most applicable to their life. In this sense, Shakespeare teaches students not what to think, but how to think. It is this concept that makes Shakespeare timeless. The interpretation of certain words, phrases, motives, themes, etc. can be applied and adapted into any time period as the text analyzes the nature of man – something that has been observed since the dawn of humanity and continues to be relevant to it today. William Shakespeare is often credited with being one of the greatest writers to ever live. He has become a pivotal figure within education, pop culture, and our everyday language as his text has embedded itself into a variety of cultures and helped guide the course of literature. By reviewing the playwright’s work, one can improve upon valuable communication skills and develop an individual and creative way of thinking. Shakespeare’s works analyze an array of themes and message prevalent to humanity which is what makes him relevant to not only our modern society, but future generations as