Almost every piece of modern writing has been impacted by one English author. This author wrote almost 200 plays and sonnets that were extremely popular. His name was William Shakespeare, and his writing is still studied today. One of the reasons his writings are so important is their influence. Shakespeare’s works of writing made a significant impact on the modern English language.
Many common phrases and words in english originate from Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. Shakespeare created 135 expressions that people still use today (Baluch). One example of a expression is referring to jealousy as “the green-eyed monster.” The villain Iago in Shakespeare’s play, Othello, speaks this phrase(Anderson). Another popular cliché conjured by Shakespeare is a “heart of gold.” This idiom, found in the play Henry V, describes a person who has a kind, warm nature
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In his writing, Shakespeare used many suffixes, which were rarely used in his time period (Baluch). Now, because of his influence, writers use suffixes quite frequently. In addition, Shakespeare’s use of literary devices in his poems shaped the way they are written, even today. For example, he was one of the first English poets to use iambic pentameter (Baluch). Iambic pentameter is a style of poetry that consists of lines of verse following the pattern of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Moreover, Shakespeare’s work contained many similes and imagery. One example from Romeo and Juliet of a simile is “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright./It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear.” Because of his rich imagery and similes, Shakespeare’s writing was more appealing to readers. Imagery is now a staple in today’s writing because of Shakespeare. He significantly changed the structure and content of modern sonnets and