Shakespeare's Exploration of Human Nature

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject English - History of Literature, Eras, grade: AA, Middle East Technical University, course: English Literature I , language: English, abstract: Why is Shakespeare so famous? We do we read his plays at school? What is his importance for English literature? Even though William Shakespeare died 1616, even today everybody knows him and his work. He was an actor, a business man, a poet and a playwright. He was born in Stratford-on-Avon in 1564 and was the son of the mayor of the town. Writing comedies, history plays, tragedies and sonnets made him the greatest dramatist and poet in the English language. In this work, I would like to focus on an exemplarily sonnet and excerpts of some plays of Shakespeare, later on his language in order to show his importance in English and moreover in World Literature.