Julius Caesar: Ben Jonson, a well know writer of the time said that Shakespeare

Universal Appeal by Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s Universal Appeal

Ben Jonson, a well know writer of the time said that Shakespeare “was not of an age, but of all time” The question to be asked is what makes Shakespeare so popular even more than four centuries later. It is true that he wrote about the Elizabethan times and of particular kings and dukes from foreign lands but we love reading his works.

What is it about him that appeals to people of the world for he has been translated in all the major languages of the world and is still performed widely?

The magic lies in various qualities he possessed. The most important reason is that though he dealt with individual lives and problems, he touched on those emotions and human weaknesses that are eternal, for example, jealousy (as in Othello); too much ambition (as in Macbeth); indecision (as in Hamlet). Thus Shakespeare has the talent to move from the particular to the general and there lies his universal appeal.

Another salient feature of his writing is the way he draws his characters. His people are neither complete villains nor total angels. They are very human who have the same frailties as we do. Caesar in the play, ‘Julius Caesar’ may have been disliked by the audience for his ambition but his love for people is a quality that makes him lovable.

Another reason that endears us to Shakespeare is his poetic qualities. He was greatly gifted and many of his poetic lines have become maxims and are often quoted by people without the knowledge that they come from Shakespeare, for example ‘‘Et tu Brute–Then fall, Caesar!’’ ‘‘It was all Greek to me’’.

(Julius Caesar) “To be or not to be is the question” (Hamlet) or “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players…” (As You Like It) and “mercy droppeth as gentle rain from heaven” (The Merchant of Venice) “Sweet are the uses of adversity” (As You Like It).

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It has to be mentioned that Shakespeare had a psychological approach to his character sketches though psychology was a word unknown those days. He was much ahead of his times.

The internal conflict of Burtus, Macbeth or Hamlet, the hatred of Oliver and Duke Frederick towards their brothers is treated in a psychological manner and this demands a deep understanding of human nature and Shakespeare had that talent. This character reading is a special feature of Shakespeare and it is no wonder that he is read and loved so widely.