The Shakespearean Code: Greatness Through Review

Known for his brilliance and creativity, his plays have been idolized for centuries. His sonnets have been recited by young lovers and quoted in a multitude of other literary works. His collections have been labeled as necessary reading material for hundreds of universities and thousands of senior high schools across the world. Through withstanding the storms of time and the winds of criticism, Shakespeare has truly revealed himself as a renaissance man when it came to literary art.

All of this and more are attributed to the account of the literary standard. Through our modern eye we bare witness to the man’s creativity, what we have come to recognize as artistic genius, but were it so for his contemporaries. Was Shakespeare’s work truly visionary, or was there something else that transfigured his writing into the timeless masterpieces we have come to admire.

During the time of Shakespeare, one of the more disrespected professions was acting. It was seen as a lower-class venture, not one fit to grace the nobler of courts – that is, until King James I. Under James’ rule, the realms of art and literature flourished. Eventually he summoned Shakespeare and commissioned his work, permitting his troop to provide the entertainment in the palace. James enjoyed it so much he not only congratulated him, he offered an on going contract. Favor with the royal family grew as Shakespeare performed giftedly each week.

Through the admiration of the royal family and the support of the lower-class citizens, Shakespeare’s career as a playwright became known to people throughout the world. Despite all of Shakespeare’s success, we, as responsible artists, must question the work separate from the author. We must answer questions like, “What if he never seized the attention of King James? What if Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy, which was referenced frequently in Shakespeare’s work, received greater recognition?

Answering these questions and others of the like yield obvious answers. If Shakespeare had not received the royal commission, the name of Shakespeare would not have been elevated to a household name. His works would have been published, hopefully, but the focus of academia would fall on whoever did receive the royal commission.

In all reality, Shakespeare was not the best writer of his day, nor should he be placed as a standard among writers. He was, in fact, merely in the right place at the right time, offering the right services. As an artist, his plays were written in the unoriginal format of the ancient Greek tragedies; most of his sonnets were written out of his obsession for his male lover, much to his wife’s dismay; and his plays were never published through his permission. Was it genius or destiny, unmatched creativity or favoritism? All we know for sure is it was through that one generous review that placed the seal of immortality on the one we have come to popularly label “The Best Writer of the English Language.”