Shakespeare

3. Is Shakespeare worth studying? Why? (from Twitter)

Shakespeare is worth studying because his works offer great literary knowledge and historic knowledge.  In some of his plays and stories, the story line is completely untrue, but the characters are real.  For example, in a Midsummer Night's Dream, the characters are real and part of the story is, too.  Shakespeare added the details about the fairies for entertainment.  On the contrary, Julius Caesar was true.  The characters, the assassination, the story, everything was real.  Conspirators joined together to kill Caesar for the good of Rome; "And they so eagerly pressed towards the body, and so many daggers were hacking together, that they cut one another; Brutus, particularly, received a wound in his hand, and all of them were besmeared with the blood" (Ancient History Sourcebook). Shakespeare can benefit in two ways, literary and historic; therefore, he is worth studying.  


"Ancient History Sourcebook: Plutarch: The Assassination of Julius Caesar, from Marcus Brutus."FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 13 May 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/plutarch-caesar.html>.