What's so great about Shakespeare?

I don't think there is a comprehensive list of the reasons why Shakespeare was great. In the final analysis, this is a subjective question, and because of historical contingency, there may be others who have at least as good "great" cases, which you have never heard of. Finally, Shakespeare was the right person in the right place at the right time.

We can list some of these attributes, but I wouldn't say that they make him "great" objectively.

Shakespeare writes in English, which is the most important language in the world. As many as half of the people in the world can speak at least some English, and English is spoken everywhere. Wherever you go, if you fly there, the pilot can speak English.

Shakespeare wrote in Elizabethan English, which is the language of the King James Bible, the most popular bible in the world. For many people, Elizabethan English is the voice of God, not only because it is widely spread, but also because the form it conveys seems to be just right. Shakespeare and KJV sound so similar that the Internet is full of tests that challenge you to tell which is which.

Shakespeare's works are very productive. During his long career, he sometimes wrote several plays a year. Not every play by Shakespeare is a winner, but there are more works there than anyone of his contemporaries. Through pure random distribution, he got more opportunities to make wonderful scripts.

Shakespeare has some powerful friends. Many great works of his contemporaries have been lost. After Shakespeare died, his friends collected some works. We don't have all his works, but we have many.

Shakespeare wrote in many styles during his long career. He writes comedies, tragedies and history. This diversity gives him a greater chance to write something that appeals to the audience. This also makes us say that he is "great" only because he created great works in such a wide range of forms. Shakespeare has something for everyone, from high monologues to farting jokes.

Like his contemporaries, Shakespeare performed on a bare stage. This requires his audience to have great imagination, but it also makes his works have strong adaptability. From the grand opera style to the three people in the carriage, everything can be interpreted by Shakespeare. Shakespeare has adapted to the era of four centuries.

Shakespeare plagiarized this great story. Personally, I think it's a bit strange to see a play based on william shakespeare's story or to see Shakespeare translated into another language. I prefer to think of it as a writer immersed in Shakespeare's great stories. But this explains part of Shakespeare's attraction: they all want to tell the same story that he wants to tell again.

Shakespeare is vague and inconsistent. In my opinion, this is because he works very fast and doesn't go through many editing cycles. In addition, his works seem to be designed to achieve the goal: important plot points are told many times. IMO: Again, I think this inconsistency will only lead to the illusion of psychological depth, but it is still an important touchstone for actors and directors to use their works in various ways. Whether Shakespeare is interested or not, you will gain psychological depth.

Blank poetry is very powerful. It imitates the natural sound of English and contains the thrust of rhythm. It feels good in the actor's mouth, but it sounds good in the audience's ears if it is done well. This is related to thousands of years of epic.

Shakespeare has the ability to turn Gan Kun around. Just like KJV, something about it will stay in your mind. Some of them may be related to language: Shakespeare's little-known contemporaries also contributed some cliches to this language. Shakespeare somehow added hundreds or even thousands.

Shakespeare was a genius in the age of genius. The Elizabethan era produced some of the most wonderful ideas in history, all gathered in one place. Shakespeare's plays remind us of a truly epic period in history, a golden age worth cherishing and yearning for.

There is a network effect. If you know a playwright, you will know Shakespeare. It is the same language for everyone who wants to talk about drama. If you don't know Shakespeare, you will find it difficult to establish contact with anyone. It's like a common myth. In addition to personal value, it has also gained great value from universality.

None of these can completely cover it. Shakespeare is a phenomenon. I really believe it may be someone else, but it's not the case. Moreover, I talked about many incidental phenomena instead of trying to explain word for word why I am so fascinated by these plays. I was fascinated by them for reasons that had nothing to do with it. They talk to me. I don't know if they talked to anyone, or if they did, why they did it. But I talk, think, argue, rehearse and perform with my friends … and then go back and do it again, because we just like it. It's like asking others why they watch birds or drive fast: we like it, but if we don't like it, you can find it yourself.