William Shakespeare died over 400 years ago. He wrote his plays in a form of English that can be difficult for modern readers to understand. So why do we still study him? Why are h
Faglig kvalitetssikret av lærere og toppstudenter · Følger læreplanen (LK20) · Sist oppdatert 2026-08-30
William Shakespeare died over 400 years ago. He wrote his plays in a form of English that can be difficult for modern readers to understand. So why do we still study him? Why are his plays still performed in thousands of theatres around the world every year? The answer is simple: Shakespeare remains one of the most relevant and insightful writers in history. His profound understanding of the human condition, his timeless themes, and his masterful use of language ensure that his work continues to resonate with audiences centuries after his death. This article will explore the key reasons for Shakespeare's enduring relevance.
After reading this article, you should be able to:
Shakespeare's greatest genius lies in his creation of characters. His characters are not simple, one-dimensional figures; they are deeply complex, contradictory, and psychologically realistic. They feel incredibly human. We recognise ourselves and the people we know in their struggles.
Shakespeare's plays are a catalogue of the human experience. He explores the consuming jealousy of Othello, the crippling indecision of Hamlet, the destructive ambition of Macbeth, and the passionate, reckless love of Romeo and Juliet. He gives us characters who are noble and flawed, brave and cowardly, brilliant and foolish. Because he understood human nature so profoundly—our desires, our fears, our flaws, and our capacity for both great good and great evil—his characters transcend their historical setting. They speak to us directly across the centuries because the fundamental emotions and conflicts they experience are still our own.
Because his characters are so human, the themes that Shakespeare explores in his plays are timeless and universal. His plays are not just about kings and queens in distant lands; they are about the fundamental questions of life that we all grapple with. His work is a vast exploration of themes that are as relevant today as they were in Elizabethan England:
Shakespeare was a phenomenal wordsmith. He had an enormous vocabulary and a unique gift for crafting beautiful and powerful language. It is true that his English can be challenging for modern readers, but it is also incredibly rich and rewarding. He used language with a creativity that has never been surpassed.
His impact on the English language is immense. He is credited with inventing or popularising thousands of words and phrases that we still use every day, often without realising their origin. If you have ever said that you were "in a pickle," that you "haven't slept a wink," or that something is a "foregone conclusion," you are quoting Shakespeare. His ability to capture complex ideas in memorable phrases is a key part of his enduring legacy.
One of the clearest signs of Shakespeare's relevance is his work's incredible capacity for adaptation. His plays have been endlessly re-imagined in new times and new places, proving the universality of their stories.
The fact that these stories work so powerfully in such different cultural contexts is a testament to the strength and universality of their core plots and themes. They can be adapted to speak to the concerns of any generation.
William Shakespeare remains a towering figure in world literature for good reason. He is not relevant simply because he is "classic" or because we are told he is important. He is relevant because his work still speaks to the core of the human experience. Through his creation of psychologically complex characters, his exploration of timeless themes like love, ambition, and prejudice, and his unparalleled mastery of language, Shakespeare's plays continue to captivate, challenge, and enlighten audiences more than 400 years after they were written. His work is not a museum piece; it is a living conversation about what it means to be human.