If Shakespeare were alive today, would he wish that he was dead?

Answer 1

Seriously doubt it. He was never a high brow, literary figure in his age. He's been made that by academics.
His plays were written to appeal to a wide and uneducated public.
Today he'd be writing Hollywood blockbusters.

Answer 2

I think he'd despair of the way we've mangled our beautiful language but can we think for a second, unless he'd become immortal and therefore was able to survive from the 16th to the 21st centuries; he'd have been born in the 20th century the same as the rest of us.

Therefore, he'd have a 20th century mentality and although would probably have been appalled at the craze of text writing and the lack of emphasis on good spelling, grammar and punctuation these days, he wouldn't have felt so strongly about it that he would wish to take his life ... I'm particularly pedantic about English usage but it's not that important even to me.

On the other hand, he might actually be one of that elusive species, an immortal. I suspect, however, that they have come to terms with the fact that within a very short period of their lives, trends change and that there is nothing new under the sun.

There may be a law among the immortals that you are only allowed to become really famous once and then you have to fade into the background and just live life. So, we'll never know what Shakespeare thinks about how we've destroyed the language because according to theory one - he's dead and secondly, he's living quietly on a small biosphere on the dark side of the moon - It's quite logical that if they live forever, they could have had the time to perfect all the technological theories and conundrums that we are still wrestling with - Plus, they've got Newton, Einstein, Plank (Max - the mathematician) et. al. on their side.

Answer 3

Upon discovering that Keanu Reeves had been cast as Don John in the film version of "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993), I think Shakespeare would shank himself in the head.

Answer 4

Only if he was suicidal.

Do you mean how would he react if he suddenly found himself in our century? Well maybe his mind would have difficulty accepting some of our technology e.g. cars, computers, planes. He might think it is magic at first. But he was a creative man and if he was of strong mind, he'd probably just adapt eventually.

What he'd be interested to see is that the nature of human beings is the same as it was when he was alive and writing plays about people and their lives.

Answer 5

Keep in mind that Shakespeare wasn't that popular long before today's pupils take him to task. If you read 'Pepys Diaries' you'll see what was thought of some of his plays in the 17th. century. However, his work does stand the test of time and I expect he would have applied his unique talent to today's circumstances just as he did when alive. He could have written Wayne Rooney's biography and called it 'A Comedy of Errors' possibly!

Answer 6

Shakespeare is alive and kicking. However I don't think he would want to live in this era, its too dam confusing for us ordinary human beings as it is.

Answer 7

NO because he has done some beautiful work like Macbeth, twelfth night

And i have something in common, he was born and he died on the 23rd April and that is my birthday.

Answer 8

he is very much alive today.
but if he returned from the grave somehow, he probably would be overjoyed by all the possibilties... he was very interested in the currup human mind and nature.... he would love this time, and all the ideas he could use....

Answer 9

He would find it difficult conducting a conversation with the clipped way of speaking today

Answer 10

YES! He would look around at all the mindless, talentless drivel that's coming out of the publishing companies and would want to ride the bullet train.