Why is Shakespeare lauded as one of the greatest in history when most directly he was plagiarist?

Question

There is significant evidence to this effect. I dont see why he is put upon some pedastal and worshipped. My wife slept thru King Lear.

Answer 1

I think many scholars agree that Shakespeare is more of a name attached to the plays, but the actual person did not exist as a playwright.

Since scripts didn't exist until much later (actors were only given their "sides" or lines), it's hard to pinpoint who exactly wrote it. Playscripts were collaborated on during times when the theatres were closed, like when there were plagues and when Cromwell banned performances. Many different people probably came together to preserve them, like the actors and possibly audience members and writers in the community.

As for your wife falling asleep, that is all a matter of taste. His plays are excellent, no matter who wrote them. Many, many quotes and sayings are attributed to him in our culture.

Answer 2

There is considerable historical evidence- existing copies and the opinion of Johnson- that WS was the author of the vast bulk of the work attributed to him,so where is the plagiarism?

If you mean he "modified" other sources there is no plagiarism - is "Apocalypse Now" a plagiarism of "Heart of Darkness" ?, are all the religious painters plagiarists because they used biblical sources?

Shakespeare is on a pedestal because of the dramatic poetry rather than the drama itself and I would be interested to know who you think should be on a pedestal if anyone.

As for your wife falling asleep in King Lear, I bet she was awake when Gloucester's eyes were gouged out!

Answer 3

The concept of 'plagiarism' didn't really exist in Shakespeare's day. There's no question he picked up most of his plots, and sometimes even his lines, from various sources, such as Holinshed's Chronicles for his history plays, and Plutarch and others for his Roman plays. This was a normal practice at the time, so there's no real point to holding it against Shakespeare.

But Shakespeare isn't famous so much for his plots as for his insight into character and the power of his language. His fame in those areas is completely deserved. He is rightly regarded as the most skilled master of the English language who ever lived.

Unfortunately, Shakespeare wrote a language somewhat different than the language we use today. He also included many references to contemporary events, fashions, and beliefs that have long since been forgotten. This means that the ordinary reader without a grounding in the language and customs of the period he wrote in will fail to understand some of the story and, being confused, may well get bored. Shakespeare is difficult for a modern audience, either on the page or on the stage, but more than worth the effort to understand him.

Answer 4

If he was plagiarist he was the greatest one...