Christian Cebuhar

Ms. Brenner
AS Language
1-08-15
William Shakespeare: The Picasso of English
Standing with Samuel Johnson and Lowth, Shakespeare is a hallmark of old and modern
English. His historic phrases are used in common tongue and relevant to the morals of
contemporary times. Supported by his language creation, that is in excess of 3000 words, he is
key to the English spoken today. Shakespeares articulate creation of lexical choice and phrases
are what launched him to be one of the Founding Fathers of English.
Just three words, out of the inexhaustible list which Shakespeare created are eyeball,
puking and cold-blooded. These are interesting because we use these words today in the same
way that Shakespeare used them. Parents typically at some point in time, told their children to
Stop rolling your eyeballs! The phrase is nothing new. Shakespeare wrote about the idea in
Midsummer Nights Dream, where Oberon wants to do something to Lysander And make his
eyeballs roll with wonted sight(III.2.1426). Puking is another Shakespearean diction that is used
to describe vomiting. Shakespeare used puking in As You Like It about a baby puking in the
nurse's arms(II.2.1042). A creative dark word Shakespeare created is cold-blooded. First used
in King John Constance says, Thou cold-bloodied slave(III.2.1044). The word is normally
associated with social deviants such as John Gacy and Ted Bundy who have committed heinous
acts. The famous phrases Shakespeare wrote also kept their historical context used in modern
creations.
Shakespearean quotes are now part of our modern culture and English usage. For
example, Shakespeare is found in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004),
when the Hogwarts choir sings part of the Three Witches spell from Macbeth Double, double,
toil and trouble (IV.1. 1557-78). In Startrek IV: The Undiscovered Country (1991), there is an
entire scene with dialog between the characters of Captain Kirk and General Chang where they
are exchanging points of view mainly utilizing quotes from Shakespeare. One such quote is from
Julius Caesar, when Antony says "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war" (III.1.1502) which
was also used in the 1980 movie The Dogs of War.
Shakespeare is just as important and relevant today as he was to his own time in
Elizabethan England. He wrote about teenage transgression and forbidden love, where no one
lived happily ever after, as in Romeo and Juliet. He explored family chaos, betrayal, and
corruption in Hamlet. All of these ideas and themes are part of our real lives from corrupt
politicians to family that have stabbed you in the back. His ideas are also part of our cultural
heritage. His contributions to the English language have helped to develop the world and modern
English as we know it today.