Shakespeare--Genius of Drama

The great genius of the Elizabethan Age was William Shakespeare (1564-1616). He wrote more than 35 plays as well as 154 sonnets and 2 narrative poems ('Venus and Adonis', 1593; 'The Rape of Lucrece', 1594).
Like Chaucer, Shakespeare had a genius for telling a story. Although he generally took over stories already told by others, his adaptations of these narratives made them into something new and wonderful. Shakespeare surpassed even Chaucer in creating character. Noble and disturbed Hamlet, pathetic Ophelia, wise Portia, ambitious Macbeth, witty Rosalind, villainous Iago, dainty Ariel--these are a few of the characters Shakespeare made immortal.
In addition to his ability to tell a story and to create character, Shakespeare was able to use words brilliantly. Phrases and whole lines from his works have become part of daily speech--for example, "the milk of human kindness" or "the play's the thing." Entire speeches are universally familiar--"To be or not to be," from 'Hamlet'; "All the world's a stage," from 'As You Like It'; "The quality of mercy is not strained," from 'The Merchant of Venice'.
No one in all history has had a greater command of the right word, the unforgettable phrase, or the sentence that strikes straight to the heart of the truth.