[align=left]Shakespeare
Now came the 'Renaissance' in Europe - a time of great advance of learning and culture. By this time, English was not very different from the English used today. And the most famous person to write in English in this period was William Shakespeare (1564-1616). His insight into human nature, and his gift for using words, make him possibly the most famous playwright of all time! Having in his hands such a new rich language must have helped him too.
Shakespeare gave the English language many phrases and sayings, which English speakers still use every day. Often, they do not realise these words came from Shakespeare's plays or poems!
Do you know some of these?:
'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet'
"If music be the food of love, play on and give me excess." (12th Night)
"Of one who loved not wisely but too well." (Othello)
"All our yesterdays.." "Out, out brief candle." (MacBeth)
"To be or not to be......"
The Best seller of all time
At almost the same time as Shakespeare, came the printing of a book which has had an even greater effect on society and culture - the 'Authorised' or 'King James' translation of the Bible in 1611. For almost the first time, anyone who could read had access to the Bible in their own language, and in words which were easily understood.
The beauty of the language in this translation has never been equalled. Though today, because language has changed, it is difficult in places to understand, even for native English speakers, many people still use it. And like Shakespeare, many phrases and quotations from it have become part of the English language. People often use them without knowing they come from the Bible.
For example:
'turn the other cheek'
'go a second mile'
'Straight and narrow'
'A Job's comforter'
'Don't cast your pearls before swine'
'the love of money is the root of all evil' [/center]
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