WEBVTT

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Using the word Shakespeare

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within any classroom in the 21st century

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has become almost as dangerous for teachers

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as putting balloons in a toaster.

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After uttering this simple word,

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the common teacher is met with a mass of groans,

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moans,

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devastated looks,

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and the occasional chair tossed in his or her direction.

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But Shakespearean works are not boring,

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confusing,

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long and painful plays written more than 400 years ago.

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They're adventures relating to the extremities

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of human nature:

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love,

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hate,

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jealousy,

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zealous ambition,

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fear,

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mistrust,

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deception,

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and murder.

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We owe much of our own language to his invention.

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He invented over 2,000 words

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for use in his plays,

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which still remain in the Oxford English Dictionary.

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Words like "countless"

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and "assassination"

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as well as phrases like

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"one fell swoop,"

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"foul play,"

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and even "to be in a pickle"

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all originated from William's brilliant brain.

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And there are many echoes

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of Shakespeare's romantic language too.

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If you read Romeo and Juliet,

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you'll come across sentences like,

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"She doth teach the torches to burn bright,"

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and, "So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows."

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Both are quite clever metaphors,

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suggesting that Juliet is both exceptionally beautiful

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and far moreso than anyone else.

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"For thou art as glorious to this night,

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being o'er my head,

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as is a winged messenger of heaven,"

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is a simile suggesting angelic qualities

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of the lady in question.

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This is not too different from today's comments like,

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"Hey, beautiful!"

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and, "You're the hottest girl in the room."

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Shakespeare also uses

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slightly more complex metaphors

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to describe the intentions of a mischievous man.

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For instance,

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"This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips,

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two blushing pilgrims,

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ready stand to smooth that rough touch

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with a tender kiss,"

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essentially means, "I wish to kiss you."

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Such male intentions were not limited

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to simple pecks on the cheek either.

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An intentional ambiguity was often used

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as a cheeky means to proposition marriage

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or a more intimate relationship.

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Therefore, instead of viewing Shakespearean works

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as out-dated, boring, and unhelpful,

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start reading today

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and discover the best ways

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to get the one you love

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to love you back.