The Third Period 1608 -1612 During the

The Third Period (1608 -1612)

During the third period of his literary career Shakespeare wrote the following plays: Cymberline (1610) The Winter's Tale (1610) The Tempest (1611) Henry VIII (1613)

These plays are called romantic dramas. There are no great problems and strong conflicts in them. Shakespeare has entered into the beautiful world of fantasy and allegory. Still, all the plays are masterly written, and they express his belief in the future happiness of mankind.

Nature occupies an important place in Shakespeare's works. His own attitude to it changes as the author himself changes. In the early comedies his heroes find happiness and peace of mind in nature, in the tragedies nature turns against them, and in the romantic dramas one feels that man conquer nature.

Shakespeare's Contribution to the World Literature

To sum up we can say that during his life-time Shakespeare created a variety of plays and characters. The ideas set out by the Renaissance, the struggle for happiness and freedom, are expressed by him I in the most realistic forms. Shakespeare's plays have become so popular in the world because of his great humanist ideas and his realistic characters. Shakespeare did not idealize the people he portrayed. I He painted them as they were in his time. He created characters of J, great depth and unusual intellects. We see a philosopher in Hamlet, learned man in Horatio, a cunning diplomat in Claudius.

Many scholars have studied Shakespeare. These are the central themes Shakespeare dealt with in his plays:

1. The idea of freedom for peoples. This is felt in his tragedies and historical plays.

2. Humanism. The love for mankind is seen in every play.

3. Freedom for the individual.

4. The idea of patriotism.

5. National unity under one strong king. The last two themes are stressed in King

6. Social relations between people.

7. The masses as a political force.

8. The themes of love and friendship which are developed in his sonnets as well as in his plays.

9. The struggle against cruel medieval blood-feuds (in Romeo and Juliet).

Shakespeare achieved great skill in speech individualization of his characters through the choice of words, and the use of folklore — popular songs, ballads and sayings. That is why the plays are written in the living language of the epoch.

There are some phrases that have become part of the everyday language of Englishmen. They have become sayings:

• All's well that ends well.

• All that glisters is not gold.

• A sea of troubles.

• Brevity is the soul of wit.

• To be or not to be, that is the question.

• Conscience doth make cowards of us all.

• Love's labour's (is) lost.

• Much ado about nothing.

• There is no darkness but ignorance.

• . . . best men are moulded out of faults.

Shakespeare's ideas of love, freedom, humanism and national unity are still very popular. Shakespeare is far from us only in time. When he speaks in his plays, we feel that he speaks for us and to us. His plays are staged by all the world's theatres and in Russia as well. Fourteen operas were composed on theme of Romeo and Juliet

Verdi, Rossini, Berlioz wrote-operas on Othello and Macbeth. There are many symphonic works — Tchaikovsky's Tempest, Liszt's Hamlet. The whole world knows Prokofiev's beautiful ballet music to Romeo and Juliet. Shastokovich composed beautiful music to the sonnets. Almost all Shakespeare's comedies and tragedies have appeared in the cinema. One of the best productions is Hamlet.