William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest playwrights in the English language. His works, which include plays, poems, and sonnets, have been translated into numerous languages and continue to be performed and studied around the world.
One of the unique features of Shakespeare's writing is his use of language and wordplay. He was a master of the English language and was skilled at crafting complex, layered sentences that could convey multiple meanings. In addition to his use of metaphor, simile, and other literary devices, Shakespeare also employed paraphrase extensively in his writing.
Paraphrase is the act of restating a text or passage in a different way, while retaining the original meaning. Shakespeare often used paraphrase to create emphasis, to convey a character's emotions or thoughts more vividly, or to make his writing more accessible to a wider audience.
For example, in the play "Romeo and Juliet," the character Romeo speaks the famous line "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!" In this paraphrase, Romeo is expressing his love for Juliet and describing how her beauty lights up the darkness. This line is a paraphrase of the original text, "It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night / As a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear," which uses more complex language and imagery to convey the same idea.
Another example of paraphrase in Shakespeare's writing can be found in the play "Hamlet." In Act II, Scene 2, the character Polonius advises his son Laertes to "to thine own self be true." This line, which has become a well-known saying, is a paraphrase of the original text, "This above all: to thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day, / Thou canst not then be false to any man." In this instance, Shakespeare uses paraphrase to create a more memorable and easily quotable phrase.
Shakespeare's use of paraphrase not only adds depth and nuance to his writing, but it also helps to make his works more relatable and understandable to modern audiences. His ability to convey complex ideas in simpler terms has helped to make his writing enduring and timeless.
