Although we commonly single out Shakespeare’s work as extraordinary and deserving of special attention, at the time of the plays’ performances, they were typically dismissed as popular entertainment. In fact, Shakespeare was not the most popular dramatist of his time. Ben Jonson, Shakespeare’s contemporary (and Britain’s first Poet Laureate), and Christopher Marlowe, a slight predecessor to Shakespeare, were both commonly held in higher esteem than the man whose reputation has since eclipsed both of his competitors.
Shakespeare’s reputation as Britain’s premier dramatist did not begin until the late eighteenth century. His sensibility and storytelling captured people’s attention, and by the end of the nineteenth century, his reputation was solidly established. Today Shakespeare is more widely studied and performed than any other playwright in the Western world, providing a clear testament to the skills and timelessness of the stories told by the Bard.
