Shakespeare's influence on language
- Vocabulary: Shakespeare introduced over 1,700 new words into the English language, many of which are still in common use today. These words include "bedroom," "bedazzled," "fashionable," and "lonely."
- Phrases and idioms: Shakespeare is also credited with creating many of the phrases and idioms that are used in everyday speech, such as "All's well that ends well," "Break the ice," "Heart of gold," and "To be or not to be."
- Figurative language: Shakespeare is a master of figurative language, and his use of metaphors, similes, and other rhetorical devices has helped to shape the way we think and speak. For example, the famous line "Life's but a walking shadow" compares life to a fleeting shadow, suggesting that it is ultimately meaningless.
Dante's influence on language
- Italian language: Dante's most significant contribution to language was his use of the Italian vernacular in his Divine Comedy, a three-part epic poem. Before Dante, most literary works in Europe were written in Latin, the language of the Church and the educated elite. By writing in Italian, Dante made literature accessible to a wider audience and helped to establish Italian as a literary language.
- Literary style: Dante's Divine Comedy is a highly complex and allegorical poem, and its use of symbolism, allegory, and other literary devices has had a profound influence on later writers. For example, the poem's nine-circle structure of Hell has been used by other writers to represent the different levels of sin.
Both Shakespeare and Dante were innovators in their use of language, and their influence can be seen in the way we speak and write today. Their works continue to be studied and admired by readers around the world, and their contributions to language will continue to be felt for centuries to come.