Shakespeare is everywhere

Until watching Christopher Gaze's TedTalk, I truly did not realize just how many famous sayings Shakespeare had coined in his day. It is amazing to hear sayings that were invented centuries ago still used in our modern and ever-changing world. It is so common nowadays to hear words or phrases get used for a few days or weeks, and then never heard of again. However, Shakespeare's sayings are emblematic of Shakespeare's lasting reign over the English language. I found Gaze's anecdote about Hamnet's death to be quite interesting. Shakespeare knew that if he had not wrote "Shall I Compare Thee To a Summer's Day", Hamnet may have never been remembered. I personally had always believed that this sonnet was one of love for his wife or an admirer; I was shocked to hear it was written as a eulogy for his son. This completely changed the meaning of the sonnet and in my opinion, makes it much more beautiful and meaningful. Gaze's TedTalk and the aforementioned anecdote specifically made me view Shakespeare as more of a human, instead of some "god-like playwright". Shakespeare experienced emotions just like me and you, and channeled these emotions through his sonnets and plays. This thought gives Shakespeare's works a much more personal touch.