Shakespeare

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/ˈʃeɪkspɪər/
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A name centered on William Shakespeare and his literary legacy, with a separate modern use as a fishing-gear brand.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • The festival brings Shakespeare to audiences of all ages.
  • The new Shakespeare kit includes basic tackle for young anglers.
  • She compared two Shakespeare spinning rods before buying one.
  • The director sets Shakespeare in a modern city.
  • The students found Shakespeare easier after hearing the lines spoken.

Similar words

Shakespeare reels
Elizabethan drama
Shakespeare rods
Shakespeare tackle
Pure Fishing brand
the canon
William Shakespeare
Shakespearean drama
the playwright
the Bard

Meanings

The playwright

noun
literature
neutral
William Shakespeare, the English playwright, poet, and actor whose plays and poems became central to English literature and world theatre.

Usage

Use Shakespeare for the historical writer, especially when context names his life, career, plays, poems, or place in English literature.

Examples

  • Shakespeare was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.
  • Many theatres still stage Shakespeare every season.
  • The course begins with Shakespeare and moves on to later dramatists.
  • Critics still debate details of Shakespeare's life.
  • The museum focuses on Shakespeare's family and early years.
  • Actors often train by speaking Shakespeare aloud.

Common mistakes

The birth date is often stated as certain, although only the baptism date is securely recorded.
IncorrectCorrect
Shakespeare was definitely born on 23 April 1564. Shakespeare is traditionally said to have been born on 23 April 1564.
Shakespeare was born in Stafford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare mainly wrote novels. Shakespeare mainly wrote plays and poems.
Shakespeare was a Victorian writer. Shakespeare wrote in the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.

Similar words

William Shakespeare
the Bard
the Bard of Avon
the Swan of Avon
the playwright
the dramatist

The works and style

noun
literature
neutral
The plays, poems, language, performance tradition, or literary influence associated with William Shakespeare.

Usage

Use Shakespeare this way when the name stands for the writing or theatrical tradition rather than the man himself.

Examples

  • The company performs Shakespeare in the park every summer.
  • She prefers Shakespeare on stage rather than on the page.
  • The director sets Shakespeare in a modern city.
  • The students found Shakespeare easier after hearing the lines spoken.
  • The festival brings Shakespeare to audiences of all ages.
  • The essay compares Shakespeare with later revenge tragedy.

Common mistakes

The name is sometimes treated as one book, although it usually points to a body of plays and poems.
IncorrectCorrect
We read a Shakespeare called Hamlet. We read Shakespeare's Hamlet.
I bought a Shakespeare for one poem. I bought a book of Shakespeare's poems.
The actor performs in Shakespeare's tonight. The actor performs in Shakespeare tonight.
The class studies Shakespeare's only as old grammar. The class studies Shakespeare as drama and poetry.

Similar words

Shakespearean drama
Shakespeare's works
Shakespeare's plays
the canon
Elizabethan drama
the Bard's works

Fishing tackle brand

noun
sport
neutral
A fishing-gear brand that sells rods, reels, combos, tackle kits, and related equipment under the Shakespeare name.

Usage

Use Shakespeare for the brand when context mentions fishing, rods, reels, tackle, kits, or outdoor equipment.

Examples

  • The shop carries Shakespeare rods for freshwater fishing.
  • He packed a Shakespeare reel for the weekend trip.
  • The new Shakespeare kit includes basic tackle for young anglers.
  • A Shakespeare combo pairs the rod and reel in one package.
  • The catalogue lists Shakespeare gear by series and product type.
  • She compared two Shakespeare spinning rods before buying one.

Common mistakes

The brand is easily confused with unrelated manufacturers when the product category is guessed from the name alone.
IncorrectCorrect
Shakespeare sells bathroom faucets. Shakespeare sells fishing rods, reels, combos, and tackle.
Shakespeare is a theatre company in this catalogue. Shakespeare is a fishing-gear brand in this catalogue.
I need a Shakespeare sink for the kitchen. I need a Shakespeare rod for fishing.
The Shakespeare reel is a book edition. The Shakespeare reel is fishing equipment.

Similar words

Shakespeare Fishing
Shakespeare Fishing Gear
Shakespeare tackle
Shakespeare rods
Shakespeare reels
Pure Fishing brand

Usage

Use context to separate Shakespeare as the writer, his works and style, or the fishing-gear brand.

Common mistakes

Shakespare and Shakespear are common misspellings of the standard modern spelling Shakespeare.

Etymology

From the English surname Shakespeare. Spellings varied in William Shakespeare's lifetime, and the modern spelling became standard through later printed editions and scholarship.

FAQ

What does Shakespeare usually mean?

Shakespeare usually refers to William Shakespeare, the English playwright and poet associated with works such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and the sonnets.

Can Shakespeare mean the works rather than the person?

Yes. In sentences such as we study Shakespeare, the name means his plays, poems, language, or theatrical tradition.

When did Shakespeare live?

Shakespeare was baptized on 26 April 1564 and died in 1616. His exact birth date is not known, though 23 April is traditionally observed.

What did Shakespeare write?

Shakespeare wrote plays, sonnets, narrative poems, and other verse, with tragedies, comedies, histories, and romances among his dramatic works.

Is Shakespeare a surname?

Yes. Shakespeare is an English surname, now overwhelmingly associated with William Shakespeare.

Is Shakespeare also a brand?

Yes. Shakespeare is also a fishing-gear brand that sells rods, reels, combos, tackle kits, and related equipment.

Does Shakespeare make plumbing fixtures?

No. The supported commercial sense is fishing gear, not plumbing fixtures.

How is Shakespeare pronounced?

Shakespeare is pronounced /ˈʃeɪkspɪər/.

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