William Shakespeare, more than any other writer, has pushed the English language to its limits, even stretching them where necessary. His work is innovative and packed with meaning and by studying it we are studying the height of English literary achievement. This is the reason it is still studied in schools around the world to this day.

I will base my research around my four key questions.

1. To what extent has Shakespeare affected our language?
2. What are the key language features of Shakespeare’s plays?
3. How much does the language of Shakespeare’s plays differ according to the theme?
4. To what extent did Shakespeare’s language change as he became more experienced?

Through examining these questions, I hope to achieve a better understanding of Shakespeare's language, and why it is distinguished above that of other writers. I expect to find that Shakespeare did have a big affect on...