Is Shakespeare an overrated writer?

Shakespeare is probably the most praised and studied writer in history. Is all that attention and adulation justified or is Shakespeare overrated?

Shakespeare the genius

William Shakespeare is widely considered the best English-language writer of all times and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. His plays and poems shook the history of English literature and theatre. We owe him masterpieces such as Romeo and Juliette, Othello, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, and Richard II. There are multiple Shakespeare festivals and companies and his plays continue to be shown all over the world.

The criticisms

However, the appreciation for Shakespeare is not unanimous. Some people argue that too much attention is devoted to Shakespeare. That his plays are not as enjoyable and interesting as generally assumed. They find Shakespeare's characters too charicaturesque or unidimensional. Others simply argue that there have been better English writers who just did not get as lucky as Shakespeare in attracting public attention. Do people genuinely enjoy his plays as much as they claim?

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