Shakespearanity

Shakespeare’s immense cultural value can be seen by the numerous book, movie, and internet references to his work which populate modern society. However, this was not always the case: for hundreds of years Shakespeare remained the almost exclusive property of the aristocracy and academia. Scholars have noted how this perception of Shakespeare shifted during the Victorian era, but have not yet explored how this influences contemporary interactions with Shakespeare. This paper, through a case study on the third murderer of Macbeth, argues that the Victorian Era changed the way modern people conceptualize and interact with the playwright by beginning the legacy of engaging with Shakespeare as a pop culture icon. hakespeare was not always the legendary pillar of English language, literature, and culture he is today. In the more than 400 years since Shakespeare began writing his now worldrenowned plays, his cultural value and the methods of interacting with his work have constantly evolved. Such an evolution would not have been possible without both high and low culture interacting with his texts in numerous ways. The Victorian era marked a turning point in the changing perceptions of what Shakespeare means to society. His pop culture status expanded and became more prevalent because of a obsession with his life and works. The explosion of conversation about the mysterious ‘third murderer’ character in Macbeth presents a specific case to examine Shakespeare’s shift from a beloved playwright for aristocrats and academics to the epitome of English