Who owns Shakespeare?

As we all know, William Shakespeare is universally regarded as the greatest

playwright and finest poet of the English language. Here, I want to discuss the
possession of Shakespeare’s works and the attachment of people to those.

In my opinion, nobody can own Shakespeare. Shakespeare and his extensive work is
beyond the mere boundaries of place and time, nevertheless his works are still
specific. The blend of the universal and the particular can be seen vividly in his works.
Nobody can own Shakespeare because nobody can be such a declamatory yet
elliptical writer like he was.

“He was the man who of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and
most comprehensive soul. But Shakespeare’s magic could not copied be; within that
circle none durst walk but he. He was naturally learned; he needed not the spectacles
of books to read nature. He looked inwards, and found her there.” – John Dryden

As said by John Dryden, Shakespeare was indeed a magical writer. He was authentic,
crisp and extraordinary. His qualities were reflected in his writings as well. Any
person can relate to his writings at some point of his/her life or the other. His writings
prove as a guiding light for many.

To conclude this assignment, I want to say that even though everyone can greatly
relate to his works I think nobody has the capability to own Shakespeare.

“He was not of an age, but for all time!” – Ben Jones