Year 5: How did William Shakespeare and Jane Austen change the English literature?

This week we have been thinking about how William Shakespeare and Jane Austen changed British Literature, theatre and the language we use today. Before William Shakespeare, many words in the English language had never been written down. As he was the first to write them, it is considered that he invented the words, such as eyeball, bedroom and kissing. In reality, he probably didn't invent them, but was the first to use them in his writing. He did, however, create phrases such as 'green-eyed monster', which we still use in the English language today. Jane Austin changed Literature in a very different way. She was the first writer to write about everyday situations and people. Her 6 books, including classics such as Pride and Prejudice, were the first of their kind to consider writing about people making mistakes and how they then changed as a result. Her books are considered to be equivalent to reality TV found in today's society. Now that's a thought!