William Shakespeare

About William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) remains a monumental figure in world culture, earning him the #48 ranking in MIT's Historical Popularity Index. As the preeminent writer of the English language, his body of work-including tragedies like Hamlet and comedies like A Midsummer Night's Dream-has profoundly shaped literature, theatre, and the English lexicon for over four centuries. His enduring influence stems from his deep exploration of universal human themes, making him a foundational pillar of Western dramatic tradition.

In the modern digital age, Shakespeare captures 4.3 million Wikipedia views in 2025. While this represents a substantial audience, his internet attention is disproportionately low compared to his historical weight. His attention score results in a substantial +6x overattention gap relative to his importance ranking, suggesting that while he is still famous, he is receiving far less attention than his historical rank of #48 implies when compared to modern figures. For instance, his view count is significantly less than that of Bob Dylan, ranked only #736 in historical importance, who garnered 12.0M views last year.

Despite his established legacy, there are subtle shifts in engagement: his 2025 views saw a year-over-year decline of -12.1%, though Q1 to Q3 momentum showed a positive +8% recovery, suggesting fluctuations in current online interest regarding the Elizabethan master.