Shakespeare was elevated to an almost godlike status, becoming the nation's foremost poet and the unchallenged epitome of literary genius. The term 'bardolatry' itself was coined by George Bernard Shaw in 1901 and it owes something to Ben Jonson's comment (in Discoveries, c.

How was Shakespeare such a genius?

More than any other writer, he had the capacity to think himself into the minds of other human beings, and to summarise the great range of our emotions in words that are simple and supremely eloquent. ... No other individual contributed more words to the English language.

Why was Shakespeare so brilliant?

First, because he was supremely gifted at selecting the right words and arranging them into convincing representations of reality in all its forms, material and immaterial. His verbal dexterity was nothing short of amazing. If Shakespeare could not find a word to fit his meaning, he invented one.