Today is Shakespeare 450th birthday! Few people realise that aside from writing 37 plays and composing 154 sonnets, Shakespeare was also an established actor who performed in many of his own plays as well as those of his contemporaries, such as Ben Jonson.
He wrote for the people, he was the rapper of his time. Writing about current affairs, creating new words and affecting our language through the centuries. This is why we are still celebrating his birthday 450 years later.
When reading Shakespeare’s plays or poems you will see how he uses pauses, he uses them after something significant, to give everyone time to reflect. Or he would use them prior to something important happening or being said, to get the audience’s attention.
Pauses can be used in many different situations, it can be used to make you seem more dramatic, and powerful. It punctuates. It also gives you time to think. It helps others to assimilate your message. And it gives variety. A pause can be used in so many ways, and so many of us don’t utilise it.
Many of us are frightened of the white noise of silence but try introducing a pause (even if it’s only long enough to breath in) and see the effect you make.