Shakespeare is good for the brain

According to this report, reading Shakespeare is good for the brain.

Why? Well, apparently it’s to do with something called “functional shift“. An example of functional shift is using a noun as a verb, as in “he godded me” (from the tradegy of Coriolanus).

According to Professor Philip Davis from the University of Liverpool’s School of English:

By throwing odd words into seemingly normal sentences, Shakespeare surprises the brain and catches it off guard in a manner that produces a sudden burst of activity - a sense of drama created out of the simplest of things.

Professor Neil Roberts, from the University

Technorati Tags: Shakespeare, brain, functional shift, noun, verb, Coriolanus

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