Though Shakespeare was writing in 16th century England, his work still resonates with people today. He wrote about topics like love, fate, family, war and death that are relevant to people in many different cultures and time periods. Shakespeare’s complex characters and beautifully-crafted dialogue have also withstood the test of time. His works have been translated into more than 100 languages, and in 2015, he was the most-produced playwright in the US. All over the world, his plays have been adapted into modern tales, such as The Lion King from Hamlet and West Side Story and Gnomeo and Juliet from Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare himself adapted earlier works to create the plots for some of his plays. For example, Romeo and Juliet was based on an Italian story.

What does “resonates” mean in the passage above?

According to the passage, “Though Shakespeare was writing in 16th century England, his work still resonates with people today. He wrote about topics...that are relevant to people in many different cultures and time periods,” and his characters and dialogue have “withstood the test of time.” Details like “relevant to people in many different cultures and time periods” and “withstood the test of time” show that in this passage, “resonates” means “has meaning and importance.”

Explanation: