By the point of adolescence, arguably every individual in the western world will have heard of William Shakespeare in one way or another- whether it be from a play that was put on by the high school drama department, or merely by seeing his name as they aimlessly flip through HBO and come across "that one Leonardo DiCaprio movie". Relatively everyone in the English speaking world currently possess some level of knowledge in regards to Shakespeare, but, how many of those same individuals can say they have even heard of Thomas Kyd? Shakespeare, in a way, is a brand. He's a high end label (and debatably an overrated one) that everyone knows and regards without any question or consideration as to why; he's this idea of monumental brilliance that society has told us we must accept because it is simply a matter of fact. So, there's "monumentally brilliant" Shakespeare whose name is embedded in the realm of "historical genius"- and then there's Kyd. Why is it that his label is basically non-existent among the masses? When given some thought, it actually becomes quite simple. It all ties back to that pesky concept of brands- essentially dictating the vast majority of consumerism and what is laid out for the masses to absorb; leading to a society of zombies who share the same thoughts and opinions derived from a mind outside of their own; telling them that what they see before them (in this case Shakespeare) is the best, and that's that. .
As a result of history's tendency to reinforce this notion of superiority, William Shakespeare has been consistently described as "the greatest writer in the English language", as well as a "preeminent dramatist". Oddly enough, what the history books tend to leave out is the vital importance Kyd has played in shaping the realm of Elizabethan Theatre; being one of the most influential figures of the genre.
