Konrad Andreasik 

11/12/2019 

4​th 

What does it mean to be human? 

The definition of human by Merriam-Webster is a bipedal primate 

mammal, but there is a lot more to being human than just being a bipedal 

primate. When you read a work of literacy is when you really learn what it 

means to be human. But Shakespeare’s plays do an even better job 

explaining the meaning of being human. The meaning of being human is 

evident in Romeo and Juliet as it teaches that humans won’t let anything 

get in between their love. This is expressed in Romeo and Juliet as Romeo 

was from the Montegue family which was an arch rival to the Capulet 

family that Juliet was a part of, but knowing that, they didn’t allow their 

families to be a barrier to their love (qtd. In Shakespeare). This example 

teaches that being able to love means to be human, as it teaches that love 

is a power that nothing can stop, and that humans will love 

unconditionally. In Romeo and Juliet this unconditional love it taken to 

desperate measures as Romeo and Juliet let their love towards each other 

steer their life to an end where they commit suicide to be with each other 

forver (qtd. In Shakespeare). This teaches that yes love is a part of being 
human, but it is up to us to learn from others' mistakes and not let love 

solely lead our lives. 

Being human also means to be creative. That’s because humans are 

the only animals that can use their minds to think of new creative ideas, 

while other animals have special features and tactics built into their 

genes. Human creativity can be seen in Rich Dad Poor Dad, when young 

Robert and his friend wanted to make money so they asked Robert’s dad 

what they should do, and all he told them was to be creative. So for the 

next few weeks they went around their neighborhood and collected used 

toothpaste tubes, that they then minted into money (qtd. In Kiyosaki). Yes 

this example of making money was taken to literal, and might’ve been a bit 

illegal, but nonetheless shows human creativity. As the boys were 

struggling with a financial problem they put their mind to use to solve 

their problem by minting their own money. This is not a given trait and no 

one taught the boys to do this, it’s just another thing that sets humans 

apart from other animals. 

Literature tells us a lot about what it means to be human, from 

teaching that humans can love, think of creative ideas and ways to solve 

problems, the ability to feel guilt, and learn from our own mistakes. Hamlet 

does a great job with showing that guilt is a part that makes a human, a 

human. The story of Hamlet begins with the death of King Hamlet, and 

Hamlet’s mourning of the death. Hamlet just can’t capture it in his head 
how everything happened so quick: that first his father died and his 

mother quickly remarried with King Hamlet’s brother. During this mourning 

Hamlet meets with the ghost of King Hamlet, who explains that Claudius 

was the perpetrator that killed King Hamlet. This news makes Hamlet mad, 

and brings him to want to take revenge on Claudius for killing his father. 

So, Hamlet thinks of an amazing plan to make Claudius confess to his 

wrong doings. Hamlet figured that if he performs a play that pictures 

exactly what the ghost said Claudius did. Claudius wouldn’t be able to 

help but feel guilty for his crime (qtd. In Shakespeare). This proves that 

literature teaches what it means to be human, as it stresses that every 

human feels guilt no matter the circumstance. Only humans have the 

ability to feel guilt, and even if they try to do a good job hiding it the truth 

will eventually come out, just like in Hamlet. An animal might seem to feel 

guilt when it does something wrong and gets a punishment, but it doesn’t 

feel guilt for doing what it did because it doesn’t understand that was 

wrong, it is just scared of the punishment. Therefore, literature does a 

great job teaching that feeling guilt is just another part that makes a 

human, human, and not another animal. 

Being humans means that one can learn from their mistakes. That 

we can take an experience that we already had and change it for the 

better. Literature does a great job teaching this with Speak. The main 

character of Speak, Melinda has gotten rapped, but she was so scared of 
the incident that she really didn’t tell anyone about what happened other 

than her close friends, and a teacher. After time she has decided to speak 

out about the incident, but it turns out that she has spoken out too late, 

so the man that has committed the crime will not see his punishment (qtd. 

In Anderson). This is a great example from learning from mistakes as 

Melinda later found out that she really has made a mistake keeping it all 

to herself, and not speaking of it. Because of that experience, she knows 

that the next time something bad/wrong happens to her that she has to 

speak out the topic if she wants a punishment to be delivered, and the 

topic to be fought for. Only humans have the power to take their past 

experiences and learn to make something out of them, that they turn out 

better than the time before.  

Humans are a very distinct, as compared to other animals. But 

nothing shows the distinction between them better than texts of literature 

do. As they bear many lessons, and stories that allow humans to process 

and learn from to make their lives. From learning to love with Romeo and 

Juliet, thinking creatively with Robert Kiyosaki, knowing the feeling of guilt 

with Hamlet, and learning from our mistakes with Malinda. Without these 

texts it would be very hard to figure out the real meaning of being human. 

But we use our human skills to read these works of literature, to figure out 

the meaning.