The richest treasure a man can possess is not found in chests of gold or ruling powers but in the worth of a true friend. A friend is a person who knows your weaknesses and despite them finds joy in your company. A friend can also serve as a muse who inspires a person to reach greater heights. Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare had an enduring friendship intertwined with threads of rivalry (Ben Jonson). These men shared a common love of writing and would both impact the literary world in different ways. Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare had different life experiences and writing styles, but both left an indelible mark on the literary world. Ben Jonson's life was full of tragic events. The death of his father before his birth, the loss of his inheritance to the reign of Mary Tudor, barely escaping a death sentence, and the loss of the lives of his son and daughter were tragic events that shaped the 'man. Despite the tragedies there were some positive aspects in his life. William Camden soon saw great promise in his literary talent and took him under his wing. Although Ben Jonson would not earn a degree, he would later be awarded an honorary degree and be considered one of the most learned men of his time (Ben). He would also gain the favor and patronage of James I and would continue to write masques for the court and be considered the first English poet laureate (Ben Jonson English). Many considered Ben Jonson to be a difficult man with an argumentative personality. His arguments with other playwrights are legendary (book). However, Ben Jonson was a passionate perfectionist who encouraged and embraced the revival of classicism (Murlyan). His experiences helped shape the man into a......medium of paper......ton & Company, 2006. Print.Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 62: Elizabethan Dramatists. A secular book by Bruccoli Clark. By Fredson Bowers, University of Virginia. Gale Research, 1987. pp. 267-353.Hooley, Daniel. "Jonson, translation and Horatian lyric." Np, nd Web. 11 April 2011. .Kelly, . "Points Concerning Ben Jonson and the Cavalier Poets". English 261, British Literature INp, nd Web. 11 April 2011.Mulryan, Giovanni. "Jonson's Classicism." Ben Jonson's Cambridge Companion. Eds.Richard Arpa and Stanley Stewart. Cambridge University Press, 2000. CambridgeCollections online. Cambridge University Press. 11 April 2011 DOI:10.1017/CCOL0521641136.012"Queen Elizabeth." Folger Shakespeare Library. Np, nd Web. April 11 2011. .