Shakespeare: 466 years-old This Week, Celebrations in “All Corners of the World”
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William Shakespeare (baptized 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist.
He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems.
His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Most of us remember coming into contact with the ‘Bard of Avon’ when attending high school, unless we had a teacher of passion and intelligence to guide us through the minefield of early modern English, we probably didn’t make much of a connection. In fact some people get downright hostile at the mention of his name.
Google “Shakespeare Sucks” and you’ll get a million pages to peruse. Like anything worthwhile, it doesn’t just drop in your lap, you have to work for the gems and nuggets of wisdom. So I say “He Sucketh Not.”
Have you ever misplaced your car keys and after a few minutes exclaim: They have vanished “into thin air,” you are quoting Shakespeare. When experiencing a lovers tiff, a friend might advise: Never mind “the course of true love never did run smooth” or “love is blind” give that friend an A in English Lit., that good buddy was quoting Shakespeare.
And so, “parting is such sweet sorrow” and not wanting to “set your teeth on edge” because it is possible to “have too much of a good thing” and guessing you probably “wear your heart on your sleeve” and would want me “as dead as doornail” or at least wish me “good riddance” but you must know that “I have not slept one wink” putting forth efforts to champion my Bard of Avon and that time has flown “in the twinkling of an eye” and not wishing to have been on a “wild goose chase” and though you might be thinking “though this be madness, yet there is method in it.”
There is a method to it, the point is that Shakespeare lives as long as people speak or appreciate the English language. He is one of many writers we unknowingly quote, no writer in the English language has had such an impact on every day speech. If wrong on that last statement “woe is me.”
MOVIES INFLUENCED BY SHAKESPEARE
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Ah what fools these mortals be.
Parting is such sweet sorrow so until tomorrow. Later dude!
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
We’ll play again tomorrow.
Forsooth I sayeth, Shakespeare does not do teh suck at all IMO. I was just in Oregon a couple weeks ago for my pilgrimage to all things William. We have a thing he and I.
One of my groundings was stopped when I said to the ‘rental units, to be or not to be that is the question, am I getting better at acting now. I had been sent to my room for not acting properly and came up with that gem, which made my dad laugh so much he took me off my grounding for being original.
Jolly good Jess, a fan of the Bard. A great observer of the human condition he was and his words still apply.
Very good…very good. We owe much of our social artistry structure to Will. I am fascinated with the alchemical ties between him and Bacon and Kelley and … oh, going on again. Great remembrance Holte.
Many artists have lifted ideas from his work, and so they should.
Great piece, Holte. I was lucky enough to have a professor who, for two whole semesters (my choice), gave me an appreciation and understanding of his plays, poems and sonnets that I never would have enjoyed otherwise. One of his running themes was, what is and what appears to be are two different things. Hmmmm – timeless.
You were more fortunate than me Leslie, my appreciation didn’t come until I was a young adult. I was born in the same area of England as Will, so Stratford was easy for me to visit and I was drawn into his works.
I have so much to do…woe is me. Great post and I learned a lot my friend.
. . . some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em.