William Shakespeare
V.K. SUBRAMANIAN
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In his brief lifespan of 52 years, Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets and 38 plays.
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ILLUSTRATION: V.R. SUBRAMANIAN
William Shakespeare, (April 23, 1564 - April 23, 1616) the English poet and dramatist, stands head and shoulders above all writers in the world.
In the words of his friend and admirer, Ben Jonson, "He was not of an age but for all time."
In his brief lifespan of 52 years, Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets and 38 plays. No other writer has delved into the inner workings of the human mind and spirit like the bard born in Stratford-on Avon.
Who has not been moved by Shakespeare's great tragedies: Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and King Lear or entertained by his comedies: The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Merry Wives of Windsor or awed by his great historic plays: Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III or Henry V?
Wisdom and wit mark the dialogues or characters created by him. Some samples:
"Frailty, thy is woman!" (Hamlet)
"Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust on them." (Twelfth Night)
"Brevity is the soul of wit." (Hamlet)
"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." (Henry V)
"Sweet are the uses of adversity." (As You Like It)
"The course of true love never did run smooth." (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
"There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune." (Julius Caesar)
Shakespeare did not have any formal schooling, but was a keen observer of human behaviour: men and women, princes and peasants. His range of imagination, embellished use of the English language and his dramatic skill as a storyteller have made him the greatest literary wonder of the world.
This is an extract from
The Great Ones by V.K. Subramanian, Abhinav Publications, New Delhi
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