Four centuries after his death, people are still debating whether to carry on reading him or not
April 2019 marks the 403rd anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. Behind his fame lie two things: his genius and the strength of the English press over the centuries. Reported to be the most studied secular author, the adulation he has received is close to hero-worship. Playwright George Barnard Shaw termed it “bardolatry”.
This could be seen by some as a step backwards. Shakespeare Schools Festival SA head Kseniya Filinova-Bruton believes that “the benefit that can be gotten out of studying Shakespeare sharpens skills across the English subject and the entire curriculum”. “Grappling with Shakespeare is hard, so it requires perseverance and elevated thinking skills. This in turn gives students the skill and courage to deal with other challenges in their lives.”
But Shakespeare hasn’t always occupied this hallowed position. It’s worth noting that the bard wrote at a time when English society was not certain about its literature. Their bookshelves and libraries paled in comparison with what the Greeks and Romans had produced. This was a time when English authors sought to up their game and produce big dramas like the other nations had done.
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