William Shakespeare was a writer a read a few books of during the 90s. I am going to discuss some of those books here.
Romeo and Juliet is the story of a teenaged couple whose families, though equally rich are family lines entangled in a centuries old feud. The lovers get their kicks on the sly and it is suggested that, in baseball terminology, the pair had hit a home run. Unfortunately tragedy falls them as Romeo intends to fake his death as a prelude to facilitate a final escape. Juliet does not know that he has faked his death, so she stumbles upon his body, in a curare induced coma. She thinks he is dead so she kills herself. Hours later, Romeo awakes and seeing Juliet dead, he kills himself.
Hamlet is the story of a teenage Prince whose father was murdered by his Uncle, brother to his late father. This Uncle now sits on the Throne of the country. After much mulling around and commisseration, including Hamlet killing a palace aide called Polonius and then later discovering his girlfriend Ophelia dead in the river, he gets into a duel, but due to typical Shakespearean writing style, all involved in the duel wind up dying. I guess Shakespeare didn't believe in happy endings.
The Merchant of Venice is the story of a merchant called Shylock who was Jewish. This story is Shakespeare's commentary against prejudice. Challenges, puzzles, and finally the debt of a pound of flesh is excused. At one point, Shylock asks, Am I not injured just like anyone else if I were physically assaulted, would I not get a bloody nose and bruises? This is an indictment against prejudice. I myself have had too much scientific training and read too much of Carl Jung and his idea of archetypes to be prejudiced.
King Lear is the story of a King who asks of his three daughters who loves him the most. Two of his daughters Regan and Goneril give a good speech. One of his daughters Cordelia says nothing at all. The King banishes this daughter. Bad move, at turns out the two daughters that had given the speech were plotting against him, and the daughter who said nothing was the one who loved him. The hapless King is eventually exiled from his palace and one rainy afternoon on a highway, he gets his left eye plucked out by his bastard brother, the Earl of Gloucester.
The Tempest is a story of magic and enchantment. It is the last play that Shakespeare wrote. Incidentally, his first play was A Comedy of Errors. A ship with a crew of sailors as well as a wizard and his lovely daughter is shipwrecked on a beach. On the island is a man with a strange costume of furs and fish and with a weird smell. The man's name is Caliban.
The whole story winds up at the end to be a mirage, a dream. Just like life.
Whether one goes to high school or college, they will probably wind up reading Shakespeare as part of the curriculum. The stories of Shakespeare are stories that are remembered as one grows older.
__________________________________________________________________________
border="0" alt="contador de visitas">contador de visitas
