Here is a man who lived only five decades (from 1564 to 1616), yet his legacy continues to influence mankind for four centuries. That said, William Shakespeare still dominates the written word of the English language with a metaphorical iron fist. No other writer, let alone a playwright, could get closer to him. If there be one, that would only be a text: the Holy Bible.
Shakespeare stands alone as the one man who dominates the literature of the world’s most used language.
It is simply impressive how this single man of letters survived centuries with such a reputation from the academia as well as the common man. His plays have held influence over Western literature inasmuch as he is still alive today.
Even more surprising is that only a few Sri Lankans are ignorant of who Shakespeare is. Maybe not well conversant with his plays, but his is a household name. This, probably, could be the offshoot of the country’s colonial legacy.
Thanks to a few passionate Shakespeare scholars such as Bandula Vithanage, K G Karunathilaka and Tony Ranasinghe, Sri Lankans are now familiar with Shakespeare’s well-received plays: Othello, Hamlet, The Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet.
Sri Lankan counterpart
Speaking of Shakespeare, Sri Lanka cannot forget its own counterpart: Ediriweera Sarachchandra. These two playwrights attracted a packed audience owing to their capacity to manipulate the sources, more than their original creativity.
Enough has been said about both these writers: Sarachchandra and Shakespeare. It’s high time to move on to other writers. But we like to cling to tradition, no matter what comes to pass around us.
This comparison on the other hand, for some, may sound knavish, derogatory and unholy.
Be it as it may, but that’s where truth stands aloof. Both men stole from their sources to invent a new line of creativity. Shakespeare banked upon religious texts such as Geneva Bible as well as other works published during his time. Sarachchandra too had his own religious text: the Jataka book and related literary canons. They served well to the hand that fed them.
They ‘translated’ ancient text into plainer and more elegant lingo. Calling Shakespearean language plain could sound eccentric in the modern context. However, if you read slowly with pauses, you will understand his language. You will realise how heavy his language is with idioms, metaphors, proverbs and other attractive figures of speech.
Sarachchandra’s halo is of course much wider than Shakespeare’s. But simply because Sarachchandra was not born in a Western country such as England, he won’t enjoy literary stamina for centuries after centuries. But Shakespeare will, as he hath proven so far.
He continues to cast a spell on Western thinking, probably only second in rank to the Holy Bible. Even with no typewriter - let alone modern word processors - he penned a host of plays about 37 plays and 154 sonnets. That figure is colossal, in contrast to the short lifespan Shakespeare had. Shakespeare filled his text with inspiring characters. One modern playwright is inspired by the ‘Fools’ in Shakespearean plays. Another playwright would re-interpret the famous Shakespearean characters.
Contemporary rivalry
William Shakespeare was not the only playwright of his time. He had a fair share of contemporaries. They outsmarted him as well at times. Yet, Shakespeare was left to be the only scribe who still dominates the Western literary sphere. How and why are researched extensively across the globe.
Albeit a similar language pattern, Shakespeare captured the human essence in his sources. The dramatist within him took liberties remoulding his sources into universal human experiences. That is how his plays have varied plots. Shakespeare syringed the power of words into thousands of his predecessors.
That earned Shakespeare wrath too, from his contemporaries.
The Guardian cites a diarist who was born 11 years after Shakespeare died. The diarist was an academic who looks down on Shakespeare and notes that the only good thing is that ‘his plays took well’. The diarist’s account aside, the literary circles are not short of scholars who maintain that Shakespeare was not much of a writer. There could be some truth to their verdict, as the Bard had contemporaries like Christopher Marlowe who claimed better scholarship.
Along with the diarist’s account, the Guardian also publishes an interesting note:
“For a man famous in his own lifetime, there is little documentary evidence for Shakespeare’s life and times. The plays would scarcely have survived if his friends and fellow actors had not gathered together every scrap of every play they could find - drafts, prompt scripts, scribbled actors’ parts, and 17 plays not known in any other version - into the precious First Folio published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death.”
Now that is the surprising part about this much-spoken-of man of the 20th century. But then he was born in a period when information power was toddling.
Plot outlines
The universality is not merely a concept when it comes to Shakespeare. His plays influenced more and more creative writers, who remoulded his plot outlines. That happened mostly in cinema and tele media. Romeo and Juliet, for instance, inspired many versions of the same plot. That reached somewhat a crescendo with Leonardo de Caprio carrying a gun.
Interestingly his plays enlighten the readers on how to behave on certain occasions. Hamlet’s Act 3 Scene 1, for instance, offers you tips on how to break up with someone. But then there are quite a lot of negative-positive aspects to think of.
And today, Shakespeare has become an institution. He penned plays and poems, but the bard is extensively researched in wider scopes of literature.
For some, Shakespeare has to be watched on stage. For some, Shakespeare has to be read in books. For some, Shakespeare has to be visited in Stratford. All that is necessary for a full-scale study of Shakespeare. What matters most though is the amazing fact that one man - a writer at that - could claim such vast literary dominance for four centuries. Yes, that is a no-go figure. Four centuries and still a living icon, Shakespeare would continue to inspire, motivate and encourage even the techno-savvy audience with his insightful expressions.
Extraordinary storylines
The great thing about Shakespeare was his ability to write great plots. Some may say that Shakespeare’s writing has inspired many of today’s best modern works. His themes include revenge, love, marriage, power, ambition, murder, obsession, dreaming, ambition, loyalty, death, sin and guilt.
All of Shakespeare’s plays have terrific storylines. Take Hamlet; a magnificent tragedy with an extremely powerful depth. The main character Hamlet finds out about his father’s death, and his mother’s marriage to his uncle and speaks to the ghost of his late father who tells him to seek revenge on the new king (the same uncle) for his murder. The play explores different relationships such as Hamlet’s obsession with Gertrude, his mother and his love for Ophelia who he tries to convince his insanity. Beautifully written and a must for all who have a love for literature, Hamlet is a truly gripping drama.
Macbeth is another stunning play about ambition and contradiction full of wonderfully creative characters and subtle witchcraft. All of Shakespeare’s plays tell a story in an enlightening and absorbing manner, captivating the reader into the tale. Children of all ages can benefit from reading the works of this literary legend while inspiring them to gain knowledge about past histories and enhance their imaginations.
Powerful characters
Something I believe cannot be disputed is the fact that Shakespeare’s characters are so very full of depth. Shakespeare had a wonderful way of exploring his characters and describing their emotions.
Romeo from Romeo and Juliet is by far the world’s most famous young lover while Hamlet can probably be seen as Shakespeare’s most complex character. Shakespeare’s characters are blessed with different traits and are created to grasp the reader’s attention; which is exactly what they do. From villains, murderers, lovers and dreamers to traitors, servants, witches and magicians, Shakespeare’s characters are full of everything you can imagine and more. What better way to build a child’s imagination and teach them about the different themes today’s world holds than to encourage them to read Shakespeare?
Challenging and inspiring
I can think of no better way to challenge a child’s reading than to have them study some Shakespeare. Once a child feels comfortable with their reading a great way to build their eagerness and stimulate their brains is to encourage them to read some of Shakespeare’s works. A great way to do this is to read together the first time to help them slowly understand the language and be there to help them overcome any difficulties they may face at first.
Reading Shakespeare can be a wonderful learning curve and a great ability for any child to possess. Shakespeare’s writings are timeless and full of meaning. Children can learn so much from studying the works of this famous bard including understanding the history behind his writings and learning from the messages he wished to convey.
It’s not enough to speak, but to speak true.
So said William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.