That is, William Shakespeare, otherwise known as “The Bard
of Stratford,” national treasure of England and bane of English students
everywhere.
That’s unfortunate because Will Shakespeare wasn’t a
literary writer, although we’ve since enshrined him as such. He was instead a
writer of popular fiction, fiction designed for the masses, meant to fill the
theaters for a week before the audience in London demanded something new. He
was in competition with the other writers of his time, looking for his spot on
the Elizabethan equivalent of the best-seller list. Over nearly two decades, he
was prolific enough and popular enough to retire to the country with a small
fortune.
Good old Will wrote edge-of-the-seat drama, slapstick
comedy, witty repartee, and sizzling romance.
That’s right, romance. In a two hour play, using just the
lines of dialogue, this Bard guy gave us all the emotional insight we need to
understand how two characters who verbally rip each other apart each time they
meet can find their way to admit fault, apologize, and find love. Of course it
takes some prodding by meddling friends, but that’s to be expected in a
romantic comedy.
And then there are the two guys who want the same girl who
runs off with one of them because her father wants her to marry the other one,
but then “true love never did run smooth.” Of course there’s another girl
spurned by the second guy who just has to chase him while he chases the lovers.
Meddling fairies literally drag them through the mud until they sort out their
true affections during a harrowing night in the woods
.
Fun stuff. Sounds like something you’d see on “Once Upon a
Time” on TV today. Definitely not what critics would call “literary.”
If you’ve not seen Much
Ado about Nothing starring Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh or A Midsummer Night’s Dream featuring
Michelle Pfeiffer and Kevin Kline, visit your local library today and check out
their movie section.
There’s a lot we romance writers can learn from this
451-year-old guy from Stratford-upon-Avon.
You rule, Will!
The Bard's Birthday
ReplyDeleteToday is Thursday, 23rd, April, 2015, Saint George's Day, here in England. It is also William Shakespeare's birthday, as you rightly say, Helen, a fact few English people acknowledge or celebrate, sadly. To celebrate, here are some lines from the Bard himself:
Forsooth, tis my birthday today,
I Will was born in April
on the twenty third day,
merry was I as the green wood in May,
so to yon tavern,
bring barrels of ale to laden a wagon,
for tis also the day we remember,
Saint George slew the dragon.
Though I type on my new fangled laptop,
methinks, still I prefer the quill and the pen,
I will, master of blank verse and sonnet,
the like thou wilt not see again.
Thy humble, celebrated Bard,
William Shakespeare