This year marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. Like most kids in high school, I found Shakespeare tough going, but I didn’t despise the Bard. What always amazed me is that one man’s work had lasted so long. We went through one of the standard curricula for reading Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice , Julius Caesar , Hamlet , and MacBeth . We memorized the famous speeches and learned the words and phrases he gave to our language. While involved in a romantic relationship after college (where no Shakespeare was required), I decided to read Romeo and Juliet on my own. I was surprised that I didn’t need to use the notes as much as I recalled. Reading, I suppose, helped fill in some of the blanks. I have wanted to read more Shakespeare over the years. A Midsummer Night’s Dream , The Tempest , and others that I had missed. This year, however, I decided to begin with King Lear . I had known the story of K...
Blog of a struggling writer.