Shakespeare is called the greatest dramatist in the world. He was born in England and wrote his plays in English. But his plays have been translated into most of the languages of the world. Shakespeare today belongs to all peoples of the world, and not merely to the English.
Shakespeare wrote about three dozen plays — some tragedies, some comedies and some historical plays. Some of his best known tragedies are Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello and King Lear. The comedies include Merchant of Venice. Twelfth Night. As You Like It, Comedy of Errors, and the historical plays include Henry IV, Julius Caesar etc. He also wrote some romances like Tempest and The Winter’s Tale.
The men and women characters created by Shakespeare are vivid and universal. Portia is a young lady who can outwit the seasoned lawyers. Shylock is a typical money-lender. Desdemona is killed by her own lover, Othello. Hamlet stands for the man who can never make up his mind. Romeo and Juliet are the idols of all young lovers; they die as martyrs of love. Lady Macbeth is a masculine type of lady who instigates her husband to commit a heinous act of murder. Some scenes of Shakespeare have become immortal, such as the sleep-walking scene in Macbeth, the storm scene in King Lear, he abdication scented in Richard II, the wooing scene in Richard III etc. Some Shakespeare quotations, too, are well known such as:
(1) Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow (Macbeth),
(2) To be, or not to be: that is the question (Hamlet)
(3) As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods (King Lear)
(4) Put out the light, and then put out the light (Othello)
(5) Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your ears. (Julius Caesar)
(6) We are such stuff as dreams are made on (The Tempest)
(7) The quality of mercy is not strained (Merchant of Venice)
(8) Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks (As you like it)
(9) Some arc born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them etc. (Twelfth Night)
Shakespeare’s plays re very popular in India. They have been translated into all Indian languages. Shakespeare is now part of world culture.
Shakespeare wrote about three dozen plays — some tragedies, some comedies and some historical plays. Some of his best known tragedies are Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello and King Lear. The comedies include Merchant of Venice. Twelfth Night. As You Like It, Comedy of Errors, and the historical plays include Henry IV, Julius Caesar etc. He also wrote some romances like Tempest and The Winter’s Tale.
The men and women characters created by Shakespeare are vivid and universal. Portia is a young lady who can outwit the seasoned lawyers. Shylock is a typical money-lender. Desdemona is killed by her own lover, Othello. Hamlet stands for the man who can never make up his mind. Romeo and Juliet are the idols of all young lovers; they die as martyrs of love. Lady Macbeth is a masculine type of lady who instigates her husband to commit a heinous act of murder. Some scenes of Shakespeare have become immortal, such as the sleep-walking scene in Macbeth, the storm scene in King Lear, he abdication scented in Richard II, the wooing scene in Richard III etc. Some Shakespeare quotations, too, are well known such as:
(1) Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow (Macbeth),
(2) To be, or not to be: that is the question (Hamlet)
(3) As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods (King Lear)
(4) Put out the light, and then put out the light (Othello)
(5) Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your ears. (Julius Caesar)
(6) We are such stuff as dreams are made on (The Tempest)
(7) The quality of mercy is not strained (Merchant of Venice)
(8) Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks (As you like it)
(9) Some arc born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them etc. (Twelfth Night)
Shakespeare’s plays re very popular in India. They have been translated into all Indian languages. Shakespeare is now part of world culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment