April 24, 2008 6:37 AM
Shakespeare's birthday
Didn't get this posted yesterday - but our family has many Shakespeare fans and so I wanted to share William Federer's American Minute tribute to the Bard of Avon:
April 23William Shakespeare was born APRIL 23, 1564.
His 37 plays impacted world literature.
He married Ann Hathaway, had three children, moved to London, and became shareholding director of Globe Theater, writing such classics as Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
In King Henry VIII, 1613, act III, scene ii, line 456, Shakespeare wrote:
"Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my king, he
would not in mine age have left me naked to mine enemies."In Othello, 1604, act I, scene i, line 108, Shakespeare wrote:
"You are one of those that will not serve God if the devil bid you."
Four years before the Pilgrims landed in America at Plymouth Rock, Shakespeare died on this same day, APRIL 23, in 1616. In his will, Shakespeare wrote:
"I commend my soul into the hands of God, my Creator, hoping and assuredly believing, through the only merits of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting."
Carved on his tomb in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-on-Avon, England, is:
"Good Friend For Jesus Sake Forbeare,
To Digg The Dust Enclosed Heare.
Blese Be Ye Man Spares Thes Stones,
And Curst Be He Moves My Bones."
The American Minute is a daily column by William Federer which provides just what it promises - one minute's worth of reading on a subject pertinent to the American experience which often stimulates much more thought or dinner table discussion.
You can find other column or subscribe here.
And btw, if you grew up not loving Shakespeare, it may be that you were influenced by whatever part of the culture you found yourself in. I developed an truer appreciation of Shakespeare's unparalleled use of the language and understanding of human emotions as an adult when I began homeschooling my kids. And my kids proved to me that if presented with Shakespeare at a young age and with a positive attitude, they can develop an even greater appreciation and understanding.
Maria Montessori always advocated for giving the child everything possible to enrich their lives. Sometimes for parents who've grown up in a narrow world (as I did), that means growing and stretching ourselves.
Which is the icing on the cake of being a parent.
Happy Birthday to Shakespeare!
Comments
I always liked Shakespeare. Somewhere I have an old copy of -- I think -- 5 Shakespearean tragedies. By old I mean that it was published during WWII, and was specifically designed to be the right size to mail to soldiers and for soldiers to carry in their pockets. ;) It's got lots of advertisements for war bonds in the back. I mainly started reading Shakespeare because the book itself was so cool, and then I fell in love with Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth.
Too bad I only missed sharing a birthday with Shakespeare by one day! Mine's today, the 24th. I always find it interesting when historical figures die on their own birthdays, though! It seems like a huge coincidence, but it also seems to happen often!
Posted by: Michelle Potter | April 24, 2008 2:07 PM
