Bard Review

The man behind the words:

Shakespeare, the son of a tradesman/bailiff, did not receive a university education, and he was reportedly once arrested for poaching (a story America’s own Washington Irving delighted in relating). Elitists of both our day and his day looked down upon him. But the undereducated tradesman’s son was such a genius that he became one of the, if not the, most quoted author in the English language, and justly so; his characters leap forth from the printed page as living, breathing creations, each unique and unforgettable, more startlingly real to us now as to his audiences hundreds of years ago than many an actual historical figure. If all the world’s a stage, Shakespeare was the consummate director and performer. And indeed, part of Shakespeare’s enduring appeal is not only his brilliance but his ability to see beyond the prejudices and stereotypes of his own time. Some of his most intelligent characters are women, one of his greatest tragic heroes is an African, and he knew that Jews and Christians have all the same members and affections. He wrote plays during the harsh anti-Catholic persecutions of Elizabeth I, yet many of his plays are thoroughly Catholic. He wrote about monarchs and emperors, yet he always portrayed the perspective of the common man and affirmed that the king is but a man, as any ordinary soldier.

He was the peoples' playwright...