Shakespeare's classic story collection

Author: (English) Charles Lamb / Mary Lamb Rewritten / Zhang Lin / Zhang Jie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Shakespeare (1564–1616), a playwright and poet of the English Renaissance. He left behind 37 plays, two long poems, and 154 sonnets. His works expressed the political demands and life ideals of humanists, advocating individual liberation, freedom of marriage, and embodying a fighting spirit against feudal constraints and the shackles of theocracy. The characters in his plays are vividly portrayed, the plots are rich and dynamic, the language is concise yet expressive, and his works have had a significant impact on the development of European literature and drama. William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the most important playwright and poet of the English Renaissance. His plays are still performed all over the world today. On his birthday, many countries stage his plays annually to commemorate him. Marx called him the "greatest dramatic genius." He was the outstanding artistic master of the English Renaissance—Shakespeare. "He who abandons time will also be abandoned by time." "A mind without books is like a bird without wings." These are famous quotes by Shakespeare, and they also reveal the secret behind his ability to soar freely in the realm of art and become a master of the arts. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a town on the River Avon in central England, the son of a merchant. At the age of four, his father was elected as the "head of the town hall" and became the mayor of this small town with over 2,000 residents, 20 inns, and hotels. The town often hosted traveling theater troupes. When Shakespeare watched the performances, he was amazed to see how a small stage with only a few actors could bring historical and real-life stories to life. He was deeply fascinated by the magic of theater and fell in love with it. He often acted out scenes and characters with children, dreaming of a career in playwriting. However, unfortunately, his father's business failed, and at the age of 14, Shakespeare had to leave school to work as his father's assistant. At the age of 18, he got married, and by the age of 21, he already had three children. His wife was eight years older than him, and Shakespeare often felt regret about his marriage, once writing in his works, "Women should marry men older than themselves." Nevertheless, he remained deeply caring toward his hardworking, devoted wife who raised their children. In 1586, the ambitious Shakespeare joined a traveling theater troupe on foot and made his way to London, where he found work as a stablehand for horseback riders at the theater. Although it was menial labor, it was at least connected to the world of theater. Shakespeare worked diligently and well, and horseback riders were happy to leave their horses in his care. Often too busy to manage alone, he hired a group of young boys to help, who were called "Shakespeare's children." Shakespeare was quick-witted and eloquent. In his spare time, he secretly watched the performances on stage and studied literature, history, philosophy, and other subjects on his own, even teaching himself Greek and Latin. When the troupe needed temporary actors, Shakespeare seized the opportunity, and with his talent, he eventually landed small roles. Even in these minor parts, Shakespeare performed with dedication, and his exceptional understanding and skill soon earned him a place as a full-time actor in the troupe. At that time, London's theater troupes had a desperate need for scripts. If a play failed to impress the audience, it would be shut down immediately, and new plays would have to be staged. While continuing to hone his acting skills, Shakespeare also read extensively, learning about his country's history and the plight of its people. He decided to try writing historical plays himself. At the age of 27, he wrote a trilogy of historical plays titled Henry VI, which were a huge success with audiences and earned him great reputation, gradually establishing him in London's theatrical scene. In 1595, Shakespeare wrote a tragedy titled Romeo and Juliet. After its premiere, Shakespeare became a sensation in London, with audiences flooding the theaters to see the play, moved to tears by its emotional depth. In this play, the author celebrated the value of free love, condemned the oppression of love by feudalism, and praised ideal love. In 1599, Shakespeare had become quite wealthy, and the troupe he was part of built a theater called the Globe, of which he became a shareholder. He also bought a house and land in his hometown, planning to return there in his old age. Soon after, two of his close friends, who were involved in a rebellion to reform the government, were executed—one was hanged, and the other was imprisoned. Shakespeare was devastated by their fate and poured his grief into the play Hamlet, in which he even played the ghost. In the years that followed, Shakespeare wrote Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, which, along with Hamlet, are known as Shakespeare's four great tragedies. Shakespeare's plays often used broad settings and vivid, rich plots to explore historical and contemporary themes, highlighting profound subjects through personalities. In terms of style, he broke no artistic conventions, blending the sublime with the base, the ridiculous with the terrifying, heroes with clowns in a magical mix. Time and place were fluid, plots could be single, double, triple, or multi-stranded, and elements of comedy, farce, pastoral comedy, tragedy, and tragedy were all woven together, all serving to depict life and character. In language, his works combined verse and prose, incorporating proverbs, colloquialisms, and folk songs onto the stage. His vocabulary was rich, and his characters' speech was deeply individualized. In 1616, Shakespeare died of illness. His gravestone bears the inscription: "Good friend, for Jesus' sake, for's sake, for the love of God, let me be buried, / The will I make of my own body hereafter / Let the heavens still their course, and the elements / Their motion; let not my buried bones / Keep the warm sun from the cheerful beams, / Nor the lively air from the day's fair influence; / For if you excite my bones, or disturb my rest, / You shall disturb such a spirit as you never / Did disturb before." His grave is now located beside a small church in his hometown, and each year, millions of people visit it as if on pilgrimage.