Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
‘To be or not to be?’, ‘O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?’ and ‘what light through yonder window breaks?’ These are quotes that everybody on the planet just seems to have the natural ability to recite. We also, naturally, all know these quotes come from William Shakespeare - director, actor, poet and playwright. Although, most just know him for the latter profession.
We all seem to know these quotes, yet, beyond them, is William Shakespeare an alien to the masses of modern-day society? We all innately know him as this great pillar within the history of literature, but do most of us know why we think this?
Even as a great lover of Shakespeare’s works, I will admit, his accessibility to a modern audience is limited; as original, unedited, Shakespeare needs to be listened to, watched, or read with great amounts of care and attention.
His use of language is a tad complicated to say the least. This is why I feel his genius falls on the deaf ears of my generation, as we have gotten used to being lazy with our entertainment. If something isn’t summed up in a six-second Vine video, then our attention seems to drift.
As the great man summed up: O, woe is me.
