The year 2016 will mark the fourth centennial of William Shakespeare's death. It's not hard to imagine the Bard becoming demanding and annoying after finding out the countless adaptations of his plays.
Shakespeare once wrote for Queen Elizabeth I, which was a huge honor back then. He wasn't one of those countless writers who struggled to make a living by pen. In fact, he had a life. It would be pointless to argue if he was guilty of plagiarism, even if Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard included it in their script not long ago. Love was the only inspiration, which was the unforgettable tagline in "Shakespeare in Love". This won't mean looking for your other half, but it would be nice to share your enthusiasm on the Bard's works. (If your other half prefers Victorian literature, then you might want to imagine Romeo and Juliet as the lead characters of "Great Expectations".) But let's get to the point.
How will you celebrate this important milestone? Here are some suggestions:
Read the Bard's plays. Understanding Middle Age English will be the ultimate challenge. It can also be the most rewarding experience. The Internet can guide you. You can also ask your professor. Remember that nothing beats the real thing.
Watch a screen adaptation of a Shakespeare play. There have been countless versions of "Hamlet", which you wrote to impress your admissions tutor. She tried to humor you after you admitted your dislike for Kenneth Branagh's version. (You weren't a big fan of movies that ran for more than three hours. But it could be you.) You might want to focus on Laurence Olivier, who became renowned in his adaptation of Shakespeare's works to the theater and the big screen. He was probably the best of the lot.
Check out the cultural events in your area. Your local theater might be staging their version of a Shakespeare tragedy. You don't want to sit through another presentation of "Antony and Cleopatra", but you were drawn to the queen herself. You haven't forgotten Monica Bellucci's performance in a not-so-old French comedy, but you were getting off the track.
Try armchair traveling. It would be expensive to travel to the West Midlands, where the Bard grew up. Look at it in the Internet, even read descriptions of Stratford-upon-Avon. And then try to imagine yourself as a tourist on a pilgrimage. Maybe this won't be included in your bucket list, as you rather get an autograph of Neil Gaiman.
Go to Verona. You finally admitted that "Romeo and Juliet" was the most romantic piece of work you read. And you yearned to see the balcony in Verona. You wanted to ask your parents, but they rather witnessed the running of the bulls (in Pamplona). No harm in asking, though.
