We will be celebrating 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare on 23rd April 2016. Looking at the life and character of Shakespeare one reveals the fact that Shakespeare occupies a distinctive position in world literature and his success lies in creating characters which are real. As a poet and playwright, Shakespeare used landscape to place and illuminate people’ actions, emotions and thoughts. It is said that the name “Shakespeare” is spelt in at least 50 different ways. Whichever way it is spelt, the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon will remain the greatest lyricist and poet ever. It is observed that when a generation of young people leaving school with at best a vague memory of one or two plays and at worst has no connection with Shakespeare at all, Shakespeare’s universal themes of love, power, greed and complexities have paved the way for successful movies and theatrical productions. In Bollywood, Vishal Bharadwaj has really distorted his love for Shakespeare on the big screen with his versions in movies such as Haider, Maqbool and Omkara. Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary is an opportunity for the world to celebrate the legacy of the most famous English playwright – all year round.
Vinod C. Dixit
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
