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Shakespeare's birthplace
Shakespeare Enthusiasts Visit Stratford-upon-Avon
9th December 2010
On the 13th of October, I travelled with several other Shakespeare enthusiasts to Shakespeare’s historic birthplace to explore the very house in which he lived and to attend a lecture on the Elizabethan tragedy – Othello. The day planned for us was set to be excellent - no sooner had we arrived it was clear that Stratford was a beautiful town, bursting to the brim with culture and history. Before entering Shakespeare’s home, we were guided through a fantastically executed interactive display based on the Bard’s world. We were suffused with exceptional facts and mind boggling artefacts, said to be handled by Shakespeare himself. To be in such close vicinity of such objects belonging to such a famous playwright was humbling, and the staff of the venue seemed to agree, treating us with the upmost enthusiasm and patience in our uncontrollable delight throughout the day.
Not only were we indulged in the history of the man himself, but in his house we witnessed displays of how people lived at that time, which provided a superb historical context in which to view his famous plays. After exploring the depths of his childhood home, we were guided into the beautiful gardens. I was thoroughly impressed to find three actors reciting lines, taken from a pastiche of Shakespeare’s plays, with utmost precision and vigour; they clearly relished every line and syllable and gave us all a valuable insight into the act of performance. Their passion for Shakespeare was unquestionably visible, which fed each and every one of us with an equal admiration for his legendary plays.
To conclude this enlightening day, we then discussed in depth our set text: Othello with a lecturer who clearly knew his stuff! This was an excellent experience as it provided insight into others’ perspectives of the play, and an expansion on some of the themes studied in class. We were allowed to share our ideas as equals with the lecturer, which definitely made the atmosphere one of enthusiasm.
I would highly recommend visiting Stratford upon Avon to anyone, especially if they are studying one of his plays, as it provides a brilliant insight into the age in which he was working, and certainly instilled in me an awareness that a man of such historic literary capabilities walked the very floors I was now treading.