Stratford

I’ll start off my reflections on our visit to Stratford on a positive note. I learned that Shakespeare’s father’s occupation as a glove maker, among other trades, influenced Shakespeare to reference the trade many times in his works. The woman telling us this gave the example of a mention of a man’s beard as shaped like a glove maker’s knife. Only a person acquainted with the trade would know what this looked like; because unlike what you would expect, the knife is not long and pointed but it’s actually a circle. This bit of information made me realize that Shakespeare, however brilliant, too had to learn, and this gave him a more tangible, realistic relevance. After this trip, I also am now inspired to read more of Shakespeare’s plays. I have read a few tragedies, but I want to read the comedies, specifically A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It.
But it’s a sad day when the birthplace of the most magnificent poet and author in history, who has even shaped the English-speaking world as we know it, is more concerned with fashion shops and eateries than with the extraordinary merit of being Shakespeare’s hometown. Like most of us in our group, I too thought the doors after the first Shakespeare video were going to open upon a museum where we could learn in-depth about his life and works. The Shakespearean artifacts seemed of little significance compared to the apparent main focus—varied clips of Shakespeare’s works in film. I found the whole “Shakespeare for Dummies” Hollywood theme of the exhibit, if it could be called that, disappointing and also quite insulting. However it would be a fair assessment to say that the management is undoubtedly catering to the thrill-seeking modern culture. With other options such as going to the movies, I’m sure they want to keep the visitors, and the profits, coming. It is sad, though, that it is our actions that give them this impression. It’s no doubt that if Shakespeare could walk out of his grave and see Stratford today, he would go right back.