Who: William Shakespeare
What: Shakespeare’s home, grave, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Where: Stratford Upon Avon
When: Early 16th century
Why: He is one of the most recognizable entertainers to have ever lived…and I got to see his house.
Shakespeare and I.
Pre-trip: What is there to say about Shakespeare? I have grown up hearing about the man. He is a legend, not merely in a linguistic sense, but in a cultural one. He reshaped the way we think about ourselves. He reshaped the way we tell our stories. I must say, I was eager to see his house, not merely because it belonged to William freaking Shakespeare, but because a little over 30 years ago, my mother went with her parents and saw it. They took a picture of it from the outside, and I wanted to do the same to see how it had changed as time had passed. And while I could not upload her photograph of it on this, when I compared hers to mines, the house appeared nearly identical. Shakespeare has achieved a state timelessness, as has everything he left behind.
Post-trip: To see the home he grew up and lived in, as well as the grave he was laid in when he died, was humbling. It humanized Shakespeare for me. He was an ordinary man, like you and me. But he had a tremendous gift that he shared with the world. I was also enchanted by his hometown of Stratford Upon Avon. In America, our small towns are not like the ones in England, simply because structures so old do not exist in North America. To walk down the same antiquated streets and alleys that Shakespeare would have trekked along when he was around was mesmerizing. I also enjoyed our visit to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, as well as our group activity with one of the gentlemen who was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. And while I did not understand anything that was happening during the play we saw in the afternoon, it was wonderfully produced and acted out. The denizens of Stratford have kept their traditions alive, and Shakespeare lives on through them.
Citation:
- “Shakespeare’s Birthplace.” Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Web. 23 Jan. 2016. <http://www.visitstratforduponavon.co.uk/attractions/shakespeares-birthplace>.