Happy birthday to the Bard! Playwright William Shakespeare, the bane of many a high school student’s existence, was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate, as many historians disagree on the actual date of his birth. Since no one can prove which date is correct, Shakespeare’s birthday has traditionally been observed on April 23. Why? Because he died on April 23, 1616, so people appreciate that symmetry.
Anyway, I didn’t mind reading Shakespeare in high school and beyond. Some of my favorite plays are Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and The Merchant of Venice, plus I just love most of his famous quotes and passages.
For instance, I had to memorize the “Tomorrow” speech soliloquy from Macbeth for a high school test, and I still remember it to this day, a whole 15 years later:
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.