Every year before the academic year begins, Anna Kurian, who teaches Shakespeare at the University of Hyderabad encounters a familiar scenario. “If there are a few students who are excited and passionate about Shakespeare, others feel, ‘the works are boring, out dated and old-fashioned. They wonder what is the point of reading him?’” she states. However, after a few sessions and discussions, she finds herself walking out of class with a smile. “They get the point and find a connect with Shakespeare’s works and discover that the issues he has written are still relevant,” she smiles. April, the month when for poets, scholars and playwrights the world over pay tributes to the Bard and his works which have been an inspiration for hundreds of years.
While Shakespeare’s birth/death anniversary (April 23) just passed by, events will continue to be held to mark the occasion and carry forward his immortal legacy.
Illustrating Shakespeare’s relevance in modern times, Anna Kurian talks about the theme of the tragedy Titus Androinicus . “It is a lesser read play of Shakespeare’s and was written in early 1590. The issues of violence against women raised in it resonated with the gruesome rape which happened in Delhi in 2013. The issue is still relevant as the same mindset exists,” she says. Among his works, Anna says Hamlet is popular among youngsters. “The boys like to think that they are prince Hamlet and they get carried away,” she laughs.
At Pranav’s house, the book corner has a stack of his favourite books. He was in Std. X when he first read Julius Ceasar and discovered Shakespeare. “I was floored by the heavy sense of grandeur and imagery in the book. I was so enthralled that I used to recite a few lines from the book and my mom wondered what has happened to her little boy,” laughs this student of Wesley College. Pranav maintains all great yesteryear writers have a charm of attracting readers with their writings. “It is not just Shakespeare; we still like to read Leo Tolstoy or Jane Austen. I am not diminishing today’s writers but will we read Chetan Bhagat’s books after 200 years?” he questions.
A literary enthusiast and budding poet, Lis Sanya shares her experience of reading the abridged version of Shakespeare as a kid. “I read the unabridged version of As You Like It during my intermediate. Thanks to my teachers, I was able to follow it. The writing is unconventional and the fact that he is able to express intrinsic meaning even in brief sentences is remarkable,” she points out.
Filled with themes of human relationships, love, loss, betrayal, war, humour and tragedy… Shakespeare’s works resonate with emotions which are relevant in every century.
Evangelene, who hails from North-east, observes the reason for Shakespeare’s popularity is his neutrality. “Initially, it is pretty heavy stuff and as one reads over and over, it becomes more complex but feels good in a simulating way. Another important feature is that he is neutral. He gives voice to his characters but will not tell us whether it is right or wrong. He is letting us decide for ourselves,” she explains. Anjana Meenakshi, a student of St. Francis recalls how confused she was while reading Shakespeare. “As you read it again, you realise it is fun. There’s a lot of suspense in his characters and you don’t know how they are going,” she smiles. Manoj Jayakumar, a student at University of Hyderabad says he does not take Shakespeare’s works seriously. “The language in Shakespeare’s works scares some readers and they are intimidated and feel it is unapproachable. It is interesting to note that a lot more has been written about Shakespeare than what Shakespeare himself actually wrote,” he states.
Manoj says books are pointless if they have no memories. “It makes sense if you read something and can relate to it.”
Which is precisely why Shakespeare charms even now.
