I don’t like Shakespeare. Never have. He’s a pushy, attention-seeking “genius” who’s taken up far too much of my time as an English major. Yes, he was the inventor of many styles, words, and genres in literature and theatre. Congrats, Bill. I salute you for that. But could you please, give me back at least half of those hours from fourth grade to now when I could have studied Flannery O’Connor, Toni Morrison, George Orwell, Jane Austen, Cormac McCarthy, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Eliot, Ray Bradbury, and even Roald Dahl? Especially Roald Dahl?! You’ve stolen that from me, Shakespeare. And I’ll never get it back.
But by gosh, so many people see something spectacular in Master Shakespeare. And he is a genius. So I’m going to put aside my biases and try to get to know the guy. Find a connection of my own.
I’m just saying right off the bat that for all of you who don’t delve into the sonnets and stuff, you’re not alone. And this blog is for you. (:
