I was reading the article about William Shakespeare in the newspaper at the Physiotherapy clinic and the date of my appointment for the physio was on the 23rd of April. What the fuss was about Shakespeare? The fuss about him, was the celebrated of his birthday – April 1564. The four hundred fifty-four years to this year since his birth.
One of his quotes, I recalled – “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
During my holiday stays in United Kingdom, I returned to Warwickshire where my cousins live there many times. I revisited the village called Stratford-upon-Avon and William Shakespeare who was born and died there. It was a lovely village and the village draw many people who love Shakespeare, and to learn and understand his works every years. I bought the complete works of Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon because we did not have these kind of books in Waikato, New Zealand many years ago.
I studied the Old English Language paper at University of Waikato and two professors gave us presentations about Shakespeare. These two professors have got disabilities – one born with disability and second have got a family member who have disability.
Why I choose to study the Old English language? I wanted to understand why language keep changing from the past to present, is English Language culturally diverse, do everyone understand each other in writing or speaking even sign language?
Helena:
“Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (I, i, 234)
Why Shakespeare? I never learn to read Shakespeare at the school and the teacher of the Deaf children thought it would be hard for any Deaf children/teenagers to understand his works. That was a long time ago. I took up my courage to study his works and learnt to understand his language from his works. It was a bit of challenged for me to understand what he wrote the poems and the plays like Macbeth, Hamlet or King Lear. In the early days, the English grammar, spelling and pronunciation were less standardised than they are now.
Another person came along – Samuel Johnson and he was a lexicographer along with English writer, literacy critic and other roles. Johnson and George Steevens created The Plays of William Shakespeare – 18th century edition. Johnson and Steevens tried to re write the English language in order for everyone to understand Shakespeare’s writing. JOHNSON’S WORK ON SHAKESPEARE
Moving on – What about in the Deaf community? Can anyone understand Shakespeare’s plays with sign language or not?
Yes, there are few Deaf people understand his plays through using sign language. Here is a link. Sign Language in Shakespeare’s plays
Lastly, I am still pondering whether Shakespeare does have any mental illness despite on violence, torture or murder even hatred in the plays or not? mm
Life in Eureka 