Book review

Demystifying William Shakespeare

By

Randeep Wadehra
 

Shakespeare: A New Biography by Bhim S. Dahiya
The Shakespeare Association. Pages: 168. Price: Rs. 495/-

Shakespeare is not the only literary genius in the world. He has had rivals from his own country as well as abroad, from different languages and cultures, contending for readership loyalty. Yet Shakespeare stands apart for several reasons, apart from the quality of his works, viz., the mystery (or, should that be mysteries?) surrounding his life and persona being, perhaps, the most potent factor(s). There used to be a speculation whether any such person actually existed – as a collateral argument there were theories that William Shakespeare was not really educated enough to be able to write such high-calibre stuff. However, Dr. Dahiya provides cogent arguments in favour of Shakespeare being a real and original literary genius who was suitably educated according to standards prevalent in those times. Additionally, he devotes a separate chapter to the will written by the bard.

Moreover, according to various sources, at least until the 18th century, it was suspected that Shakespeare was no more than a “rough and untutored genius” and his plays were actually written by someone more educated – probably Sir Francis Bacon or someone of his class. On the other hand, Shakespeare was celebrated in his own time by the English writer Ben Johnson and others who saw in him a brilliance that would endure for ages. From the 19th century onwards his achievement had begun to be recognized more readily and consistently. His influence can be noticed in the works of playwrights like John Webster, Philip Massinger and John Ford as well as such 20th century writers as Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and George Bernard Shaw.

According to his chroniclers by 1592 Shakespeare had attained success as an actor and a playwright. The publication of his two narrative poems Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594) as well as his Sonnets (1609) established him as a talented and admired poet. Shakespeare's reputation gets further enhance by the fact that he is considered to have authored 38 plays. He also formed his own acting company, the Chamberlain's Men, which was renamed as King's Men later on. Shakespeare's dramatic career is generally divided into four periods: (1) the period up to 1594, (2) the years from 1594 to 1600, (3) the years from 1600 to 1608, and (4) the period after 1608.

His earliest dramatic works are considered to comprise four plays that dramatize the English civil strife of the 15th century. These plays, Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III (c. 1590-1592) and Richard III (c. 1593), deal with iniquity – a direct result of effete leadership and a disunited nation. The comedies include The Comedy of Errors (c. 1592), an uproarious farce in imitation of Classical Roman comedy, which depends for its appeal on the mistakes in identity of two sets of twins involved in romance and war. Farce, however is not so obvious in The Taming of the Shrew (c. 1593). The Two Gentlemen of Verona (c. 1592-1593) depends on the appeal of romantic love. Contrarily, Love's Labour Lost (c. 1595) satirizes lovers. Later on, he came up with A Midsummer Night's Dream (c. 1595-1596), The Merchant of Venice (c. 1594-1598), Much Ado About Nothing (c. 1598-1599), As You Like It (c. 1599), and Twelfth Night (c. 1601). Indeed, he has authored some of the greatest ever tragedies and dark comedies. Hamlet, Othello and King Lear are part of this genre. His romantic tragicomedy Pericles, Prince of Tyre (c. 1606-1608) deals with the painful loss of the main protagonist’s wife and the persecution of his daughter.

Another mystery relates to Shakespeare’s date of birth. There is no definite proof regarding when he was born although there is a consensus regarding the year of his birth, viz., 1564. After going through a process of conjectures and eliminations Dr. Dahiya comes up with 23 April as the date, which sounds credible enough. In separate chapters he gives biographical accounts of the bard’s parents, viz., John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. He also provides details of the litterateur’s place of birth. Thence he introduces his wife, Anne Hathaway (who

1 2 >>