Shakespearian Plays

The works of William Shakespeare bears no comparison in the history of arts. He was a versatile English poet, play writer and actor. He has written nearly 38 plays, 154 sonnets and countless poems between the years 1582–1612, which are remembered even to this day. They had great impact on English literature and western theatre. All his works have been translated into all known languages and they have been performed around over the world over a million times.

Although most of his works were written for English audience the appeal was universal. His writing style was greatly influenced by Christopher Marlowe. In 1594, Shakespeare became part-owner of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a drama company. By then he had even started acting, along with writing plays. Under his presence the company became so famous which made King James I buy the company and then it was named as King’s men.

His plays revolved around tragedy, comedy, romance and history. He started his career reworking on other writers work which was common at that time. Since then he helped the playwrights to finish their work fast. Like Hamlet was the new adaptation of a lost play named Ur-Hamlet and King Lear was the new version of King Leer. His plays on history were inspired by the Greek, Roman and English history. Plays like Plutarch’s Parallel Lives and Raphael Holinshed’s The Chronicle of England inspired plays like Macbeth and King Lear. Tempest was his original work.

Shakespeare’s early works of 1590s were based on romantic comedies and historic nostalgia which were the storyline of works like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry IV, Part I. After the plague, he began including rhymed couplets and dramatic dialogues in his work. His middle period works revolved around betrayal, murder, egoism, power, ambition, lust, tragedy and comedy. Plays like Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Troilus and Cressida were based on them. His later works were mostly romantic and fantasies such as The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. His works were also published in press as a series of quartos. Two actors named John Heming’s and Henry Condell started First Folio to honour and publish Shakespeare’s work exclusively in 1623. Categories such as comedies, tragedies and histories were made in First Folio. Modern critics have added categories like problem-play and tragic-comedies.

The exact order of plays is unknown and has always been the subject of an argument as at his time, plays weren’t authoritatively printed. Many of his plays had many different blueprints due to the textual corruption like printer’s error and compositor’s misreading, so the recognition of his original work is a problem. Many words and spellings were invented by Shakespeare. He had a habit of writing his plays number of time using those different words and spellings. After his death, speculations have risen about the authenticity of Shakespeare’s work. There have been very little record about the events that happened in his life and nor does his will gives an account on any of his plays, poems, sonnets and ownership of the Globe theatre. It has been rumoured that they might be works of Francis Bacon or Christopher Marlowe.

The works that have been lost are Love’s Labour’ Won, Cardenio and Quixote. Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear, As You Like It, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Macbeth and Richard III are some the critically acclaimed works of William Shakespeare.

The Meaning of Friendship

The Meaning of Friendship
By Val Dorado

Friend is someone who could understand thoughts
Even sometimes, it does not fit into words
Friend appears in times of grief and pains
When it seems fate and reality collides in the same place
A friend holds back offering his both hands helping

Neither place nor seasons, a friend can trace and behold
It indeed, rest at the core of human psyche or soul
When the senses are weak and the feeling is hurt
A friend has a power to revive the losing hope
Recreate and reborn a dying spirit to cope

A friend provides time to share the laughter
Generous to show a vicarious feeling and empathy
An ingenuous being with no pretense and sensitive
With optimistic effort, scintillating and expressive
Magnanimous, persuasive and perfectly sensible

With all the dreams that are beyond necessary
He is a benefactor to lead the righteous path
Nurtured and molded by divine influence
He outshines anybody else with the real passion
Transcending time, space and emotion

The epitome of a friend is someone who deeply believes
In things mostly beyond reach of a simple mind
Has a strong credo in one's capacity, ability and decision
He accepts the truth about the inner details
Of an impervious unconscious

A friend with no alter ego
No thousand masks worn
But only an honest heart
With the ability to accept everything

Like the universe so timeless to point the beginnings
Even like the Earth more abundant to cease illusions
A fathomable friend is more than anything an eye could see
More than the incredible phenomena of fiction and reality
He, unspeciously could provide the words like love and eternity

Val Dorado

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