Hello, collegiettes™! As some of you have probably experienced in high school, or maybe even at USF, Shakespeare can provide a deep love – hate relationship for literature classes. There’s no denying he was influential in the path of British literature, plays, and the art of performances, but as a student his old time vernacular, constant metaphors, references, and drama can be confusing and overwhelming. Shakespeare’s legacy is present today in classrooms, modern movie adaptations (Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo & Juliet is simply dreamy), and other movies from West Side Story to She’s the Man can trace their influence to Shakespeare.
Artist’s sketch of Shakespeare’s home
Shakespeare was wildly successful during his lifetime, a rare oddity of the period. This is rather lucky for modern day Shakespeare fans though, because his homes, works, and artifacts have painstakingly been maintained and are open to the public to view. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a relatively small town an hour from Oxford. The exact bed William Shakespeare was born in is kept on display in his childhood home, which he lived in later with his wife and children. Visitors are lucky that Shakespeare was born and lived in such a beautiful area. Stratford-upon-Avon is a city that has a variety of canals criss crossing through the city center, with boats travelling up and down the canals. It’s quite a lovely way to spend an afternoon in the park watching the boats and passengers go by.
Room where Shakespeare was born
William’s father was a glove maker, and their house was suited with a workshop and leather tannery for him to dry, stretch, and make leather gloves. William’s father made gloves ranging from cheap for the everyday man, to some of the most expensive gloves of the time that today would cost roughly about the amount of a small car. The art of glove making and leather tanning is rather smelly, but this allowed for the Shakespeare’s house and workshop to be well known, and they sold gloves out of the front window, which meant there was no need for a separate shop.
Halls Croft and Gardens
It is possible to also visit the childhood home of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife, as she grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon. Instead, we opted to continue with our birthplace ticket and visit Hall’s Croft, the home of one of Shakespeare’s daughters, Susanna Hall and her husband, Dr. John Hall. Susanna was one of Shakespeare’s three surviving children, and she was married to a prominent doctor. In the tour of Hall’s Croft, it is possible to see the work area of Dr. John Hall, the tables and tools in which he made plant based remedies that he would at one time use to treat William Shakespeare in his final days.
Church where Shakespeare and Family are buried
Shakespeare’s grave is a mere 20 minute walk from his birthplace. His wife, daughter, and son-in-law are buried at the front of the church alongside him. The church still operates as a working parish, and attracts many visitors a day because of their Shakespeare connection. It is believed that all of Shakespeare’s children would have been baptized in this church. As well, it is known for sure that Susannah Shakespeare and Dr. John Hall were married in this church; their home is just a block away. The small town of Stratford-upon-Avon allows visitors to trace the life, work, and death of William Shakespeare, and all in an afternoon.
The theatre in Stratford is the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and commonly performs a variety of his plays. We did not have the time to stay for a performance, however we did visit the Dirty Duck Pub for a traditional Sunday Roast, with Yorkshire pudding, mash, and roast potatoes. The Dirty Duck Pub has a long history of being popular with the actors from the theatre, and before that with World War II soldiers. Certain tables within the pub have messages from soldiers during the World War II era.
Stratford-upon-Avon is a must see for any Shakespeare fan!
Next week is the first week of Easter Holiday, where I’ll travel to Wales, Venice, and Rome! Check back for updates about what is sure to be a wild adventure!
HCxo,
Heather
Photo Credits:
https://susansellers.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/shakespeares_birthplace.jpg
http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/assets/0506/0000/0328/Hall_s_Croft3_mid.jpg