SHAKESPEARE BELONGS TO ALL

Mathura April 23 (IANS)

 

In the continuing din of politics, William Shakespeare's 450th birth anniversary celebrations  in Mathura came as a whiff of fresh air for literature-lovers who recited popular quotes from his plays and sang happy birthday to the bard from Avon, after cutting the ceremonial cake.

 

The organiser  of the programme Ashok Bansal, an English literature teacher at a degree college, told IANS "Dr Zaidi Hasan presided and more than 50 writers, poets and lovers of English literature gathered for the celebrations."

 

Bansal said Shakespeare had impacted numerous Hindi writers as well as Bollywood films, many inspired by Shakespearean plots like Omkara. "Only Rangeya Raghav and Harvanshrai Bachchan had translated some plays of Shakespeare but more translations are required so that people enjoy the full range of the great dramatist's versatility.'

 

Speakers said Shakespeare belonged to all ages and all societies. "His study of human behaviour, the sense of ingratitude, the fallouts of ambition, these are eternal subjects. The Hamletian dilemma 'to be or not to be' is a universal truth."

 

One of the guests Hari Shankar said "what a coincidence. I was at a Birmingham function to celebrate the  bard's 400th anniversary was celebrated  and now I am here to be part of the 450 birthday."