Commentary

This past semester We read many of the plays of William Shakespeare. I must say that it was quite an education into the man who wrote them. Plays such as 'Hamlet', 'MacBeth', 'Richard III', and 'The Tempest' revealed how much Shakespeare knew about the world that he lived in. In his later works, Shakespeare demonstrated his awareness of the changing landscape of 16th century England.
I was fortunate to have read 'Julius Caesar' months prior to taking the course. The language used by Shakespeare was cumbersome at first, but once I understood the meaning of many words, the course went smoother than I thought. I don't know which is my favorite Shakespearean play, but I am drawn to 'Hamlet' because he was a complex and multiplural individual. I haven't read all of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets so my opinion about my favorite play will have to wait.
Shakespeare touched on subjects like valor, power, gender, sexuality, honor and other virtues and vices. He was not moralistic in his tone but he did know what the human heart was capable of. As a person, I find Shakespeare to be brilliant, innovative, enigmatic, shrewd, and perceptive. He is one of those people who I cannot figure out becase they are many shades of gray in his personal life. Maybe that's what makes Shakepeare a fascinating and mysterious person. It may be that he has left us to think of what we think and say about him.