21., 24. MY FAVOURITE BRITISH WRITER

24. MY FAVOURITE BRITISH WRITER

• Biography

• Books/works

• Choose one or two books and talk about it/them. Describe the plot, characters, style.

• Why do you like this author?

My favourite Britain’s writer is William Shakespeare, because in my opinion his works are really overwhelming and timeless. He is one of the Britain’s most famous writers. His plays and sonnets (a type of poem) have been translated and read all over the world.

Let me tell you briefly about his life. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in second half of 16. century (1564), where he grew up. He married Anne Hathaway and they had three children, but he left his family behind and travelled to London to become a playwright. In London, Shakespeare started a very successful career as an actor and writer. He was also part owner of a “playing” company (company of actors) called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later called the King’s Men). The company built their own open-air theatre on the south bank of the River Thames- the Globe. Going to the theatre became very popular in the 1600s and Shakespeare became a very well-known playwright. Even Queen Elizabeth I was a big fan of his plays. When he eventually retired and moved back to Stratford he was a rich and successful man. He died aged 52 and he is buried in Stratford.

Let’s focus to his work. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays and 157 sonnets. Shakespeare’s plays are often classified as being either tragedies, like King Lear, Macbeth, Hamlet or Othello, comedies, like A midsummer Night’s dream, As you like it or The merchant of the Venice and historical, like Henry IV, King John or Richard II.

One of his most famous plays, my favourite and first, which I have read is Romeo and Juliet. It is a tragic love story about two lovers (Romeo and Juliet) from feuding families (Capulet’s and Monte’s). The play set in Verona. Love of Romeo and Juliet begins at ball, where Romeo comes secretly. They fall in love instantly, but a conflict between there’s families makes his love more difficult. Aggravation of the situation is when, Tybalt, cousin of Juliet kills friend of Romeo Mercurio. After this act of violence, Romeo kills Tybalt. As the reason of this murder, Romeo has to leave Verona. Hopeless Juliet fins out a poison, which makes her dead for some time, but then she will revive. When unaware Romeo saw his love dead, he kills himself by a knife. Finally, when Juliet wake up and see, what happened to Romeo, she kills herself by knife as well.

As I’ve already said, I believe that William Shakespeare is one of the most genial writer, what can proof fact, that his plays are still actual and there are many versions of that’s plays. I would be very interested in the Summer Shakespeare festival in the Czech Republic. It’s an annual festival, where actors in Prague, Brno and Ostrava are performing Shakespeare’s plays.