Shakespeare’s 450th birthday celebration on Saturday was wonderful. We began the day watching the parade that concluded with the passing of Shakespeare’s “quill” from “Shakespeare” to the (supposed) head boy of St. Edward’s school. There were a few awkward moments from both parties during this ordeal, but these moments made the ceremony feel more authentic, in a sense. The best part of the whole day was that didn’t feel fake or contrite—rather, the authentic pride in the town and in the people who participated in the events shone through the corniness.
After the parade, we walked around and went to various small events. Traversing the town that day also included a lot of pauses for pictures either in appreciation of the beautiful weather and scenery (see left) or the multitude of figures dressed up as characters from Shakespeare’s plays (the three larger-than-life sized witches were my favorite, although the silent, all-white ghost of Shakespeare was a close second). The highlight of the day was taking a ferry across the river and while a RSC member recited Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 116.” Both Ashley and I correctly guessed the title of the sonnet, and I think Ashley and I deserve English (nerd) badges of honor.
We also visited Shakespeare’s grave and baptismal site at the Holy Trinity Church. While it wasn’t a highlight mood-wise, I felt incredibly humbled to stand in front of his tombstone in the midst of the Cathedral windows and solemn Church. It’s easy to forget that Shakespeare actually existed; he was just one man, and yet the world still celebrates his life, work, and birthday, even 450 years after his death. Attending the Holy Trinity church service the next morning enforced this notion, especially since we sat in the head of the church, mere feet away from Shakespeare’s body. Later, Yejean made the comment that, during the RSC’s performance of the baptismal scene from Henry VIII, Shakespeare was probably listening and laughing to himself. Regardless of whether or not this was the case, it’s true that one of the perks of staying in the town of Shakespeare’s birth has been his presence in the city, both in the festivities and in the moments in the theater. We didn’t celebrate his life. We celebrated because he’s still alive. 