WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (2)

            Nowadays people seem to read newspapers mostly. Many people are fond of reading detective stories or spy thrillers. I myself prefer books about politics, history, travel-books and biographies. It is my dream to become a student of the depart­ment of foreign languages and to be able to read the books by my favourite English and American writers in the original.

             As for the American writers, I like to read books by Mark Twain and O’Henry.

            I enjoy reading books by such English writers as Charles Dickens, Robert Stevenson, Walter Scott. My favourite En­glish writer is William Shakespeare, one of the most outstand­ing personalities in the world literature.

            William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon not far from London. His father, John Shakespeare, came to Strat­ford from a village and opened a shop there. He never became a rich man but at one time he was an important official in the city. William Shakespeare lived in Stratford until he was twen­ty-one. He got married and had three children. At the age of 21 William left Stratford for London to join a company of ac­tors. He was a very good actor and an excellent playwright. William Shakespeare lived and worked in London for 25 years. By the end of the 16th century William Shakespeare and his friends had enough money to build their own theatre — the Globe.

             In all Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, 2 long poems, a sonnet cycle of 155 small pieces.

William Shakespeare had a natural gift for comedy. In his comedies «Two Gentlemen of Verona», «As you Like It», «The Twelfth Night» William Shakespeare describes the adventures of young men and women, their love, friendship, happiness.

             Shakespeare’s tragedies «King Lear», «Othello», «Romeo and Juliet» depict noblemen who opposed evil in the world. Since they were written there has never been a time when at least some of Shakespeare’s plays were not staged.

              In England and other countries it is the highest honour for an actor to be invited to play in a comedy or a tragedy by Shakes­peare. In the last 35 years all the plays by W. Shakespeare have been filmed. Since 1879 Shakespeare’s Festival has been held every year at Stratford-upon-Avon.

QUESTIONS:

1. What are many people fond of nowadays?

2. Why do you want to become a student of the department of foreign languages?

3. Where was William Shakespeare born?

4. How long did he live and work in London?

5. What did William Shakespeare have a natural gift for?

6. What do Shakespeare’s tragedies depict?

7. What is the highest honour for an actor in England?

VOCABULARY:

thriller — сенсационный роман

spy — шпион

detective story — детективный рассказ

official — чиновник

to get married — жениться

to be held — проводиться

to film — снимать фильм