So, I was talking last night with my lovely boyfriend, and I told him that we were assigned to, for extra credit, go up to a stranger and recite the "Summer's Day" sonnet. Then, because it's a lovely sonnet, I started reciting it. (Well... I may have googled it.) I got about two lines in before he interrupted me, laughing, and asked if he was a stranger.
The conversation quickly moved on after that, but it made me think. Shakespeare and his works make up one of the most unifying facets of the English language. People from almost any corner of the world can hear the words "... and Juliet is the sun" or "To be or not to be" and instantly think "Shakespeare." The sort of charm that Hughes discusses, that made it possible for Shakespeare's works to be appreciated by both the aristocracy and the common people, extends to allowing people today to enjoy it, if not understand it entirely. Shakespeare sort of dissolves strangerhood, in a weird way.
(Also, I tried using the "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" speech on a couple of friends, and they just rolled with it. I need to find some less-literate friends.)
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