Shakespeare 400
A week-long celebration of the Bard
April 23-30, 2016
With 2016 marking the 400th anniversary of the
death of William Shakespeare, cultural, educational, and creative groups across
the globe are taking the opportunity to celebrate his life and legacy. In his
52 years, William Shakespeare created some of the world’s most memorable and beloved
plays and sonnets. Today, contemporary audiences continue to enjoy his works
through stage and screen, in both classic interpretations and modern
retellings. From Zeffirelli’s Romeo and
Juliet to West Side Story to Warm Bodies, the characters, themes, and
emotions of Shakespeare’s works resonate with audiences across the centuries. His
impact on poetry and literature ranges from the perfection of blank verse to
influencing the likes of Charles Dickens and William Faulkner.
Moreover, Shakespeare literally changed the English
language. By adding prefixes and suffixes, incorporating words from other
languages, and exploiting multiple meanings of words, he was able to coin and
popularize words and phrases that we use today. Scholars estimate that Shakespeare
coined approximately 1,700 new words and popularized hundreds more. He also
contributed significantly to the standardization of spelling, grammar, and
vocabulary.
The Brentwood Library is hosting a wide range of programs
designed to entertain and inform.
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