Module 2: "The Lure of Shakespeare"

His legions of admirers point with awe to the rhythm of his words and the wide range of human emotions he portrays and evokes.

His legions of admirers point with awe to the rhythm of his words and the wide range of human emotions he portrays and evokes.

Shortly after his death, his plays were published in a collection known as the First Folio (1623), with a poem by Ben Jonson included that featured the lines, "He was not of an age, but for all time!"

The court of the new king wanted a more elegant, refined, classical world, and Shakespeare struck them as coarse in his language and careless in his plots.

The first new edition of his plays in nearly a century, along with the first biography ever written, appeared in 1709 and immediately sparked a Shakespeare revival.

Multivolume editions of his plays were published, exuberant productions and extravagant sets supported stars such as Fanny Kemble and Edmund Kean, and touring companies brought small-scale versions of Shakespeare to towns and villages everywhere.

Multivolume editions of his plays were published, exuberant productions and extravagant sets supported stars such as Fanny Kemble and Edmund Kean, and touring companies brought small-scale versions of Shakespeare to towns and villages everywhere.

Still others were transposed into stories in a completely different land and culture such as Ran (1985), a Japanese tale of samurai based mostly on King Lear.

From Richard Burbage in the 1500s to Ian McKellen and Judi Dench today, the greatest actors are those who are able to master Shakespeare. By itself, this is the most enduring tribute to the theatrical talent of William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon.

By itself, this is the most enduring tribute to the theatrical talent of William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon.