Saturday 3 October 2009

Stratford-upon-Avon


The Fool from As You Like It

Being in Stratford-upon-Avon I was given an opportunity to understand Shakespeare’s context better and thus understand his plays better.

Our first stop was Mary Arden’s farm and it was the first time that I made the connection between As You Like It’s Forest of Arden and his mother’s maiden name. He must have loved her very much to name such a significant setting based upon her. The farm was very spacious and a good deal nicer than some of the farmers I have been to in my life. Mary Arden was definitely from that middle class gentry. Attached to her farm was the PALMER FARM. My relatives owned it? I loved walking around because I could sense the approaching Autumn season and I love it!


Next we went to Anne Hathaway’s house which is an original thatched-roof, half-timbered house so that was neat to see but honestly I was a little disappointed with the actual house as it was just ridden with lore concerning Shakespeare and not actual fact. The grounds were pretty extensive.

Finally before heading off to the Courtyard Theatre to catch a viewing of The Winter’s Tale we went to Shakespeare’s birthplace. My comment on that was wow, that is a lot of kids in not a lot of space!

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