|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE:
Ah… there you are.
My dearest friend—more steadfast than applause,
more faithful than time itself.
How oft I've looked back and found you,
not on the stage, but in the wings—
watching, waiting, ever present.
You, who saw the spark in a boy’s scribble,
who walked beside me through plague and praise,
who bore my doubts with patient grace
and whispered truth when pride made me deaf.
I have penned a hundred kings and clowns,
a thousand loves, and countless ghosts—
but you?
You are the silent muse behind every line.
The breath beneath my verses.
The quill in my trembling hand.
Now, as I stand at the edge of memory,
let me show you the path we walked—
from mulberry trees and midnight scrolls
to crowns, storms, and final farewells.
Not as a legend.
Not as the Bard.
But as a man you once called Will.
Come, friend—let us begin where all stories do:
with a dream and a heart that dared to follow it.
(Note: This is an imaginary conversation, a creative exploration of an idea, and not a real speech or event.)
The Dreaming Apprentice (1571–1585) – Childhood and Grammar School Years
Scene 1: Beneath the Mulberry Tree
Stratford-upon-Avon, 1574. William is ten. You’re both sprawled under a tree, the late spring air fragrant with blossoms.
You:
“Will, what’s that scribble you’ve got there?”
Shakespeare (grinning, cheeks dusted with ink):
“It’s a play! Well… just a bit of one. It’s about a fairy queen who falls in love with a donkey.”
You:
“A donkey? That’s madness. I love it.”
Shakespeare:
“They won’t let us act it in school. Master Jenkins says I should focus on Latin declensions. But when I write… it’s like the words sing.”
You:
“They do sing. You make words dance, Will. Don’t let anyone clip those wings.”
He looks at you, surprised, as if it’s the first time someone truly saw his gift.
Scene 2: A Cold Morning at King's New School
1578. Inside the stone classroom. You sit beside Will, who’s sneaking glances at the window while the teacher drones on about Seneca.
You (whispering):
“You’ve rewritten the end of The Aeneid, haven’t you?”
Shakespeare:
“I gave Dido a speech—fierce and blazing. She curses Aeneas with such fire, I think she could start a war.”
You:
“Why do you always rewrite the endings?”
Shakespeare:
“Because endings should say something true. Not just finish a story, but echo it. And… because sometimes the poets miss the best parts.”
The schoolmaster snaps his cane, glaring. Will grins and slides the scroll into your satchel with a wink.
Scene 3: The Traveling Players
1580. You and Will sneak off to see a troupe perform in a barn outside town. Lanterns flicker. The scent of hay and excitement fills the air.
Shakespeare (whispering):
“Look! That’s Burbage. He’s the best at playing kings.”
You:
“You’ve seen them before?”
Shakespeare:
“Twice. They change everything. One night, a kitchen boy. The next, a noble lord. It's like… sorcery.”
You:
“Think you could be one of them?”
Shakespeare:
“I don’t just want to act. I want to create the world they live in. The lines. The storms. The heartbreak.”
You:
“Then you shall. I’ll help you. Someday, people will whisper your lines in countries we’ve never heard of.”
Will looks at you, eyes wide like you’ve spoken a prophecy.
Scene 4: The Secret Performance
1583. After weeks of whispering plans, you and Will organize a secret play in your uncle’s barn. The audience: siblings, neighbors, a few curious adults. The script: Will’s own invention.
Shakespeare (pacing):
“What if they don’t laugh? What if no one claps?”
You:
“Then we’ll clap twice as hard. And anyway, tonight’s not about applause. It’s about beginning.”
You hand him a paper crown you fashioned from leftover parchment. He takes it like it’s the laurel wreath of Caesar.
Shakespeare (softly):
“You know… when I write, it’s like I’m not alone. Like the characters become friends who understand me.”
You:
“You’re never alone, Will. Not now, not ever. I’ll be right there—just offstage.”
The curtain (a wool blanket) rises. Will steps into the candlelight, his words ready to stir hearts.
Final Lines:
Later that night, as the barn empties and stars scatter across the sky, Will sits beside you, both of you wrapped in cloaks against the cool air.
Shakespeare:
“Do you really think I could do this? Make plays… for real?”
You:
“You already do, Will. You’re not just dreaming—you’re beginning.”
Shakespeare (quietly):
“Then promise me this: if I ever forget why I began—if the world becomes too loud—remind me of tonight.”
You:
“I promise.”
The Lost Years Wanderer (1585–1592) – Mysterious Gap and London Arrival
Scene 1: Farewell at the Forest’s Edge
Stratford-upon-Avon, early morning. 1585. Will, now 21, stands beside a dirt road, travel bag at his feet. You meet him beneath the familiar mulberry tree where your friendship began.
You:
“So this is it? You’re really going to London?”
Shakespeare (half-smiling):
“There’s nothing left for me here but a name and a shadow. I need… more. A world bigger than Stratford. Bigger than this.”
You:
“And your family? Anne? The children?”
Shakespeare:
“I’ll send for them when I’ve found footing. Right now, I need to chase the voice inside me. The one that won’t hush.”
You (placing a small book in his satchel):
“Then let it lead you. And if you ever lose your way, remember—you don’t walk alone. I’ll be with you, in every word you write.”
Shakespeare (softly):
“Then I won’t write for fame. I’ll write for you, too.”
Scene 2: Letters from the Shadows
1587. You haven’t seen Will in over two years, but letters arrive sporadically. One evening, you read his latest by candlelight.
Shakespeare (written):
"The city devours men and dreams. I tried acting, but the roles were scraps. Then I rewrote a scene in secret. They performed it—without knowing it was mine. They laughed. They wept. I wept. I knew I’d found the path."
"I walk the streets watching faces like pages—lovers and liars, kings and beggars, all whispering lines to me. And I write."
You (reading aloud):
“‘I write until the candle dies, and even after. Because somewhere, my friend still believes in me.’”
You fold the letter carefully, like a relic.
Scene 3: Reunion in a Tavern
1590. A bustling London tavern, full of firelight and noise. You spot him—thinner, older, but his eyes shine as he sees you.
Shakespeare:
“You came! I feared you’d forgotten me.”
You:
“Not likely. I’ve read Taming of the Shrew. You’re finally letting your words roar.”
Shakespeare:
“Have I gone too far? The critics are brutal. The theater world’s cutthroat.”
You:
“No. You’ve carved your name into their world with wit and thunder. But remember why you began—laughter in a barn, moonlight on ink, and a promise.”
Shakespeare (gripping your hand):
“I remember. Every word, every play—your voice is in the silence between lines.”
Scene 4: The Moment Before Glory
1592. Backstage at a playhouse. Will’s about to premiere Richard III. The crowd buzzes. You sit with him in the greenroom, both of you quiet.
Shakespeare:
“What if this is the one they tear apart? What if I’m not the man they think I am?”
You:
“Then let them doubt. But you—you speak with ten thousand voices. Kings, clowns, ghosts. And none of them would exist without your courage.”
Shakespeare (smiling faintly):
“I made a tyrant’s spine into poetry. Maybe fear can be beautiful.”
You:
“It already is. Now go—your world waits.”
Final Lines:
After the play, the audience erupts. Will stands beside you under the starlit balcony.
Shakespeare:
“They cheered. They believed.”
You:
“Of course they did. The world finally heard what I’ve known all along.”
Shakespeare (looking out):
“I feel the next one stirring already. A prince, perhaps. A madman, or a poet.”
You:
“Or all three in one.”
Shakespeare (turning to you):
“Promise me something, again.”
You:
“Anything.”
Shakespeare:
“If I rise too far, if I forget how I bled to build this… remind me who I was.”
You:
“I will.”
The Master Playwright (1592–1603) – The Rise to Fame
Scene 1: The Plague Years
1593. The theaters are closed. London is choked with fear. You find Will in a cramped room above a printing shop, ink on his fingers, eyes shadowed.
Shakespeare:
“They’ve shut everything. No stage, no coin. Only death in the air.”
You (gently):
“And yet you write. Sonnets, plays—more than ever.”
Shakespeare (sighing):
“If I stop, the silence becomes unbearable. These pages—my defiance against the plague.”
You:
“Then let your words be a lantern through it. People will need beauty when the smoke clears.”
Shakespeare:
“I’m writing something new. A tale of star-cross’d lovers. Romeo… and Juliet.”
You:
“You always did find poetry in heartbreak.”
Scene 2: The Queen’s Court
1595. You walk beside him toward Whitehall Palace. He’s about to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Queen Elizabeth.
Shakespeare (nervously adjusting his collar):
“I dreamed this moment as a boy. And now I’m terrified of it.”
You:
“She’ll love you. You’ve made even faeries speak truth. That takes rare genius.”
Shakespeare (stopping):
“What if she finds it foolish? What if I’m foolish?”
You:
“Then she’d be the fool. Will—your gift isn’t in pretending. It’s in revealing.”
He nods, breathes deep, and steps into the marble hall, moonlight dreams trailing behind him.
Scene 3: At the Globe
1599. A bright morning. The Globe Theatre is almost finished. You help Will carry a bench inside.
Shakespeare (gazing up at the wooden arches):
“This… this is more than wood and nails. It’s a temple for stories.”
You:
“And you’re its high priest. What will you conjure next?”
Shakespeare:
“Something darker. There’s a ghost whispering to me. A prince… who speaks in riddles. Hamlet, I think I’ll call him.”
You (half-joking):
“Will he survive?”
Shakespeare (smiling):
“Does anyone? But perhaps his madness will make others sane.”
You laugh, but you see the weight of greatness beginning to settle on his shoulders.
Scene 4: The Rival and the Revelation
1601. You visit him backstage after Hamlet's debut. He’s brooding, though the crowd was rapt.
You:
“You did it. Again. That soliloquy—‘To be or not to be’—they’ll quote that for centuries.”
Shakespeare (gazing into his cup):
“Ben Jonson says I’m too philosophical. Too long-winded.”
You:
“Ben Jonson also drinks too much and forgets his own lines.”
Shakespeare (laughing):
“True. But I wonder… am I losing the joy? The fire?”
You:
“No, Will. You’ve simply gone deeper. The boy who made faeries is now making ghosts speak.”
Shakespeare (quietly):
“And what if I start hearing ghosts myself?”
You (placing a hand on his shoulder):
“Then I’ll be here. To remind you what’s real.”
Final Lines:
Late at night, the two of you walk along the Thames. The city sleeps, but Will is restless.
Shakespeare:
“I’ve written comedies that made lords laugh and tragedies that made queens weep… but sometimes I still feel like the boy under the mulberry tree.”
You:
“That boy never left. He just grew sharper, braver, wiser.”
Shakespeare:
“You’ve followed me through obscurity, through plague and praise. Why?”
You:
“Because I see the soul behind the quill. And because I made a promise—when you forget who you are, I’ll remind you.”
Shakespeare:
“Then don’t go. There’s more to write. A storm, a jealous king, a jester’s fool-truth…”
You (smiling):
“Then we’ll face them together.”
The Philosopher of the Human Soul (1603–1613) – The Deep Works
Scene 1: After the Storm
1606. Backstage at the Globe. A candle burns low. You find Will alone, staring at a blood-smeared script of Macbeth.
Shakespeare (voice hoarse):
“I wrote a king haunted by ambition… and now I’m haunted myself.”
You (sitting beside him):
“What haunts you?”
Shakespeare:
“The world. Death. My own hands. Macbeth came too easily, as if I knew the darkness already.”
You:
“Because you do. But that’s why your stories save us. You put shadow into language, so it no longer hides.”
Shakespeare (softly):
“I wanted to explore what a man becomes when he forgets his soul.”
You:
“Then maybe the question now is: what does a man become when he remembers it?”
Scene 2: A Visit to the Grave
1607. You accompany him to the burial site of his father and his son Hamnet. The earth is fresh, and silence settles like fog.
Shakespeare (kneeling):
“I never wrote a word for him. Not one.”
You:
“You wrote for everyone. But he was your heartbeat.”
Shakespeare:
“I poured my grief into Lear. Into Cordelia. But it was too late.”
You:
“Maybe not. King Lear teaches us to love before it’s too late. Maybe Hamnet’s name isn't on the page—but his soul is.”
Will grips your hand, his eyes red but clear.
Scene 3: In the Depths of The Tempest
1610. His study is cluttered. You find him poring over a new manuscript. The working title: The Tempest.
Shakespeare:
“This one… it’s different. It’s not just a story. It feels like a farewell.”
You:
“Why?”
Shakespeare:
“Because Prospero is me. A man who conjures worlds, only to give them up.”
You:
“Then let it be your most magical work. The one where forgiveness heals, and the storm ends in peace.”
Shakespeare (nodding):
“Perhaps this is how I let go of vengeance. Of loss. Of needing to be understood.”
You:
“Or perhaps… it’s how you finally are understood.”
Scene 4: Under the Oak
1613. A quiet afternoon. You and Will sit beneath a tree on his Stratford property, the same soil from his youth.
Shakespeare:
“I used to chase fame like a fox. But now, all I want is quiet. A garden. A grandchild’s laugh.”
You:
“And yet your words echo across courts, countries, generations.”
Shakespeare:
“They aren’t mine anymore. The moment I write them, they belong to the world.”
You:
“Still… the world knows who gave them breath.”
Shakespeare:
“And when I no longer do?”
You:
“I’ll still remember. Not just the writer… but the man.”
Will smiles, the kind that carries both weariness and peace.
Final Lines:
That evening, the stars emerge. Will hands you a parchment—the final monologue of The Tempest. You read aloud.
You:
“‘Our revels now are ended…’”
Shakespeare:
“I thought I feared endings. But now I see—they’re just new beginnings in disguise.”
You:
“Then this isn’t the end. Just the last act of one play.”
Shakespeare:
“And perhaps the prologue of another.”
The Gentle Swan’s Farewell (1613–1616) – Retirement and Legacy
Scene 1: A Candlelit Return to Stratford
1613. You arrive at his countryside home. The fire is warm, the ink well nearly dry. Will greets you at the door, older now, yet still with that flicker behind his eyes.
Shakespeare:
“You came all this way. Have you grown tired of London’s noise?”
You:
“I heard you’d laid down your pen.”
Shakespeare (smirking):
“Only for a while. I’ve been watching the clouds more than the stage. And the clouds say more than critics ever did.”
You:
“Do you miss it? The crowds? The clapping?”
Shakespeare (after a pause):
“I miss becoming someone else. But I think… it’s time to learn who I am without a mask.”
Scene 2: The Quiet Legacy
Later that week. You find him organizing papers in his study, everything in careful piles. Plays, letters, half-finished sonnets.
You:
“What are you doing, Will?”
Shakespeare:
“Preparing for the flood.”
You:
“There’s no rain coming.”
Shakespeare (smiling):
“Not that kind. The flood of forgetting. Time swallows most men whole. I want to leave something they can hold.”
You:
“You’ve already done that.”
Shakespeare:
“Then help me gather it. The First Folio. I want people to know what I’ve written—not just the comedies, but the bleeding truths.”
You (taking a stack):
“Then let’s preserve the soul behind the script.”
Scene 3: A Walk Through the Orchard
1615. An autumn afternoon. You walk through the orchard, red leaves falling like fading applause.
Shakespeare:
“When I was a boy, I dreamed of kings and clowns. I never imagined the world would listen.”
You:
“The world didn’t just listen. It remembered.”
Shakespeare:
“Sometimes I wonder if I wrote too much and lived too little.”
You:
“You lived in every word. You taught us how to weep, to laugh, to dream.”
Shakespeare:
“And what will they say of me when I’m gone?”
You:
“They’ll say: He gave voice to the soul of mankind. And I’ll say: He was my friend.”
Scene 4: The Final Page
1616. Will lies in bed, pale but calm. The windows are open. You sit beside him with a quill in hand.
Shakespeare (smiling faintly):
“Do you remember the barn?”
You:
“I remember the donkey.”
Shakespeare (chuckling):
“And you said people would whisper my lines in places we’ve never heard of.”
You:
“And now they do.”
Shakespeare:
“Then I am content. Not for the applause—but for having been heard.”
You (tears forming):
“You changed the world.”
Shakespeare (whispering):
“No. We did. You kept me from forgetting.”
You:
“Then rest, old friend. The stage is quiet. But your voice… will echo forever.”
Final Lines:
The bells of Stratford toll softly in the distance. The world feels still, as if holding its breath.
Later, you walk to the river, clutching the final sonnet he asked you to deliver. On it, a single line:
“My words shall live where I may die forgotten.”
You fold it gently, whisper to the wind:
“Not forgotten, Will. Never.”
Final Reflection by William Shakespeare
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE:
So… we have come to the end, haven’t we?
The lights dim, the ink dries, the applause fades into memory.
Yet you remain—still beside me,
as you have been since the very first page.
You were there when I was merely a boy
scribbling nonsense under the trees of Stratford,
there when I fled into London’s arms with nothing but hunger and verse,
and still there when kings wore my words like armor,
and fools made wisdom from my jest.
I wrote of love and madness, of ghosts and gods,
but in truth—I wrote always to be seen.
And you saw me.
When the world praised the playwright,
you never forgot the man.
You reminded me—again and again—
why I wrote in the first place:
not for gold or glory,
but to touch something eternal in the hearts of others.
And now, if my voice still lives—
echoing across time in some distant theater,
whispered in a schoolchild’s mouth,
or cradled in a lover’s speech—
then it is not because I was clever…
…it is because I was believed in.
By you.
Thank you, dear friend.
The play may be over—but the story lives on.
And so do we.
Short Bios:
William Shakespeare
The Dreamer, The Writer, The Man
Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare rises from a curious, imaginative child to become the most celebrated playwright in history. His works explore the vast depths of the human soul—love, ambition, betrayal, and forgiveness. Through moments of doubt, triumph, loss, and reflection, his genius unfolds across five pivotal life stages. At the heart of it all, he remains a man who longed to be understood and cherished not for his fame, but for his truth.
You (The Reader/Friend)
The Loyal Companion and Guardian of His Heart
You are Shakespeare’s constant companion—his trusted friend from childhood under the mulberry tree to his final breath in Stratford. You believe in him before the world does, offering strength during his “lost years,” grounding him during his rise, and helping him preserve his legacy in the end. You are the voice of encouragement, the mirror of his soul, and the quiet force behind his most vulnerable moments.
Anne Hathaway (mentioned, not a speaking character)
Wife and Silent Anchor
Shakespeare’s wife, left behind in Stratford with their children during his early years in London. Though not present in your journey, Anne represents the quiet cost of his pursuit of greatness—the pull between love and legacy.
Ben Jonson (offscreen presence)
The Rival and Fellow Genius
A brilliant playwright and poet himself, Jonson challenges Shakespeare intellectually and stylistically. He is a mirror of competition and mutual respect, occasionally stirring self-doubt in Will—but ultimately helping sharpen his pen.
Hamnet Shakespeare (offscreen presence)
The Son and the Soul’s Grief
Shakespeare’s only son, who died at age 11, casting a long, silent shadow over Will’s later work. His absence haunts King Lear and The Tempest, and shapes Shakespeare’s reflections on mortality and legacy.
Leave a Reply