our friend shakespeare.

One of the most noticeable differences between American and English education–stylistically speaking–is lectures. In America, lectures exist to accomplish the conveyance of information to an audience. It values efficiency above all else. My experience in England (while limited) has differed. Here, lectures are delivered with flourish. This probably relates to deeper differences in the systems. Since classes here are tutorials, which are essentially fancy conversations, professors do not actually spend much time lecturing, so it is probably done with more pleasure. American professors (usually) do a lot of lecturing in the class room, so it eventually becomes less enjoyable and more functional. All in all, here they have been thoroughly enjoyable and engaging.

Perhaps one of the most joyful lectures has been Francis’ (another proprietor of my program) on the biography of Shakespeare. The factual details of Shakespeare’s life are hazy at best. He started with the few facts we know (records of baptism and marriage), and they branched off–like all Shakespeare’s biographers do–into a sort of biographical reading of his plays. It is an imprecise art, but Francis did point to things that really struck with me. He observed that every single one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, when describing Shakespeare in letters and such, call him “my/our friend.” Francis concluded that Shakespeare was a personal man; that he made whomever he addressed feel like the only person in the room. Everyone felt like he was his or her Shakespeare. Francis was right to make much of “my friend” I think. It is an astute and simple reading, arguably the best sort.

It also aptly illustrates the way the English approach their literature. Being a small country, everything is more intimate. In the time ol Billy wrote, Britain was an island of fourish million people–about two thirds of that of Missouri today. I have never felt a close, personal connection to most of the American authors I love (except maybe Mark Twain or Hemingway, who both lived in my state and city), but the British can claim a connection to Shakespeare. He is wholly theirs. The national bard.

Thanks for reading.

Your friend,

Travis