Fifteen Eighty Four

Wow, April has been a very special month for us as we’ve joined in the many celebrations and commemorations taking place to mark the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. In April we’ve been paying particular focus to Shakespeare’s legacy by sharing lots of free content on our cambridge.org/shakespeare400 site – and we’ve also been asking ‘What does Shakespeare mean to you?’

 400 years after his death Shakespeare has a global reputation. His plays and poems are studied by students and loved by fans all around the world – but why is that the case? What makes him so special, and what does he mean to those people who read, watch or study his work?

 You can watch our video, filmed at London Book Fair here, where we asked attendees exactly that question. We’ve also received a broad range of responses on social media, and below are some of my favourites:

‘If we could describe “English Literature” with one word, we might as well call it “Shakespeare”. That’s what he means to me.’

‘Shakespeare is important because he is a mirror that reflects our deepest desires and fears’

‘His plays cover life whims, want’s and tragedies even today time immoral’

‘A sweet bottomless well of enjoyment, camaraderie, intellectual investigation.’

‘He remains immortal as literature personified.’

 Why not take part in the conversation and share your thoughts with us? You can leave your comments below this blog post, or alternatively, tweet @CambShakespeare #Shakespeare400

And just quickly, it’s worth saying that just because it’s the end of April the fun doesn’t stop here! Throughout the rest of 2016 we’ll be giving away more free content (via cambridge.org/shakespeare400) as we look at different themes in relation to the Bard – for example, in May we’re going to be focusing on ‘International Shakespeare’. So, watch this space for more information on Shakespeare’s impact and reputation around the world!