I wish my father were here today, to do justice to the 400^th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. No man ever loved English literature more, and Shakespeare most of all.

My father would be more than 90 now if he had lived to see this day. I have no doubt at all he would still be able to recite the immortal soliloquies from the great plays, and other memorable passages.

They were that engraved in the fabric of his soul, an integral part of the man he was, so much so that, so long as he could take another breath, nothing could erase them. For all I know, he may be reciting Shakespeare at this eternal moment somewhere in Paradise.

Or maybe he was there just now, standing beside me, looking over my shoulder as I searched the web for the King’s “band of brothers” speech in Henry V, to refresh my memory. Continue reading →