Have you heard of William Shakespeare? He was one of the greatest English writers whose poems and dramas are considered to be immortal classics. He lived in England, in a little town called Stratford-on-Avon. In fact, he was born there exactly 52 years later on April 23, 1616! So, every year, from April to December, a grand festival is held in his honor at Stratford-on-Avon. It is called the Shakespeare Festival.
The Shakespeare Festival is one of Britain’s most important festivals, not only because it is a tribute to the great playwright, but also because it is the longest and most cosmopolitan festival in the world. It is held at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon, and all Shakespeare’s works are performed here during this time.
People come here from all over the world during the festival to watch the greatest actors play their roles in an emotionally charged atmosphere, while graceful white swans float serenely on the River Avon nearby. Thousands come to lay flowers on Shakespeare’s grave, to listen to the bands, to visit his cottage, and to lose themselves in the grandeur, the beauty, the wit and the tenderness, the pain and the passion of his words.
