Topic 39: My favourite author

Though a few hundred years have elapsed since the death of Shakespeare and volumes have been written on the life and work of this great writer, his early life still remains a subject for speculation and conjecture. It is generally believed that Shakespeare had very little schooling. Yet his keen intellect and mastery of language have earned for him the appreciation and applause of the literary world.

Shakespeare’s fame, ‘I think, originates from his ability to identify his readers with the characters in his stories. In most of his stories we find reflections of our own experiences. This shows strikingly that Shakespeare had an insight into ‘human nature and the problems of life. His tragedies such as “Macbeth’ and “Hamlet” clearly show his deep knowledge of the human mind. Man’s ambition, desperation, sorrows, frustrations and hopes are dealt with in these tragedies with such skill that the reader himself experiences all the mental conflicts and emotions, and thus gets a better idea about human nature. With equal skill, Shakespeare deals with man’s joys and pleasures in all his comedies. His comedies like, “Twelfth Night” and “As You Like It,’ are a delight to read. Through the characters in his stories Shakespeare conveys his views on life and the world. Most of his characters, such as Hamlet, are vehicles for moral instruction. Man’s nature is the theme of all his writings. By a skillful combination of words and situations, he reveals the worst as well as the best in man. His choice of words is masterly and many of his phrases are literary gems. As man’s nature is his theme, what he wrote years ago remains true even today, and it will remain so till the end of time. It is for all these reasons that I enjoy reading Shakespeare.

However, I do enjoy reading the works of other writers too, such as those of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. But they do not give the satisfaction that Shakespeare gives. I find Shakespeare’s stories so interesting that I have read the same stories several times in last few years; and, every time I read the same story, I learn something new about human nature. Shakespeare was indeed a genius.

NEW WORDS:

1 favourite (adj): được mến chuộng nhất được ưa thích nhất

2. immortality (n): bất tử bất diệt, bất hủ, danh tiếng muôn thuở

3. elapse (v): (nói về thời gian) trôi qua

4. speculation (n): sự nghiên cứu, sự suy xét

5. conjecture (n): sự phỏng đoán

6. applause (n): sự hoan nghênh, sự tán thưởng

7. ambition (n): hoài bão, tham vọng

8. frustration (n): sự làm thất bại, tâm trạng vỡ mộng

9. conflict (n): sự xung đột, cuộc xung đột

10. theme (n): đề tài, chủ đề

11. combination (n): sự kết hợp, sự phôí hợp

12. reveal (v): bộc lộ, biểu lộ, khám phá

13. masterly (adj): rất giỏi, bậc thầy, tài tình

14. gem (n): đá quý, viên ngọc

15. genius (n): người thiên tài, người anh tài, bậc kỳ tài