Literary Weekends: Shakespeare, Libraries, and College

Last weekend we made the sixty minute journey to Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace and home of Shakespeare. I realized that I am very comfortable driving and navigating the roads of England now. Last year, I would have been exhausted by the time we arrived because I would have been concentrating very hard the entire time. 

The city is very walker friendly and the weather pleasant with just a few showers in the afternoon.

Shakespeare was born in this very large home. His father was a tanner who sold his product from the window on the far end of the house. He was also a city leader and entrepreneur.

There was a visitor centre next door where we watched some videos and saw WS's signet ring and this original edition copy of his works.

The garden is beautiful. The rear of the house is in the background.

The staff was welcoming and friendly. The gentlemen at the entrance told us about  how U.S. presidents Jefferson and Adams visited the house together many years ago. This lady told us about the family leather business.

Upstairs where the family lived, there was a room full of memorabilia and some of Shakespeare's  life story.

The house was so big that in latter years it was turned into an inn.

In the garden, there were performers acting out some of Shakespeare's better known works.

This thespian performed Antony's monologue from Julius Caesar.

                                      Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
                                      I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
                                      The evil that men do lives after them;
                                      The good is oft interred with their bones;
                                      So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
                                      Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
                                      If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
                                      And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
                                      Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest— 
                                      For Brutus is an honourable man;
                                      So are they all, all honourable men—
                                      Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
                                      He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
                                      But Brutus says he was ambitious; 
                                      And Brutus is an honourable man.
                                      He hath brought many captives home to Rome
                                      Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
                                      Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
                                      When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
                                       Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
                                      Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
                                      And Brutus is an honourable man.
                                      You all did see that on the Lupercal
                                      I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
                                       Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
                                      Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
                                      And, sure, he is an honourable man.
                                      I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
                                      But here I am to speak what I do know.
                                       You all did love him once, not without cause:
                                      What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
                                      O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
                                      And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
                                      My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, 

                                      And I must pause till it come back to me.

The garden again.

A short walk later, we arrived at Holy Trinity Church.

Similar in design as many other churches, Holy Trinity is beautiful inside.

The grave of William Shakespeare and some of his family members are close to the altar.

An original King James Bible was on display. A tour guide suggested that William may have played a role in the translation. She said that Psalm 46, word 46 is "shake" and the 46th word from the end of the chapter is "spear." Shakespeare would have been about 46 years old at the time of the translation. What do you think?

The old wooden seats are called mercy seats. Praying priests could not  sit down on the folding seats but they could  "rest" on the small flat area on the top of the folded seat. I have seen these seats in other churches and never knew that they are really folded up. The little bit looks uncomfortable to sit on.

We also visited the home of Susanna, the oldest daughter of Shakespeare. She married a wealthy doctor who treated people for a 30 mile radius.

This room still has the original very small windows. The servants would have slept here.

Since this was a doctor's house, the children's area has a medical theme.

This excavation is of the last home of Shakespeare, where he died. The large house next door was owned by his granddaughter and her wealthy landowner husband.

Today, we visited the Bodleian Library of Oxford University. We booked tickets to take the extended tour of the buildings. The area was buzzing with activity due to graduation ceremonies.

The Sheldonian Theatre next to the library.

The Bridge of Sighs across the street from the library.

A statue of a former chancellor outside of the main library door.

The ancient signs over the doors mark the schools that the rooms once hosted. The purpose of the rooms have changed long ago. All of the writing is in Latin.

My happy family in the library quadrangle.

We could not take photos inside so you will need to see the library here - http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley

We saw the Divinity School, a room that looks like Parliament, the original upstairs library, Radcliffe Library next door, and walked through the tunnel that connects the buildings.

We navigated through the throngs of people on Cornmarket Street to visit Christ Church College and Cathedral. Tom Tower, across the quad, houses Great Tom the bell, which signals the traditional student curfew.

This is the Jonah window of the cathedral, one of the many beautiful stained glass windows. 

We don't make buildings like this any more.

A choir pew detail.

The organ is massive.

The campus is much larger than I thought. Next to the cathedral are more buildings, where I think the students live.

The great hall hosted a graduation celebration just before we arrived. Many portraits of important staff and graduates line the walls. Henry VIII's portrait is prominent over the head table because he chartered the school. 

Charles Dodgson, also known as Lewis Carroll, taught at Christ Church College and authored the Alice in Wonderland books based on his surroundings here.

Alice's face is in this stained glass window over one of the two fireplaces. She was a real person named Alice Liddel.

The room was lined with three very long tables. I am told it was featured in a popular movie too.

Whenever we visit these places of history and learning, I feel smarter just from having been there.They make me want to learn something new.