The ghost in Hamlet by Syed Rifaquat Ali
Phulkian Press. Pages: VIII+158. Price: Rs. 300/-
There is no commonly accepted complete and authoritative account of Shakespeare’s life. However, it is believed that he was born in 1564 and baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was married to Anne Hathaway in 1582. They had a daughter in 1583 and twins – a boy and a girl – in 1585. The boy did not survive. By 1592 Shakespeare had become a successful actor and playwright. The publication of his two narrative poems Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594), as well as his Sonnets (1609) established his reputation as a gifted and popular poet. Shakespeare's modern reputation, however, is based primarily on the 38 plays attributed to him. He formed his own acting company, the Chamberlain's Men, later called the King's Men, and two theatres, the Globe Theatre and the Blackfriars.
The author has written a longish account of Shakespeare’s life – speculating on his antecedents and other aspects. It is interesting and absorbing and should be of some use to students of English literature. He has also successfully attempted blank verse ‘remix’ of Shakespeare’s passages from various plays. Take these lines from Love’s labour lost, “Light/Seeking light/Doth/light/Of/Light beguile/So ere you find/Where/Light in darkness lies/Your/Light grows/Dark/By losing of your eyes”.
Certainly worth a read.
The Tribune
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