June 9: Happiness is remembering Hamlet

[image error]

Today, for some reason I was remembering learning Hamlet in high school. And while I have openly criticised the teaching of Shakespeare over more relevant, living Australian authors in a modern curriculum, I am glad of my exposure to the writings of the man thought of as the greatest English writer. I still have my copy of Hamlet from all those years ago. It marked a time in my life that was both challenging and enriching, and while I had no desire to be an author back then, perhaps his work did come to understand the value of sharing stories. I can’t be sure.

I smiled when I thought of the most famous of Hamlet’s soliloquy today, and although a dark thought, “To sleep perchance to dream”, it did make me smile at the memories of school days and a group of girls in Sydney reading this famous play.