Aveek Lyngdoh on a tribute to the Bard of Avon by St Anthony’s College
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
- Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare
MANKIND HAS over generations produced geniuses and maestros in various fields of human excellence. Time has bowed down with respect to such great personalities whose talents and achievements have remained imperishable though they themselves passed away long ago. The works and lives of great personalities like Alexander the Great, Aristotle, Albert Einstein or Leonardo Da Vinci still continue to inspire others. In the ambit of literature, its face and identity is undoubtedly the great William Shakespeare known otherwise as the Bard of Avon. Perhaps Shakespeare’s depth of genius is still incomprehensible because he excels in touching human lives and hearts. His characters and portrayals breathe magic and thus he is immortalised forever. Elizabeth Barrett Browning eulogises the Bard saying:
There Shakespeare on whose forehead climb
The crowns o’ the worlds; on eyes sublime
With tears and laughter for all time!
Shakespeare’s genius surpasses yet all other genius. All songs of glory and praise, to honour this great man would fall short. Yet a humble initiative was taken by the Department of English, St. Anthony’s College to pay a modest tribute to the Bard by commemorating his 450th birth centenary.
The Department of English, St. Anthony’s College was founded in the year 1934. This department with its batches of meritorious students and teams of dedicated teachers has produced excellent academic records. This department has also presented examples of versatility and innovation beyond the ambit of academics. The year 2014 brought in a new initiative by the Department of English—a program showcasing the works of Shakespeare; through enactments, declamation, photo exhibition, video presentation and memorabilia. Painstaking but enthusiastic preparation went on for months together before the actual event. After days of anticipation, the D-Day, scheduled on September 18 finally dawned. The previous day, a holiday, saw a flurry of activity in the College premises. Students of the Department of English were found everywhere, engaged in arrangements of the grand ceremony slated for the following day. As a consequence of their untiring efforts, the college auditorium the next day was transformed into the Shakespearean world of the Elizabethan era. Giant banners flaunting William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre and other related information adorned the high walls of the auditorium. Both sides of the auditorium displayed an exhibition of Shakespeare’s life works, childhood and career in hi-definition pictures. Miniature handcrafted models of Shakespeare’s grave, his quill, his house, even the Globe Theatre and other various items were showcased as part of Shakespeare Memorabilia.
The program commenced at 9 am in the morning with the guests of honour Head, Department of English, St. Edmund’s College and retired Head, St. Anthony’s College, Department of English being welcomed and felicitated by principal Rev. Br. Albert. L. Dkhar amidst uproarious appreciation. Guests were entertained by a piano recital of a classical piece by Emanuel, a second year BA honours student. In the keynote address, Prof. Chakraborty deliberated on “the significance of Shakespeare in the realm of Global literature”. The discourse was highly informative and well received. The second part of the program, also the highlight of the day’s events, saw a series of enactments and declamations from the best of Shakespeare’s works. As the audience buzzed with excitement, the projection screen came to life displaying a video presentation on Shakespeare’s life. At this point, the lights dimmed and as the hall waited with bated breath, the curtains parted to bring alive in brilliant sequence, immortal scenes from Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Midsummer Night’s Dream and Antony and Cleopatra. There was a seamless transition from these enactments to powerful soul stirring declamations of Shakespeare’s most unforgettable lines along with video clips of his life. The audience could not have asked for more in that perfectly orchestrated Elizabethan ambience. But even that was provided by Ma’am Ena Nicol in her highly appreciated talk on “the relevance of Shakespeare in the 21st century with special emphasis on romantic comedy. Her insights opened up vistas of comprehension for one and all students, teachers, parents and guests.
As time and tide wait for none, the time flew by and the end of that momentous day had finally dawned and the concluding moments of this spectacular event was appropriately closed by a touching thanks giving by the most revered Head, Prof. Timothy Subba, Department of English, St. Anthony’s College. Months have gone by but this event still lies fresh in the mind of every student, spectator and participant. No doubt, everyone goes down memory lane to revisit and cherish the magical moments of one’s bygone days. For me it has been a matter of great pride and privilege to be a part of this wonderful event and even more of this great institution which has provided its students such a platform to grow and flourish. This event has immortalized Shakespeare forever. Long live Shakespeare.