USTM celebrates Shakespeare’s birth anniv

SHILLONG: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day/ To the last syllable of recorded time/ And all our yesterdays have lighted fools/ The way to dusty death.
The lines from Macbeth became the perspective for discussion at University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) on the 453rd birth anniversary of William Shakespeare at the Techno City campus on Saturday.
The Department of English at USTM organised the programme to discuss the Bard’s dramatics, his poetry and his literary tradition.
Dr. Asha Kothari Choudhury, Professor in the Department of English, Gauhati University, talked about how Shakespeare’s plays are still so relevant and have an overpowering influence on the entire gamut of theatrical studies or any other performing arts.
Dr P.G Rao, VC, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya(USTM) said how theatre as the oldest form of art can be used as a mode of communication or disseminating messages to the audience or society as a whole.
The students of the Department of English had performed selected portions of The Merchant of Venice where the characters of Antonio, Portia and Shylock were delineated powerfully with their strong stage presence, assertion of the dialogue and spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.