This is a copy of a speech I gave about three years ago when I was visiting our offices in India. The team there were part of Toastmasters, an international public speaking club that helps thousands of people improve their speechcraft, management skills and confidence. It’s a fantastic venture and one worth checking out if you want to build your skills in a really safe and fun environment.
Sports stars, politicians and musicians are considered legends. But for me, one man is a true legend, and I’m honouring him today through the medium of socks. [I removed my shoes to show off my Shakespeare socks!]
Yes – it’s William Shakespeare of course, England’s greatest playwright and poet. So why do I consider him such a legend?
Well let’s start with when he was born. Shakespeare was born on… well, hang on a minute. We don’t really know. There’s evidence he was baptised on April 26th, 1564, that’s true. But in those days, the birth itself was not regularly recorded, so we only speculate that he was born a few days’ earlier around April 23rd. That day, particularly, is often chosen because it does also happen to be the day he died – 52 years later in 1616.
But at least we know what he looks like, right? Wrong!
There are only two named, contemporary likenesses of Shakespeare, and they were both made after he died. The first is the famous etching from his Complete Works published in 1623 – the so called First Folio.
This (pretty terrible) artwork was created by Martin Droeshuit, a Dutchman who had never seen Shakespeare. He may well have copied an earlier painting or drawing, but we don’t know. And while Shakespeare’s friend Ben Jonson who wrote a poem praising it in the introduction to the Works, frankly, it has about the accuracy of a photofit.
The second piece is this funerary statue located in his home church at Stratford upon Avon, most likely by his daughter.
We think this was established possibly only a year or two after his death, so has some greater claims to being a true likeness. But there’s a problem. Most of the facial features are painted, not carved, on. And in the 18th century, some bright spark decided that it would look much more elegant painted white – you know, like proper Greek statues. According to author Bill Bryson, what remained must have looked something like one of those mannequin dummy heads in department store windows. The features have since been repainted – but who knows how accurate they are to the original.
OK so we don’t know when he was born or exactly what he looked like. But at least we know his name was William Shakespeare….
Nope.
There are six known signatures of Shakespeare, three from his will and three from other legal documents. If you think your writing is scruffy – look at these!
What’s more, each one is spelt differently. And the one spelling that he seemed never to use: the one we use today, William Shakespeare. In fact, there is some evidence that the pronunciation was more like Shak-spear or Shagspear even.
Birthdate, appearance and even name: all those things are questionable about this man we consider a legend. Thankfully, we have something much more important on which to base his greatness: his writing.
Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, along with sonnets and narrative poems. They were printed – thank goodness – by his friends to honour and remember him. They represent, alone, around 10% of all the plays that have survived from that period. And it’s these works, what they mean to people and what they’ve inspired, that imbue Shakespeare with legendary status.
For me, there are five key reasons for this.
1 He coined new words and phrases that have enriched the English language and we still use today
2 He expressed the full range of human emotions in a way that is timeless
3 He filled his plays with characters from every walk of life, providing a rich and diverse picture of society
4 His works have inspired adaptations in many cultures and traditions that can be enjoyed be everyone
5 His words inspired individuals all around the world – such as those who signed the Robben Island Bible (which was really a copy of Shakespeare’s complete works) during the apartheid struggle
What does all this tell us? Well, for me there is a simple message. The greatness of a person is not in when and where they were born, their name and lineage, or what they look like. Very simply it’s in the positive impact they’ve had on the world, large or small. And for me, that’s exactly what makes Shakespeare such a legend. One worthy, at the very least, of a pair of socks in his memory!
#shakespeare40 
Great words and a lovely tribute to a fantastic writer. But where, oh where, do the socks come into it?
LikeLiked by 1 person