William Shakespeare exhibition showing Stratford’s influence on the Bard opens at birthplace trust

AN exhibition that puts Stratford at the heart of Shakespeare’s creative genius has opened at the Bard’s birthplace in order to show how the town shaped the man who became the world’s greatest playwright.

Called Becoming Shakespeare, the chief purpose of the display that greets visitors as they visit Shakespeare’s birthplace in Henley Street is to make Stratford the chief focus of the story.

“It’s a Stratford story and experience,” Rachael North, chief executive of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, told the Herald. “It’s an experience you can only get by coming to Stratford.

“Hopefully what comes out strongly is that Stratford-upon-Avon was Shakespeare’s home and you have an experience here that you can’t get anywhere else.”

And Professor Charlotte Scott, academic adviser to the trust, told the Herald: “This is where he grew up – and this place produced this glorious playwright.”

The question was what made the playwright? What created his questioning personality and his relentless examination of humanity? And what were the influences on him in Stratford and Warwickshire?

Prof Scott said: “The most significant thing is that Shakespeare was born here and died here and invested most of his money here.”

And she added: “Becoming Shakespeare is a unique and original exhibition celebrating the beginning of Shakespeare’s story, from birth to boyhood.

“We invite audiences to experience and explore Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, his community, his childhood life and his own creative reflections on birth, belonging and the contexts that shaped his thinking and his art.

“Situating Shakespeare’s creativity within the early influences of place and home we will bring the past to life to consider how William, the first surviving child of John and Mary, became Shakespeare.”

The exhibition, created in partnership with the design agency Sarner International, begins with a poetic and dynamic video prelude that uses striking imagery and Shakespeare’s own words to explore the start of his literary and theatrical career.

As if to exemplify the importance of home to Shakespeare, a quote is taken from Act 2, Scene 4 of As You Like It: “When I was at home I was in a better place; but travellers must be content.”

There’s a reflection on the early influences that shaped Shakespeare’s imagination, from his family and natural surroundings to his formal education at KES (King Edward VI School) and his experiences in the wider world.

Among items on display is a “hornbook” – a manuscript in a wooden, leather or bone frame with a handle that could easily be held by young hands. These were a key educational tool in Shakespeare’s day and were used to help children learn the basics of the English language.

Interestingly, Tudor children would not have been taught to read and write at the same time. Reading was the first priority, and they would have used the hornbook to help them memorise the alphabet and the Lord’s Prayer. Only after learning to read would they be taught the art of writing.

Another item is a wooden doll, ornately carved with a high level of detail. It would have been owned by a child from a high-status family. Simply carved dolls were available and were called Bartholomew Babies because they were sold at the Bartholomew Fair which took place in London.

And, in a reference to Shakespeare’s inspiration in the wider world, there’s an Elizabethan Gold Angel. On the obverse is the Archangel Michael spearing a devil or dragon and on the reverse a ship with a mast in the form of a cross. Michael was associated with driving out evil in the form of illness. Evil is often represented in Shakespeare’s plays and acts which went against the natural order or religious teachings were ultimately met with a tortured end.

Perhaps Ms North asks the most fascinating question about Shakespeare: “How did this boy from a Warwickshire market town end up having such a deep impact on our culture?”

This is a question that’s exercised scholars for centuries – and will doubtless continue to do so for centuries to come.