one o f these sonnets: LV Not marble, nor the gilded monuments O f princes, shall outlive this powerful rime; But you shall shine more bright in these contents Than unswept stone, besmear’d with sluttish time. When wasteful war shall statues overturn, And broils root out the work o f masonry, Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall bum The living record o f your memory. ‘Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room Even in the eyes o f all posterity That wear this world out to the ending doom. So, ti 11 the j udgment that yourself arise, You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes. The sonnets show how Shakespeare’s poetic style was forged and perfected; to some extent they raise the veil over his private life, o f which we know so little. Q uestions and Tasks 1. What influence did Shakespeare make upon the world literature? 2. What did the great poet have in common with the Globe theatre? 3. When and in what way was the Globe theatre destroyed? 4. What works made Shakespeare immortal? 5. Characterize Hamlet. Why does he delay avenging for his father?
6. Why did Romeo and Juliet’s lives end tragically? 7. Do you think Juliet’s life would be happy if she had consented her parents and married Paris? 8. Who were the main protagonists o f Shakespeare’s sonnets? 10. What are the Shakespearian sonnets important for? 11. What is the difference between the com edies written by Shakespeare and by Ben Jonson ?