April 23rd is a particularly important day. It is the global "World Book Day" and is also the anniversary of the birth and death of the literary master Shakespeare.

Connecting reading with the great Shakespeare is indeed an issue worthy of careful discussion.

In the long history, Shakespeare is definitely a shining star.

On April 23, 1564, he came into this world. At that time, Queen Elizabeth I of England was in charge of the government, and he grew up in such a social environment.

At that time, British society was facing political and economic changes, and the ideas of the Renaissance spread rapidly.

Shakespeare's works reveal many aspects of that era, including the connections between different social classes and the diverse faces of human nature.

From a geographical point of view, his works spread rapidly from the UK to Europe and even the world.

His plays cover a wide range of subjects, whether they are comedies, tragedies or historical dramas.

Over time, his works began to be translated and adapted for stage and screen. Today, in the 21st century, these works are still loved by people all over the world.

His works played a huge role in promoting the development of literature.

Many later writers drew valuable nourishment from his works, and they were profoundly influenced by him in many areas such as writing techniques, character creation, and theme exploration.

These works stand out among Shakespeare's vast oeuvre of plays.

For example, Hamlet.

The story takes place in the Danish court, and the protagonist Hamlet is the prince of Denmark.

He experienced the grief caused by the sudden death of his father, his mother soon remarried, and his uncle became a stepfather. This was already a series of family changes. What's even more unbearable is that he has to silently endure the heavy secret that his uncle may be his father's murderer.

The story of "Macbeth" takes place in Scotland.

The temptation of the witch makes Macbeth's inner desire continue to expand. He fell into it step by step. In the pursuit of power, he gradually lost his reason and morality, which eventually led to a series of tragedies.

"Othello" is a story set in Venice. In the story, Othello is misled by the villain's slander and begins to doubt his wife Desdemona. This suspicion ultimately led to an irreversible tragedy.

In the vast land of Britain, the drama "King Lear" unfolds a story. In the story, King Lear met a tragic end due to a mistake in his decision-making. He believed too much in other people's rhetoric when dividing his territory.

Lines like "To be or not to be, that's a question worth considering."

When placed in Hamlet's story, it profoundly reflects his inner struggles and contradictions at that time.

He not only wanted to avenge his father, but he was also full of doubts about the implementation of the entire revenge plan.

This sentence not only applies to dramatic scenes, but also when faced with difficult decisions in life, people often get entangled in whether to take action or not.

Watch "Fragile, Your Name Is Woman" again.

In the social context of that time, there was an inherent prejudice against women in Western culture.

This line reveals the social concepts of that era and opens a small door to study the social mentality of that era.

It still has reference value when discussing cultural topics such as gender equality and gender concepts.

In the current field of research, from an academic perspective, major institutions around the world regard Shakespeare's works as a key part of literary studies.

Professors will provide an in-depth analysis of this author's plays using a variety of literary theories, including structuralism and feminism.

Analyzing Desdemona in "Othello" from a feminist perspective, we can see the position of women in society at that time and the phenomenon of gender oppression.

And the actors' interpretations of Shakespeare's works are also constantly innovative.

In neighborhoods rich in drama such as Broadway and London's West End, actors have tried to use a variety of performance techniques in order to vividly present their works.

In 2021, Shakespeare has passed away 405 years ago. That year, his theatrical performances and academic seminars increased significantly.

In terms of film and television, countless adaptations have witnessed the influence of his works.

The movie "Hamlet" has been adapted into film and television works many times, with new directors and actors joining each time, each of whom created a different image of Hamlet.

Director Kenneth Branagh's work provides a unique interpretation of visual art and modern concepts.

In the field of education, schools in many countries list Shakespeare's works as required reading of literary masterpieces.

Chinese students will also come into contact with his works in English learning or literature courses.

His works cross the boundaries of language, culture and race, attracting many readers and audiences, and have a global influence.

"World Book Day" encourages everyone to read.

And Shakespeare's works are classics worth reading.

That day I read through his works, whether they were original texts or translations, which made me more deeply appreciate the extraordinary charm of literary classics.

People are often surrounded by scattered information. However, reading Shakespeare's works can lead us to think deeply about deep-seated issues such as human nature and society.

This is also in line with the concept of "World Book Day" advocating in-depth reading.

The fact that his works remain attractive today, more than four hundred years later, speaks volumes about the importance of paying attention to classic reading.