A report on the National Seminar on Shakespeare held on May 24 & 25, 2005 at the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, Sana’a UniversityTeaching Shakespeare in Universities of Yemen: Principles and perspectives [Archives:2005/850/Education]
The first ever two-day national seminar on Shakespeare was organized by the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, University of Sana'a on May 24 and 25,2005 . Shakespeare is and has been taught in departments of English in the Faculties of Arts in all universities in Yemen, and perhaps in all universities in the Arab world. But the University of Sana'a has stolen a march over all other universities in this part of the world in organizing a seminar for a wide discussion on the what, the why and the how of teaching Shakespeare to students hoping to graduate in English Studies. The invitation sent by the Chairman of the Department for reading research papers in the seminar evoked an admirably enthusiastic response and as many as forty-two research papers were read and discussed at this national forum.
The seminar started with the welcome address by Prof D. Thakur, Chairman of the Department. He warmly welcomed honorable guests like Dr Abdul Kareem, Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Dr Saleh Ali Bassurah, President of Sana'a University, Dr Ahmed al-Kibsi, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Dr Khalid, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Dr Abdul Kareem Obeidy, Assistant Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Dr Mohammed Abdul Aziz Yusr, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, as well as teachers in other Departments in the Faculties of Arts, of Languages and of Education.
In his welcome speech, Dr Thakur said that it has now been widely established in literary circles all over the world that Shakespeare is by far the greatest of all dramatists, and so, if one had hypothetically the choice of teaching only one English author, that one English author could only be Shakespeare. He said that Shakespeare's plays had so many epigrammatic, proverbial and rhetorically powerful statements that, even if somebody was involved in speculations in subjects far removed from literature, like Anatomy, Dentistry, Ecology, Mathematics and Economics, he would find a large number of statement which he could use as epigraphs for his research. No other known author in the world was so versatile and so comprehensive. Shakespeare, he said, wrote about four hundred years ago and although one could find out traces of usage, now altogether discarded, Shakespeare was still very modern, not only in his sensibility and in his attitudinal leanings, but also in the use of his language. Shakespeare is the basis of modern English, and no understanding of modern English will ever be complete unless it is based on the deep roots that modern English has in the use of English by Shakespeare. Dr. Thakur added that Shakespeare was worth studying, not only for the superb heights of excellence that we find in his writings from the point of view of artistic creativity, but also from the point of view of how the biography of an author could inspire its readers. Shakespeare's parents were affluent until he was born, but since his birth the economic and social status of the family started declining, so much so that when Shakespeare was in early teens, his father was obliged , because of economic hardships, to mortgage the property that he had. Shakespeare did not study in a university. There is no evidence in support of the fact that he studied even in a school. It would not be absolutely wrong if one hypothesizes that his lack of education was because of the lack of financial resources in the family. The rumor goes that Shakespeare had to be apprenticed to a butcher in Stratford-on-Avon for the economic support needed for himself and his family. When he started writing, many of his contemporaries said that his English was faulty. Robert Green, a contemporary dramatist, contemptuously described him as “an upstart crow.” He tried acting, but was given only a minor role in the play, if at all. In the play Hamlet, for example, he had to play, not the role of Hamlet, nor even of Polonious, or of Hamlet's uncle,but that of the ghost of Hamlet's father . In his famous play The Merchant of Venice, he had to play the role, not of Shylock, nor even of Antonio or Bassanio. He only played the role of the Duke in that play. But none of these things succeeded in minimizing his literary creativity. The fire that he had in him burned bright and created light all over the literary world in spite of his adverse circumstances, threatening to quench that fire. Students in the third world can learn, therefore, not only from his writings, but even from his life. Shakespeare's life is the life of an achiever and accomplisher and a winner, and we can learn from him how we can rise to great heights of glory even despite adverse circumstances.
The inaugural session started with Dr Thakur's welcome address and was followed by highly appreciative remarks by Dr Mohammed Abdul Aziz Yusr and, more so, by Dr Saleh Ali Bassurah, President of the University. Dr Saleh Bassurah said that Dr Thakur had served the University for three decades and generations of students have benefited from his teaching and scholarship. He recalled having attended the Inter-University debate and recitation last year and expressed his great happiness about the excellence achieved by the students of Sana'a University.
The business session started with a plenary session given by Dr Thakur on the number symbology in Shakespeare's plays, particularly in his three plays, Macbeth, Hamlet and Julius Caesar. He said that the concept of three-ness could be found in Shakespeare, not only in narrative details like the three witches and the three apparitions in Macbeth, or Antonio borrowing three thousand ducats for three months and the crown being offered to Julius Caesar three times, and his wife Calpurnia crying three times in her dream. It also expressed itself in triplets at the levels of words, syntax, and rhetoric expressed particularly in the form of image.
After the plenary session the seminar divided itself into three parallel sessions in the mornings ,so also in the afternoons. Of the total of forty-two research papers presented, twenty-three were on Shakespeare's literary aspects, four on the problems and principles of translating Shakespeare into Arabic and twelve on the linguistic aspect of his writing, particularly relating to and focussing on the problems and principles of teaching Shakespeare in a country like Yemen.
The seminar ended with highly appreciative valedictory remarks by Professors from different Universities, by Professor Mohanraj of the CIEFL, Hyderabad and Professor Anjani Kumar Sinha, former Dean , Faculty of Arts , Delhi University.
A more detailed report on the proceedings of the National Seminar will appear next week.
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