Inqabakayitshelwana Ka William Shakespeare

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI

UWILLIAM SHAKESPEARE udume kabanzi njengomlobi wemidlalo yaseshashalazini ovelele emlandweni. I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi “abaningi bambheka njengomlobi wemidlalo ophambili. Namuhla imidlalo yakhe . . . idlalwa kakhulu futhi idlalwa emazweni amaningi kuneyanoma imuphi omunye umlobi wemidlalo.” Iye yahunyushelwa ezilimini ezingaphezu kuka-70.

Ngokuphathelene nezincwadi eziningi okuthiwa waziloba, i-World Book Encyclopedia ithi: “Asikho isazi esivelele sangenkathi kaShakespeare esingabazayo ukuthi uShakespeare owaloba le midlalo nezinkondlo.” Nokho, abanye abavumelani nalokhu. Kungani?

UShakespeare wazalelwa eStratford-upon-Avon ngo-1564, wafela khona eminyakeni engu-52 kamuva, ngo-1616. Kuye kwalotshwa imiqulu eminingi ngaye—ngemva kweminyaka eminingi yokucwaninga ngokucophelela—ngomzamo wokuxazulula umbuzo owodwa oyinhloko nophikelelayo othi, Ingabe uWilliam Shakespeare wazibhala izincwadi ezibizwa ngegama lakhe?

Izinkinga Eziyinhloko

Imidlalo kaShakespeare ibonisa ukuthi wayenolwazi olungavamile ngezindaba zokuphila. Ngokwesibonelo, wayewazi umthetho futhi walusebenzisa ngobuciko ulimi lwezomthetho nezibonelo olusebenza kuzo. Ngo-1860, kuyi-Medical Knowledge of Shakespeare, uSir John Bucknill waphawula ukuthi ulwazi lukaShakespeare lwezokwelapha lwalujulile. Kungashiwo okufanayo ngolwazi ayenalo ngokuzingela izilwane, ngokuzingela ngezinkozi nangeminye imidlalo, kanye nangemikhuba yokuziphatha yasebukhosini. Isazi-mlando esicwaninga ngoShakespeare uJohn Michell sithi “wayengumlobi owayazi zonke izinto.”

Imidlalo kaShakespeare ikhuluma ngokuphihlizeka kwemikhumbi izikhathi ezinhlanu, kanti indlela ulimi lwamatilosi olusetshenziswe ngayo isikisela ukuthi umlobi wayeyitilosi elingumakad’ebona. Ingabe uShakespeare wanqamula izilwandle? Ingabe wabuthelwa emabuthweni asolwandle? Ingabe wahlanganyela ekunqotshweni kweMikhumbi Yezempi yaseSpain ngo-1588? Lokhu bekungaba ubufakazi bokuthi uShakespeare wayengumlobi, kodwa abukho ubufakazi obusekelayo. Kuyisimo esifanayo uma kubhekwa indlela ayezazi kahle ngayo izindaba zezempi nolimi lwemigundatshani.

Izincwadi zakhe zigcwele izingcaphuno zeBhayibheli. Kungenzeka wazifunda kunina, kodwa abukho ubufakazi bokuthi unina wayefundile. Ulwazi lwakhe ngeBhayibheli luphakamisa umbuzo ngezinga lemfundo likaShakespeare.

Ingabe Wayeyindoda Efundile?

Uyise kaWilliam, uJohn, wayengumenzi wamagilavu, ethengisa uvolo futhi kungenzeka wayengumthengisi wenyama. Wayeyisakhamuzi esihlonishwayo, nakuba ayengafundile. Azikho izinhlu zabafundi basesikoleni saseStratford, kodwa izikhulu eziningi namuhla zinomuzwa wokuthi uWilliam wayefunda khona lapho esakhula. Eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, umngane kaWilliam owayengumlobi wemidlalo yaseshashalazini uBen Jonson wathi uShakespeare “wayesazi kancane isiLatini, azi nengcosana yesiGreki,” okungase kubonise ukuthi uWilliam wayenayo imfundo eyisisekelo.

Nokho, umlobi wale midlalo wayeziqonda kahle izincwadi zasendulo zaseGreece nezaseRoma kanye nezincwadi—mhlawumbe nolimi—lwesiFulentshi, isiNtaliyane neSpanishi. Futhi wayenenqolobane enkulu yamagama. Isakhamuzi esiyisifundiswa namuhla asivamile ukusebenzisa amagama angaphezu kuka-4000 lapho sixoxa. UJohn Milton, umlobi wezinkondlo oyiNgisi wekhulu le-17, wasebenzisa amagama angaba ngu-8000 ezincwadini zakhe. Kodwa umthombo othile uthi uShakespeare wasebenzisa amagama angaphezu kwangu-21 000!

Izincwadi Nemibhalo Yesandla

Yonke impahla kaShakespeare yabhalwa ngokucophelela encwadini yakhe yefa enamakhasi amathathu, kodwa akuzange kushiwo lutho ngezincwadi noma imibhalo yesandla. Ingabe yashiyelwa uSusanna, indodakazi yakhe eyizibulo? Uma kunjalo, ngokuqinisekile yayiyokwabelwa uzalo lwakhe. Exakwe yile ndida, umfundisi othile wekhulu le-18 wahlola yonke imitapo yabantu ababehlala ebangeni elizungeze iStratford-upon-Avon ngamakhilomitha angu-80 kodwa wangathola ngisho nowodwa umqulu owawungokaShakespeare.

Imibhalo yesandla yemidlalo iphakamisa inkinga enkulu ngisho nangaphezulu—ayikho eyokuqala eyaziwayo esekhona. Kwanyatheliswa imidlalo engu-36 ohlelweni lwe-First Folio ngo-1623, eminyakeni engu-7 ngemva kokufa kukaShakespeare. Lapho esaphila kwavela izinhlelo eziningi zomgunyathi, kodwa uShakespeare, owayengusomabhizinisi okhaliphile, akathathanga zinyathelo ezingokomthetho zokunqanda ukusakazwa kwazo.

Ukuya ELondon—Nokuthola Udumo

Amaqembu abadlali ahambela izindawo ngezindawo ayevamile ngezikhathi zeNdlovukazi u-Elizabeth, futhi amanye avakashela eStratford-upon-Avon ngo-1587. Ukube uShakespeare wazihlanganisa nawo, ngabe wafika eLondon ekwindla yalowo nyaka. Siyazi ukuthi waba ilungu lenkampani ephambili yemidlalo yaseshashalazini eLondon, okuthiwa iLord Chamberlain’s Men, kamuva eyaziwa ngokuthi iKing’s Men. Kusukela lapho efika enhloko-dolobha, isimo sakhe sashintsha. Eminyakeni eyalandela, wathenga izindawo eLondon naseStratford-upon-Avon. Kodwa awukho umlando ocacile wokuthi wenzani kusukela ngo-1583 kuya ku-1592—“iminyaka eyalahleka” ebalulekile.

Inkundla yemidlalo yaseshashalazini iGlobe yakhiwa eSouthwark ngo-1599. Ngaphambi kwalokho, imidlalo kaShakespeare yayaziwa eLondon, kodwa yena wayengadumile njengomlobi wayo. Lapho eshona akubanga nomngcwabo omkhulu, nakuba kwaba njalo ngabanye abalobi bemidlalo, abanjengoBen Jonson noFrancis Beaumont, bobabili abenzelwa izinkonzo ezinkulu zomngcwabo eWestminster Abbey, eLondon.

Abacatshangelwayo

Ingabe igama elithi Shakespeare lasetshenziselwa ukufihla igama lomlobi noma amagama abalobi bangempela? Abantu baye basikisela amagama angaphezu kwangu-60. Ahlanganisa umlobi wemidlalo uChristopher Marlowea namagama angalindelekile njengelikaKhadinal’uWolsey, uSir Walter Raleigh ngisho neNdlovukazi u-Elizabeth I. Yimaphi amagama abhekwa abahlaziyi njengafaneleka kakhulu?

Owokuqala ocatshangelwayo uFrancis Bacon, owafunda eCambridge University. Njengoba ayemdala ngeminyaka emithathu kuShakespeare, waba ummeli ovelele nesikhulu sasebukhosini futhi wabhala izincwadi eziningi. Umbono wokuthi izincwadi zikaShakespeare zalotshwa uBacon wavezwa okokuqala ngo-1769 kodwa wangashaywa mkhuba iminyaka engaba ngu-80. Ngo-1885 kwasungulwa i-Bacon Society ngenjongo yokusakaza lo mbono, futhi kuye kwavezwa amaqiniso amaningi awusekelayo. Ngokwesibonelo, uBacon wayehlala endaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-30 enyakatho yeLondon eduze naseSt. Albans, idolobha okukhulunywa ngalo izikhathi ezingu-15 ezincwadini zikaShakespeare—kodwa akushiwo lutho ngedolobha uShakespeare akhulela kulo, iStratford-upon-Avon.

URoger Manners, uMphathi wesihlanu waseRutland noWilliam Stanley, uMphathi wesithupha waseDerby, nabo banabasekeli. Babefundile futhi benolwazi olubanzi ngokuphila kwasebukhosini. Kodwa babengawufihlelani umsebenzi wabo? Ngo-1939, uProfesa P. S. Porohovshikov, elwela abaseRutland, wathi: “Izincwadi zakhe zokuqala zanyatheliswa ngaphandle kokuveza igama lomlobi, ezinye zanyatheliswa ngegama-mbumbulu ngoba nje kwakungafanele ukuba isikhulu sikahulumeni sibhale imidlalo edlalwa ezindaweni zabantu abavamile.”

Abanye baveza ukuthi imidlalo kaShakespeare yayiwumkhiqizo wabalobi ohlanganyelwe, ngamunye efaka ubuciko bakhe. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, njengomdlali onekhono, ingabe uShakespeare wayehlaziya futhi alungiselele imidlalo yaseshashalazini yabanye abalobi? Kuthiwa wayengalokothi ‘acishe ngisho nomusho owodwa’ emibhalweni yakhe yesandla. Lokhu kwakungaba yiqiniso uma ayehlaziya imibhalo ayeyinikeziwe yabanye abalobi bemidlalo, ngaphandle kokwenza ushintsho olukhulu.

Yisiphi isizathu esiyinhloko esenza abanye bangabaze ukuthi uShakespeare wayengumlobi? I-World Book Encyclopedia iphawula ukuthi abantu “babengafuni ukukholelwa ukuthi umdlali waseStratford-upon-Avon wayengaloba le midlalo. Ukuthi uShakespeare wakhulela emaphandleni kwakungqubuzana nombono wabo womuntu ohlakaniphile owaloba le midlalo.” Inezela ukuthi cishe bonke abanye okuye kwasikiselwa ukuthi bangabalobi “babengamalungu emikhaya yasebukhosini.” Ngakho, abaningi abangabazayo ukuthi uShakespeare wayengumlobi bakholelwa ukuthi “umuntu oyisifundiswa nongumhlonishwa kuphela owayengabhala le midlalo yaseshashalazini.” Kodwa, njengoba kuphawuliwe ekuqaleni kwalesi sihloko, izazi eziningi zangesikhathi sikaShakespeare zikholelwa ukuthi uShakespeare nguyena owayibhala.

Ingabe le mpikiswano izoxazululeka maduzane? Kubonakala kungenakwenzeka. Uma bungatholakali ubufakazi obusha bemibhalo yesandla yokuqala noma amaqiniso achaza iminyaka yakhe eyalahleka, uWilliam Shakespeare, “ungqondongqondo wezolimi,” uyohlala eyinqabakayitshelwana yomuntu othakazelisayo.

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Imfundo Negama

UWilliam Shakespeare cishe wasayina igama lakhe izikhathi eziyisithupha emibhalweni yesandla emine esatholakala. Igama lakhe alifundeki kahle, kanti nendlela elibhalwa ngayo iyaguquguquka. Eminye imithombo isikisela ukuthi abameli kungenzeka basayinela uShakespeare incwadi yakhe yefa, okuphakamisa umbuzo obucayi ezingqondweni zabanye, Ingabe uWilliam Shakespeare wayefundile? Ayikho imibhalo yesandla ayibhala. Indodakazi yakhe uSusanna yayikwazi ukubhala igama layo, kodwa abukho ubufakazi obubonisa ukuthi yayikwazi ukwenza okungaphezu kwalokho. Enye indodakazi kaShakespeare, uJudith, eyayiyintandokazi kuyise, yayisayina ngokubhala uphawu. Yayingafundile. Akukho muntu owaziyo ukuthi kungani uShakespeare engaqikelelanga ukuthi izingane zakhe zijabulela izinzuzo eziyigugu zokufunda.

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Imifanekiso yokuqala kaShakespeare, nakuba kungaqinisekwa ukuthi wayebukeka kanjani

[Umthombo]

Encyclopædia Britannica/11th Edition (1911)

Culver Pictures