Shakespeare’s 400th Anniversary Marked with Stamp Collection

Shakespeare Stamps

Reading Shakespeare has always been something of a rite of passage.

We all remember our teacher handing out books that looked as old as the text itself; its spine held together by entire roll of sticky tape, and being expected to understand what the hell a soliloquy was. If you were lucky enough, you’d grab the copy that had already been annotated by another pupil a few years ago and that was your coursework sorted.

Now the bane of GCSE English is back in the spotlight.

The 400th Anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death is being commemorated with the release of a collection of stamps featuring quotes from some of his most famous works.

The 10 stamps are on sale now in the run up to Shakespeare’s anniversary on 23rd April, and include verses from Hamlet; Macbeth; The Tempest and Romeo & Juliet.

And it’s not just Royal Mail getting in on the act. Earlier this year, the Royal Mint announced they would be releasing a series of coins featuring symbols from Shakespeare’s work.

Seriously though, stamps? What better way to commemorate the life of the greatest playwright in history? The man who invented 1700 words and is responsible for scores of teenagers pulling their hair out trying to figure out what the hell his prose meant. I still don’t most of the time, but the hipster inside me makes me come back to his work every now and then for another crack at it.

Could’ve named a tube line after him or anything.

They’re first-class stamps as well. Pricing the working class out of the man’s immeasurable contribution to literature. #BrokenBritain.

There are a plethora of events lined up to celebrate William Shakespeare’s life and work, most of which are more fitting than a few £2 coins some square pieces of paper.

However, if your palette for the Bard of Avon is a little less refined, there’s no better starting point than Shit-faced Shakespeare.

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