They say today is William Shakespeare’s birthday. Today, then, is the day the English language changed; on this day, a man was born whose contribution to human culture is beyond reckoning. A man whose words will live on through the centuries, and whose writings would encapsulate the human condition like no other. I have always loved the works of Shakespeare: ever since I first encountered them at school, studying Macbeth and then The Tempest, I have adored his use of language the images he conjures up and the way his characters still speak to us today so well, even though they were created four centuries ago. Shakespeare speaks on through the ages, and will no doubt continue to do so for a long time. No doubt, school children will continue to curse his name for many years hence, not realising they are being imparted with that most precious gift: wisdom.