This year marks 400 years since the death of the immortal writer William Shakespeare. Events honouring the British poet and playwright are being held across the United Kingdom and in many other parts of the world. Admirers of art and literature from all over the world are gathering in particular at Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The building of brown and earthen stone standing on an oak frame is no less than about 475 years old. Here was born William Shakespeare, the legendary figure of world literature, and here he spent more than half his life. Shakespeare can still be found here, along with the clothes he wore and the many tales of his time.

Nothing here is very grand, yet from the wide garden the lines of Hamlet, Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet seem to drift across, and with them the characters Shakespeare created.

Rabindranath Tagore also has a place here. His bust shows the relevance of the world poet's presence at the site.

The crowds of admirers at his birthplace are here for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. On 9 July, Shakespeare's new house is due to be opened here, a grand event in the presence of guests from around the world.

Source: Shykh Seraj. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.