5 ways to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday, on World Book Day

The Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare, is undoubtedly a literary genius who continues to inspire literature and media till today. With his birthday traditionally observed on April 23, and his death anniversary on the same day, his life and achievements are commonly celebrated during this month.

Here are some fun activities you can do to celebrate the Bard, 400 years after he walked the earth.

Explore his work in modern English

While his original texts are the best way to understand the context of each story, many modern, easy-to-read translations are available online, which are just as engrossing as the originals.

Sites such as LitCharts and Sparknotes have dedicated sections filled with video and textual guides, translations, and other tools to make reading the texts fun and interesting. Crash Course and Thug Notes on YouTube also have fresh takes on the novels that are worth checking out.

Games for Shakespeare fans

Shakespeare Day doesn't have to be just for adults. Both the Folger Shakespeare Library and Macmillan Readers websites offer fun interactive activities, facts, clips, and puzzles perfect for children. As they say, it's never too early to discover Shakespeare.

Moreover, how about trying your luck at Bardle, similar to Wordle, a daily word game catered to fans of Shakespeare.

Modern movie adaptations

People are always surprised by how many films inspired by Shakespeare's works they have already seen.

From everyone's childhood favourite Disney's Lion King (1994) which is based on Hamlet, to the early 2000s classic She's The Man, a modern adaptation of Twelfth Night, the themes in Shakespeare's tales are as old as time. We might also be familiar with the Shakespeare-inspired Bollywood movies Omkara (2006), based on Othello, or Haider (2014), also based on Hamlet.

Podcasts to listen

One of the best ways to spend hours stuck in daily traffic is by listening to a podcast. PlayerFM lists 20 of the best podcasts you can listen to if you want to learn all things Shakespeare.

Speak like a Shakespeare character

Try immersing yourself in the Shakespearean world by speaking to your friends in Elizabethan English (hint: use "thou" instead of "you"; "thine" instead of "yours").  Not only does it sound hilarious, but it is also a really fun activity to do with your friends.

Did you know that Shakespeare created some of the most common words, idioms, phrases and insults we use today? Phrases like "breaking the ice", "all that glitters is not gold", "catch a cold", "wearing one's heart on their sleeve", and so many more were all coined by Shakespeare.

Even if all you do is reply with "Et tu, Brute?" to the trolls in your comments, what matters the most is that you enjoy yourself.

Sara Kabir is a dreamer, a literature major, and a writer. She is often found juggling academics and her countless hobbies. Help her figure out what to write about next at @scarletfangirl