James I, Sovereign of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, and Ireland, greets you, and as a token of his favor and appreciation of your skills, sends the actor, Lawrence Fletcher. His talent is undoubtedly no less than yours.
James I desired that the company consisting of Lawrence Fletcher, William Shakespeare, Richard Burbadge, Augustine Philips, John Hemings, Henry Condell, William Sly, Robert Armin, and Richard Cowley should henceforth present themselves as His Majesty's Servants, and that Lawrence Fletcher should be its leader.
Shakespeare could not hold back his tears. His greatest dream had come true.
The company of His Majesty's Servants had not been given the opportunity to present themselves before the king. After a week of preparations, they left London due to the raging plague.
Michael Smith had high hopes for this trip. He had heard that they would be heading towards Oxford. And there was Eve Black, whom he had never forgotten.
The actors had a successful, albeit very tiring, tour. And as bad news continued to arrive from London, they each went their separate ways. William Shakespeare and his family headed to his hometown of Stratford. Michael Smith, who had been very sad lately because he hadn't seen Eve Black anywhere during his nearly two-week stay in Oxford, forgot all his troubles here in Stratford. He experienced a carefree and joyful time in his life. In November 1603, it was time to leave town. They received a letter from Augustine Philips, summoning all the actors of His Majesty's Servants.
Finally, a few words about Benjamin Jonson and William Shakespeare's last performance.
Augustine Philips's joy at seeing William Shakespeare was immense. He was looking forward to seeing his friend. Soon, more actors began arriving, and when everyone had gathered, Augustine Philips informed his colleagues of the news he had received the previous week. They were invited by William Herbert, Lord Pembroke, to his residence at Wilton House. It was quite an honor, and an argument immediately broke out over which play to perform for the lord. Most favored "Hamlet," but Lawrence Fletcher, knowing that the tragedy of the Danish prince was already known throughout England, chose "As You Like It." Shakespeare was pleased with this decision; he was very proud of his recently written play. The actors rehearsed that same day, eager to make the greatest impression on the lord.
After three days of tedious travel, the Company of His Majesty's Servants reached Wilton. The actors took a liking to the town. It was carefully planned, and the houses were neatly arranged. A beautiful Renaissance palace occupied the center. Philip Sidney's sister rushed out to greet the actors. She was eager for the troupe's arrival. She held the actors in high regard and entertained the troupe with conversation over dinner.
"So what are you gentlemen planning to perform tomorrow?
" "A comedy, of course! How can you play a tragedy in the run-up to Christmas?"
"True, true! Do you know I've heard of one of your plays? You called it 'Hamlet.'
" "Who hasn't!" laughed Richard Burbadge. "It's one of our best plays."
"Admit it, gentlemen. Which one of you is its author?
" "I am," replied Shakespeare, rising.
"So you are... the famous William Shakespeare? All England is talking about you, sir.
" "Really?" replied William, almost blushing.
"Listen, gentlemen. I must tell you a funny story. Just imagine, when your wonderful William was still a little, unknown Will, we were planning his marriage to Lord Hunsdon's daughter."
Laughter echoed throughout the hall.
"Indeed, I've heard of it."
"Come on, servants! Bring on the wine and sherry! Let's drink to the health of William Shakespeare!"
The actors partied late into the night. Some of them drank a little too much. Nevertheless, the next day they performed "As You Like It" with aplomb. Earl William Herbert laughed until he cried. King James I, however, was most delighted, having arrived the day before, eager to finally see his troupe. He didn't regret becoming the troupe's patron. In a moment of graciousness, he presented the actors with one hundred sterling, a considerable sum. The actors happily accepted the invitation to Hampton Court Palace on Christmas Eve.
Preparations for the holidays were underway. King James decided to give his subjects a gift. He ordered heralds to announce throughout England that on December 23rd, in the courtyard of Hampton Court Palace, anyone who wished could see the play "Sejanus," written by the famous Benjamin Jonson, free of charge. The great poet William Shakespeare, author of plays such as "Hamlet," "Romeo and Juliet," and "As You Like It," announced his participation. As one might imagine, one of the heralds had traveled to Oxford…
Eve Black was passing through the market square when a royal herald galloped in.
"Men, men, good men!" he cried in a loud voice. "His Majesty James I, King of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, and Ireland, invites all his subjects to the performance of "Sejanus," written by the famous Benjamin Jonson, to be performed at Hampton Court Palace on December 23rd. The cast was provided by His Majesty's Servants, which included Richard Burbadge, Lawrence Fletcher, and William Shakespeare. People, come!
At the sound of the famous playwright's name, Eve Black shuddered. She recalled the days when she still lived in London, and Michael Smith, her childhood friend whom she had missed all those years. She knew he would remain etched in her memory forever.
Suddenly, she felt an irresistible urge to go to London, even if only for two or three days. She longed to see William Shakespeare, to revisit the places she associated with her childhood. After returning home, she sat at her desk and wrote a letter asking her parents for permission to come.
Time always flies in the run-up to Christmas. James I made sure everything was perfect for December 23rd. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his subjects.
Finally, the day of the performance arrived. Hampton Court Palace was decorated so beautifully that guests felt as if they were entering a fairytale land.
Benjamin Jonson was dying with anxiety. This was the first time his performance had been seen by such a huge audience, including the King himself.
Hundreds of carriages and buggies arrived in front of the palace. Mrs. Black, who also wanted to see Mr. Jonson's play and had arrived with Eve, was incredibly curious to see if anyone could match the tragedies of the great Shakespeare. Waiting for the performance to begin, the two women took their seats near the stage. "
Ben, don't be so nervous. You'll see that everything will go perfectly," Michael Smith consoled the hero of the evening. Since moving into William Shakespeare's house, he had met many writers, poets, and other friends of the playwright. He no longer stuttered and found it easier to find the right words.
"Michael, I have a huge favor to ask of you. Check if there's a large audience.
" "A lot, a lot. It's high time we started the performance."
The play was drawing to a close. Unfortunately, Ben Jonson could see from the audience's expressions that his performance had failed to impress. If it weren't for the presence of King James I, all sorts of objects might have been thrown at the actors. He realized he had made a mistake writing a history play, incredibly convoluted, with a slow-moving plot. Most of the audience simply couldn't understand it.
"Michael, just look at their faces!
" "Calm down, Benjamin. It'll be alright." The young man stood up and looked around the audience. "No! He must have been imagining things, but... It had to be her!"
After the last line, the audience erupted in boos. Benjamin Jonson was distraught. Meanwhile, the author of "Hamlet" appeared on stage. The audience fell silent immediately.
"Greetings, dear friends. As you probably know, my name is William Shakespeare. I want to thank you all for coming. Our play today contained a deeper message, one worth pondering. I'm sure you'd agree with me if you saw it a second time. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I want to inform you that this was my last stage performance. I want to devote myself entirely to writing." You won't see me play the Ghost in "Hamlet" or Benvolio in "Romeo and Juliet" anymore. I'm quitting acting.
For a long moment, the auditorium was silent. Soon, the first spectators began to rise from their seats, applauding enthusiastically. Less than half a minute later, the entire audience, including the king, was chanting Shakespeare's name. William was proud of himself.
Michael Smith didn't hear the cheers for his master. He pushed his way through the crowd toward a girl with long, dark hair. It had to be Eve Black.
"Eve! Eve!" he shouted.
The girl turned.
"Michael, is that really you?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes, Eve. It's me.
" "I was convinced you died in the plague. And yet...
" "Eve, you can't imagine how happy I am. I thought you'd left England and we'd never see each other again."
"I see you've grown up a lot and changed a lot. Now your parents shouldn't mind us seeing each other.
" "It's all thanks to Mr. William Shakespeare.
" "What?
" "True, you don't know anything about it. I'm staying with Mr. William now.
" "What?" Eve Black was astonished.
"Really. Mr. Shakespeare took me on. It's thanks to him that I'm here.
" "It's amazing. Do you know that since I went to Oxford, I've been thinking about you a lot.
" "Eve! Do you know that I—
" "Michael, I'll be back in London in two months. Remember! Two months..."
That evening, Benjamin was invited to dinner by William Shakespeare.
"Ben, don't worry. It wasn't so bad. When I stepped onto the stage, I saw a smile on the king's face.
" "Come on, Will. I've made my decision. I won't write another word as long as I live.
" "Don't talk nonsense. You really do have a huge talent. Your plays will be known throughout England." Just remember the fast-paced, lively action. Audiences are hard to please.
"Thank you, William. What would I do without you?"
The next day, on Christmas Eve, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was performed. The comedy brought joy and applause from the audience.
Epilogue
Two years had passed since Shakespeare left London and returned permanently to his family home in Stratford. Michael and Eve Smith moved into his former home on Chapel Lane. Life was going well for them, and they were soon expecting their second child. Michael thought of William Shakespeare with gratitude. He saw his plays whenever he had the opportunity. Although the master himself lived in Stratford until his death, his memory remained forever in the capital of England...
The End
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