“Shakespeare in GCU” – By Muhammad Talha

Scene 1: Amphitheatre

The scene opens with a foggy morning. Fog, acting like a blanket, covers the scene with its essence, masking the sunny rays, spreading chilly shivers all around. The camera goes down to the amphitheatre, where a fellow is sitting, his head bent towards a notepad.

He seems to be writing something as the camera from behind him focuses on his hand, and the pen he is holding. Then, suddenly, he stops writing. He focuses on the gothic structure of amphitheatre, where a voiceover tells us what he says:

Oh a stage, where the young sit
Relish their every moment’s bit
Together they sit and laugh gaily
‘Tis their routine almost daily
Life, now with academic work, so tainted
Maketh one pondering about it almost fainted
Now here, me sitting on these huge steps alone
Giveth me sensation like belonging to a throne
These huge steps, emitting true Gothic art
Sayeth a lot about true form of craft
The true strength these exposed bricks doth hold
Maketh this appreciable art mighty and bold
Now, must I stop wondering
And shalt better get moving

(Exeunt)

Scene: Gothic Lady:

The camera shows Gothic Lady from beneath. Now, it is almost noon. Shakespeare seems to be free from his mundane routine of attending classes and is now heading towards Gothic Lady. The camera focuses on his hands and shows that he is holding a cup of tea in his hands.

The next shot shows him at the upstairs portion of Gothic Lady. A friend of his is also with him. The friend (Friend A) tells the audience what Shakespeare thinks about Gothic Lady.

Oh Gothic Lady, thou so majestic and proud
Your presence maketh the world go round
Here I hold my ground, adoring thy presence
Thy beauty, reflecting thy essence
I observe many young, blissful souls admiring thy
Splendour like a passionate lover, I question myself why
These young people getting so lost in this worldly monument
After observing myself, getting lost myself at that moment
Thou Gothic windows, cloaked in tales of ancient lore
Protecting thou inside world from the outside gore
Here thus I stand, holding a cup of tea I just bought
While ‘tis now cold, as am dwelled in this amazing thought
Many rains hath come, tried to make thou beauty a history
How thou still stands with perseverance, remains a total mystery
Your hallways, awakens a thousand memory
Some jocose of nature, some utter bigotry
Yet, thy honour shines like a sun
Behold! My relishing of tea is also done
I must depart now as I have to go
As I have important business to do

(Exeunt)

Scene: Bukhari Lawn

Shakespeare is seen standing, with his Elizabethan robe spreading due to a gust of chilling wind. He can be seen on a bench, basking in the sun. Looks like he is pondering about a script he wants to give a life to in Bukhari Auditorium.

His friends also surround him, looking at him and giggling about his seclusion, but also praising him for his craftiness. Camera pans to a friend of his (Friend B) who describes to the audience what Shakespeare thinks about Bukhari Lawn.

Ah, Bukhari Lawn, thou verdant tapestry
A haven on this premise, casting a charm of glee
The young lounge here, studying and learning
Still, a battle of wits or sports be starting
Creating a sense of jocose in this intellectual land
Where the knowledge is shared, gripping books in hand
Debaters sit here, jesting and questioning one’s view
While I sit here, praising thine majestic figure with whom I hew
Thy splendour, casted by glory sun, lean trees and fresh grass
When one observes thou, be sure to gasp
I ponder thy majesty sitting on the bench
Avoiding the souls, thou view be enough to quench
My thirst for nature, ‘tis a fact I admit
Admiring thou if be a crime, then ‘tis a crime I commit
At this moment, I must exeunt this world of thou imagination
And must focus on my work, then study for my examination.

Muhammad Talha is currently studying at Department of English linguistics and literature GCUL at GCU Lahore.