IV. Answer the questions.

1. Who was Shakespeare's mother?

2. Is Shakespeare's house preserved as it looked like in the 16th century?

3. Why is it interesting to visit the garden of Shakespeare's home?

4. Where were plays usually performed in Shakespeare's time?

5. What interesting event happened when Will was about eleven?

6. What did Shakespeare do when he first came to London?

7. Why did the actors want to act Shakespeare's plays?

8. Where were most of Shakespeare's plays performed?

9. When did Shakespeare die?

10. What plays of Shakespeare do you know?

Points for discussion

1. How did Shakespeare's early years have an influence on his career as a poet and dramatist?

2. Shakespeare's life in London when he first carne there.

3. What kind of a person was Shakespeare?

Britain's Great Hero

Every visitor who comes to London will al­ways find time to see Trafalgar Square which is located in the very centre of the British capital. This square was laid out to mark Admiral Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar and was completed in 1841.In its centre stands the Nelson column of granite about 58 metres high designed by William Railton, with the Admiral's statue (about 6 metres high) by E.H. Bailey on the top, high enough for a sailor to get a glimpse of the sea. Bronze reliefs at the foot of the column, made from captured French guns, represent Nelson's four great naval victories. The four bronze lions at the base were added in 1867. Trafalgar Square has become famous as a place for all kinds of demonstrations and public meetings. The great numbers of pigeons and starlings make this place still more popular.

Admiral Nelson is Britain's greatest naval hero. Born in the family of a Norfolk priest on 29th September 1758 Horatio Nelson seemed very unlikely to become a seaman, be­cause he was too weak and small when he was a child. He was the fifth son of a family of H children. However, despite his physical weakness he impressed his fellow pupils at the Norwich and North Walsham grammar schools in Eastern England by his great will to become a seaman. He did much physical exercise to achieve his aim. When his uncle, a captain, learned of his twelve-year-old nephew's intention to go to sea he was very surprised saying that the first rough storm would make the boy change his mind.

However, in 1771 his uncle took him aboard his ship, and later sent him to the West Indies in a merchant ship. Nelson did well, and so his uncle supported him to go on with his seaman's job.

At the age of 14 Nelson was allowed to join an expedition to the North Pole. It was during this time that he disappeared over the ice one night to try to get a polar bear skin for his father. His gun did not fire in time, and the bear began to attack the boy. But Nelson was not afraid. He used the butt of the gun to defend himself. Someone on the ship saw this, and a shot was fired. The bear turned away.

In 1777, having satisfied the regulations by serving six years at sea, Nelson received the rank of lieutenant. Later he was sent to the West Indies and there became commander of a brig, his first command of a ship. Here during military operations against Spain he acted very bravely, but was taken ill and sent home to England to recover. In 1784 he took command of a frigate and again was sent to the West Indies. Being a very honest man and officer, he came into conflict with the officers and rulers of the islands who broke the regulations on trade with the U.S.A. As a result of action against him he lost command of his ship and stayed all alone on the island of Nevis. Here he met and married Mrs. Frances Nisbet, a young widow with a small son. Shortly afterwards the Nelsons — husband, wife and stepson — sailed to England. Nelson spent five happy years at his family home in Norfolk. In 1793 war broke out between England and France, and Lord Hood, the chief English admiral offered Nelson the command of a big ship of 64 guns, which soon joined the English fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. It was here in the many battles against France and her allies that Nelson displayed his outstanding qualities as a seaman, commander and admiral. The Mediterranean fleet was under the command of Lord Hood who was highly respected by Nelson. Hood's flagship was the "Victory", a first class man-of-war of 100 guns, which later came under Nelson's command.

Nelson, as a naval commander, took even opportunity to be active and aggressive. He never feared for his life. In one of the battles to drive the French out of the island of Corsica he was wounded and lost his right eye.

In 1796 Spain, which was encouraged by France's victories on land, declared war on Britain. The English fleet was now in a more difficult position because it had to fight against the combined fleets of France and Spain. The difficult situation made Nelson still more daring: in one battle when 15 British ships were facing 27 Spanish ones Nelson displayed such initiative and bravery which resulted in the seizure of 2 big enemy warships. The whole British fleet greeted him for his action, and quite soon Nelson became admiral. Again war gave Nelson the opportunity to display his bravery for which he had to pay a dear price: during military action against the Spanish forces to take a fortress, disobeyed instructions and went ashore to lead the final attack. In the fighting he lost his right arm and thought that his career was over. But Nelson did not give up, and quite soon after recovery he was sent to take action against the French fleet.

By this time Napoleon with the help of the French fleet was already in Egypt. Nelson guessed the plans of the French and with extreme boldness attacked the French fleet at the mouth of the Nile. It was a brilliant victory for Nelson: of 17 French ships which fought at the battle 13 were burned, sunk, driven ashore or captured. Napoleon was left in Egypt without a support fleet. News of the victory reached London and there were great celebrations. Nelson received the title Baron of the Nile. The political consequences of the battle of the Nile were very great — Napoleon had to give up plans to conquer India.

Nelson himself could not return to England at this time because he was wounded in the head. So he stayed in Naples in Italy where Lady Hamilton, the wife of the English ambassador, took care of him helping him to restore his health. This lady played an important part in the life of the admiral, and much has been written about their relationship. In recent times a very popular film was produced about Nelson and Lady Hamilton. As a result of their relationship Nelson separated from his wife.

Nelson became a national hero though he hadn't yet achieved his greatest victory which cost him his life.

The greatest sea battle between the English and combined French and Spanish fleets took place near Cadiz in Spain at Cape Trafalgar on 21st October 1805.Nelson had 27 ships against 18 French and 15 Spanish. Nelson himself was on the "Victory". Before the battle the admiral gave his final instructions to the captains of the ships. Moving in two columns the British were to break the enemy line. Nelson wore his usual uniform with the four orders on the breast. His personal doctor wanted to warn him to cover these up or remove them because when the ships came close to one another the enemy could easily shoot him. But, unfortunately, he hadn't time to do this. Just before the beginning of the battle Nelson sent the famous signal to the ships: "England expects that every man will do his duty".

Nelson was on the captain's deck watching the course of the battle. Both sides suffered much. The "Victory" itself suffered much, and many sailors were wounded and killed. Gunfire became more and more intense as the ships approached each other. At 13.25 Nelson received his death wound by a musket ball shot by a sniper. He was carried below and laid amongst the wounded, where he was taken care by his doctor. Captain Hardy took command of the ship. Before Nelson died three hours later Hardy was able to report to him complete victory with 15 enemy ships destroyed. But Nelson had planned not less than 20, and in the end 19 were lost by the enemy.

Nelson died thanking God he had done his duty. Throughout the fleet and throughout his native land the joy of victory was accompanied with great sorrow for the death of their national hero. At the end of the battle 57 were killed and 103 wounded on the "Victory" which was greatly damaged. On the French ship from which Nelson was shot there were 500 killed out of a crew of 600.Nelson's body was brought to England for burial. There was a great public funeral, and on 9th January 1806 the body of Britain's great son was laid to rest in St. Paul's Cathedral.

The war at sea continued after Trafalgar but the enemy never recovered from the effects of the defeat, and England for the rest of the war against Napoleon was free from the danger of invasion. The "Victory" herself, severely damaged by fire, was never again in such a battle. She was repaired and continued to be used until 1840.On 12th January 1922 the "Victory" went into Number 2 Dry Dock in Portsmouth Dockyard where she can be visited today.

Comprehension Check