TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA

- A. J. Cronian

“That is life…to begin again when everything is lost!”

Introduction

A. J. Cronian was born in 1896 and he was a medical practitioner in Wales and London.
When he was recovering from an illness, he landed up writing his first novel ‘Hatter’s Castle’. He
instantly became popular with this novel. So, he decided to give up the medical profession and took
up writing as a full time career. ‘The Spanish Gardener’ is one of his notable works.

Two young brothers

The narrator is driving through the foothills of the Alps along with his companion. While
driving on the outskirts of Verona, two young boys who sell wild strawberries stop their car. The
small boys appear to be quite shabby and the driver is not keen on buying strawberries from them.
Then the narrator’s companion gets to know that the boys are brothers. The elder one aged 13 is
Nicola, and the younger brother, aged 12, is Jacopo. The narrator and his companion buy the biggest
basket of strawberries from the boys and go towards the city.

Multiple task for life

The next morning, they again see the same two boys doing the shoe shinning job and on
being asked, they say that they do many things for a living. They also tell the narrator asks them to
take them to Juliet’s tomb. During the time of their stay in the town, the two young boys turn out to
be very helpful to the visitors. The boys are found with a bundle of unsold newspaper and are ready
to sell them when the last bus arrived one night. The narrator then talks to them and asks them why
they are working so hard. He also told them that they seem to fetch sufficient money, so why were
they not spending anything on clothes and food. Nicola tells him that they had something in their
minds but he does not elaborate.

Narrator’s Favour

Jacob then requests the narrator to drop them in his car to the village polenta that is around 30
kilometres away. He requests him and says that it would be a great favour. Although, Nicola does
not like the fact that his brother is troubling the narrator. But the narrator gladly agrees to help the
boys with reaching that place. So, the next afternoon, he along with his companion drives to the
village. After dropping them, the small boys enter a large red-roofed villa, which is actually a
hospital.

Secret Feelings

The narrator hesitates to enter the hospital room. He tries to find out from the nurse about the
girl in the hospital and the boys. Later, the nurse him that Lucia is the sister of these two boys and is
suffering from tuberculosis. She also mentions that a bomb destroyed their home during the war.
And even their father, a widower, had got killed during the early part of the war. When he died, his
three children were left to starve. She told narrator that the boys also started hating the Germans
who came to rule the city and even became a part of the resistance movement. Once the war was
over, Lucia got afflicted with tuberculosis and the boys had to admit her to the hospital. So, they
have been trying their best to make the payments regularly to the hospital.

Conclusion

The narrator waited outside the room. He did not say anything to the boys on their way back in
order to give the impression that they did not know about their secret.

“Above all else …stay positive”

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

- William Shakespeare

“Shakespeare was not of an age; but of all ages

Shakespeare was one of the greatest men of genius. He has been a great playwright and poet
of his era. He is known for the realism of his writing and he is world’s immortal poet. The
characters have a permanent hold of the human kind. Some of his famous works are Hamlet.
Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, Tempest etc., The poem All the World’s a stage are taken from the
play “As you like It”. And this poem is a monologue by Jacques, a character in the play.

All the world is a stage

The poem’s theme is that man is the ultimate loser in the game of life. It says profound truths
of life which are applicable to all walks of human life. The poem tells that the world is a great
theatre. Men and women play their different roles and every player plays seven roles during his life.
They have their own entrance as birth and exit as death. Every player plays seven roles during his
life.

“All the men and women merely players"

Infant and School boy

The first stage is that of an infant when he is a helpless child in his mother’s arms. He merely
pukes in the nurse’s arms. In the second role, he is child who goes to school unwillingly. He creeps
slowly and reluctantly with his school bag. The man keeps on losing one quality and blessing while
qualifying for another one.

“And shinning like morning face, creeping like snail”

Love and Soldier’s stage

The third stage brings us the lover who sings woeful ballads for his beloved. In the youthful
age when man is full of energy and might, he may do everything to please his beloved. Even the
shift of life, filled with merry making and joyous songs. The next stage Soldier, here man seeks
fame though it is temporary and short loved. He utters strong oaths and has a beard as hard as
leopard. He is prepared to risk his life and face guns of his enemy. But it is nothing more than a
bubble.

“Seeking the bubble reputation”

Justice and Manhood

Fifthly, he is a middle aged man and has a round belly. He cites modern instances and looks
sternly. His speech is full of wise sayings and maxims. And the next stage is of advanced manhood.
He is weak and lean. He wears spectacles on his nose and a pouch by his side. His voice is not clear
due to loss of teeth. He feels that the theatre is too big and wide for his small body.

“That ends this strange eventful history”

Conclusion

In the last stage, the condition of man becomes very miserable. Now he has grown very old
and weak. The stage makes a man to forget everything. It’s a second childhood for a man.
Shakespeare wishes to make us realize that the short life we so end in this world is not worth it if we
have a close observation of it.

“Life is nothing more than a shadow. So, spend it bravely and eagerly. Be not a passerby”