Soliloquy with Shakespeare

By Vladimír Holan

Vladimir Holan esteemed Shakespeare as the greatest poet of all time and wrote this soliloquy as a dignified tribute to the genius of the Bard of Avon. As in all Holan's writings, love, sex, religion, fear and death form the constant thematic make-up of this soliloquy. His clever allegory, which he often repeats, as if to reinforce its impact, and the prolific use of the double entendr and Shakespearean-style impertinence are absolutely fascinating. A Night with Hamlet is Holan at his best - "chatting" away to Hamlet. Then, after a long verse about fear, he introduces the conversation between Orpheus and Eurydice, when Eurydice - contrary to Greek mythology - is allowed to join Orpheus, as if some hope for life and love still remained. Alas, not for long, because the Stygian soliloquy soon returns. Holan refers to A Night with Ophelia as a "fragment", which makes us wonder whether he ever intended to finish this work, or whether he always wanted it to be just that - a fragment. We shall never know.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1845498674
• ISBN13: 9781845498672
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Arima Publishing
• Length: 72 Pages
• Weight: 0.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.5" x 8.5"