Large presence of Shakespeare

Shakespeare sits very large in our midst, huge and big centrally. We with all our creative pranks are only children trying to scale his laps, his back, his shoulders. We do pretend sometimes his absence sitting on his own shoulders and we proclaim also sometimes that we have outrun the Bard of Avon. We snob ourselves out with all sorts of badges, MODERN, POSTMODERN, POSTSTRUCTURAL, POST...this and that. No offence. It is our right. But universe itself has as it were connived to give us all lies at the end of day, if we are forgetting Shakespeare. But he sits cool, the Stage Bird, careless and casual in the centre big and vast. How else to react to this opening lines in A MIdsummer Night's Dream! -

'Theseus.-
What say you, Hermia? be advised, fair maid:
To you your father should be as a god;
One that composed your beauties; yea, and one
To whom you are but as a form in wax
By him imprinted and within his power
To leave the figure or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

Hermia.-
So is Lysander.

The.-
In himself he is;
But in this kind, wanting your father’s voice,
The other must be held the worthier.

Her.-
I would my father look’d but with my eyes.

The.-
Rather your eyes must with his judgement look.

Her.-
I do entreat your Grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold.
Nor how it may concern my modesty,
In such a presence here to plead my thoughts;
But I beseech your Grace that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.'

***