By Carol Lucas
I admit to being passionate about William Shakespeare. I loved teaching his plays and tried to encourage my students to appreciate the scope of the author’s accomplishments for his time in history.
His approximately 38 plays (Royal Shakespeare Company) were written in blank verse, iambic pentameter, which promotes free flow of magical poetry. His range was wide and included comedies, tragedies, and histories. And they provided insight to life in the Elizabethan period; the same is true for today.
That, dear reader, is as much as I will bore you with the mechanics, except to say the man was a genius in evaluating the “condition” of man. In today’s society he might well be a psychiatrist who looks around and shakes his head.
For some reason, I began to wonder what Shakespeare would make of today’s situation, and the first quote that came to mind was from “Richard III,” “Now is the winter of our discontent.”
If Shakespeare bores you, I suggest you stop reading here because what follows builds upon that with quotes from his various scripts, proving how my man, “Bill” might view the world in 2025.
I came upon a quote from “Henry V” that I decided to explore: “Uneasy is the head that wears the crown.” Of course, dealing with a wannabe king today makes this pertinent.
While this implies that those charged with major responsibility carry a heavy burden that makes it difficult and creates anxiety, remember that royalty was established (Elizabeth I) and democracy was unknown.
AI also mentioned balancing personal desires with public duties. I have to think Mr. Shakespeare’s take on No. 47’s inability to do this might generate another play.
We use the phrase “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” today to indicate that things are what they are, no matter what name you give them. This comes from “Romeo and Juliet,” a tragedy about the fall of two houses, the Montagues and the Capulets. It is Juliet who cuts through the self-imposed importance to say that “who you are is unimportant.”
Need I say, “ICE” and all the chaos and shame that has produced?
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.” This is taken from “As You Like It,” and I am particularly taken by the latter line.
This reminds me of what I see happening to the Republican Party. There are those who are Reagan conservatives as opposed to those who are Trump MAGAs, and never the twain shall meet unless those real conservatives grow a set and come forward to take back their party. I have a great deal of respect for the likes of Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, and as of late, Rand Paul. The verdict is still out on MTG.
It is Juliet who says, “A plague on both your houses” as she lay dying. I have tried to convey many times that I can see the conservative side of some issues, despite being accused of having TDS. That is not to be confused with the MAGA credo, however. Regarding the Democratic response to much of what is happening, don’t be caught up in trivia and be dealt “too little, too late.”
I might add to that thought a line from “Julius Caesar” spoken by Cassius: “The fault, dear Brutus, lies not within the stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.” No Kings Day organizers certainly recognized this and put it to work. Kudos!
Just a bit more of the Bard, and I will dismiss the class.
It is in “The Merchant of Venice” that we find the phrase “a blinking idiot.” It is a colorful expression used to describe someone perceived as foolish or senseless. It’s akin to saying “a complete idiot” or “an utter fool,” emphasizing the degree of the person’s perceived lack of intelligence or awareness. The word “blinking” itself doesn’t refer to the physical act of blinking the eyes but is rather a mild expletive, possibly standing in for stronger language. But I digress.
And this: from “The Merry Wives of Windsor” comes the phrase “laughing stock.” This says that you are someone to be mocked and ridiculed by of all those around you.
Your call, dear reader, on both of these!
The main character in “Timon of Athens” is a wealthy and generous Athenian. The society in which he lives is corrupt – full of mean, selfish, and hypocritical people. Sound familiar? When he loses all his money, the friends to whom he has been so generous abandon him. He leaves the city and goes to live in the woods where he finds a crock of gold which he then uses to ruin his betrayers. Just a short lesson for two groups: those hypocritical people as well as the wealthy throwing around unlimited amounts, right, Elon?
In closing, I dedicate this piece to a former student to whom I often referred as “my other Bill.” He happens to enjoy the same birthday as Shakespeare, April 23, and is a successful journalist. He’s one of my many “kids” of whom I am so proud.
Class dismissed.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
