Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare
I will halt for now my annual Shakespeare block here having just completed King Lear, As You Like It, Macbeth and Twelfth Night. That Shakespeare guy sure is pretty good at exploring human emotions of every sort isn't he?
One reason I have enjoyed a "block" is because it took me a while to get back into his flow of language that doesn't exist before I felt I was settled in and at home. I pick a mix of comedy and tragedies alternating back and forth perhaps to balance both pessimism and optimism. A friend this week said at a gathering that shorting stocks was useful in being better ag gauging risks and uncertainties on the long side.... Maybe such is also true with Shakespeare - or maybe I am reading too much into it all.
Macbeth
William Shakespeare
There is so much to possibly study in Macbeth but what I kept thinking about was the tightly coupled circumstances that followed once Macbeth takes the first step when killing Duncan. So much falls apart as Macbeth - a somewhat neutral if not at bare minimally conflicted character - goes against his own integrity. One big blow to his integrity through the act of murder leads everything to collapse... Or far worse... He brings the death of many and indirectly through the fighting.
King Lear
William Shakespeare
As one observer suggested, King Lear is a story of absolutely zero respite. The circumstances continually get worse until the most bitterest of ends. Just when you think the ironic tragedy must certainly have been thoroughly explored Shakepeare drives further. Lear is both King and fool, announcing his retirement of sorts (though never coming to grips or acting in sync with such) and establishing the division of his kingdom to his three daughters in exchange for their declaration of intense love of him...
The first two daughters go along with the charade he creates and do profess their love. The third daughter Cordelia calls it for what its worth and refuses to participate. It just gets dreadful from that moment on. In real life, the phrase "this too shall pass" recognizes that intensity of emotions both good and bad have difficulty sustaining. Lear is a portrait where intense negative emotions are allowed to maintain and devour the title character -- as well as nearly everyone else along the way.
As You Like It
William Shakespeare
Well, this was a welcome whimsical folly on the heels of having finished King Lear two weeks ago! If in Lear nothing ever gets a single iota better, in As You Like It the female lead Rosalind is never in doubt. What clever little twists that have Rosalind disguised as a male Ganymede who than performs a role play as Rosalind -- just sensational... And we wind up with four weddings in the end. :)