Shakespeare on our humanity and more

By Noralyn Dudt

"MUCH ADO about nothing" I can almost hear William Shakespeare uttering the phrase as I attempt to write about him and his plays. But before I go on, let me say a bit about the play  "Much ado about nothing." It's a light-hearted comedy that was probably  written in 1598 and 1599—a smart  guess that was  obtained from written records indicating that the play was premiered in 1600.  The play is laden with humor but  darker themes of dishonor, death and deceit run beneath that humor. The word  "ado" is synonymous to a heightened concern, worry or excitement that is unnecessary or greater than the situation. It's basically fussing about something inconsequential. The following paragraphs however are not about "nothing" at all. There are numerous lessons to be learned from Shakespeare's writings.

William Shakespeare known as the 'Bard of Avon' in his lifetime, was a poet, a playwright, and an actor. Although it has been over 400 years since he left our earthly abode, his works live on:  his plays still played in theaters around the world, his poems are still taught in schools, and his literary genius still discussed among the literati.  As his plays deal with universal themes,  the characters are relatable to all of us, teaching us about ourselves and our humanity. Four centuries have gone but  his work remains relevant. The thousands of words that he invented  are still in use in everyday English. Words like lonely, dwindle, frugal;  phrases like "breaking the ice," "having a heart of gold," "a wild goose chase" are very much so "at home" with us, never imagining that these words and phrases are not 'modern' lingo.

In his plays, William Shakespeare captured the best and worst of the leaders and leadership of the Elizabethan period.  From the dangers and out-of-control ambition in MACBETH to the power of an inspirational speech in HENRY V, and from the pitfalls of procrastination in HAMLET to the value of building a consensus  in JULIUS CAESAR, his characters demonstrate strategies that work as well today as they did 400 years ago.

Let's explore these lasting lessons and make ado about them:

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players. They have their exits and their entrances."  Time and time again, his plays remind us that no matter how great the leader,  his tenure is only temporary. Yet too often, those leaders fail to ensure a smooth handover of power. They cling on to power as if there's no other life.  They do not seem to recognize that there is no shame in admitting  their job is done. Real power sometimes lies in letting go.  But power is an aphrodisiac for some, an addiction for many. Rome was plunged into civil war because there was no pre-arranged Plan B after Julius Caesar fell. Shakespeare's Julius Caesar was a military and political leader who has begun to believe his own publicity. He claimed he is 'constant as the northern star' and his success  makes him think his decision-making is infallible. His failure to listen to his Senate peers, his wife, a soothsayer and others, proves fatal in the end.  Similarly, King Lear pays a bloody price for leaving his kingdom in the hands of his two devious daughters.

Leadership lesson:  ultimately,  it must be a leader's mission to leave his country or organization in a better position than when he found it. That means keeping an eye on the long term and identifying the right talent to lead in the future. In many of his work,  Shakespeare implies that a leader who wants to be followed or listened to, must set an example. Setting an example," walking the talk" as they say, is a way to instill confidence in the people who you want to lead,  confidence that would naturally lead them to trust and follow your lead.

In presenting the figure of its heroic yet ruthless protagonist, Henry V,  Shakespeare's predominant concern is the nature of leadership and its relationship to morality. The play proposes that the qualities that define a good ruler are not necessarily the same qualities that define a good person. A saintly person may not always be an effective  leader, and the effective leader may not be the "saintly" person that we might prefer.

 

"Small to greater matters must give way." O it is excellent to have a giant's strength but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant."

The more power a person has,  the more corrupt he becomes, and the harder it is to maintain. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." In Macbeth, Shakespeare portrays power as alluring, but also dangerous and destructive when obtained through ruthless and immoral means. Macbeth's initial ambition for power leads him down a dark path of murder, deception,  and tyranny,  causing him to lose touch with his own humanity and morality.

The play "Hamlet" is widely considered as Shakespeare's best play. Here, Shakespeare turns philosophical; he asks vital questions about the nature of human beings. Hamlet seems to be paralyzed by all of his over-thinking and has a difficult time figuring out which way to turn.  While the play showcases the struggles of the Danish royals, what Shakespeare has really written about are the core elements that drive all of us : grief, betrayal, love ( or the lack thereof) and family. Thus, Hamlet remains one of the most famous plays because it taps into universal experiences that are not confined to one culture or time period. It touches on well-known events that many people are familiar with: the death of a parent, a new father or mother, betrayal by relatives and friends.

In Shakespeare's Henry V play, King Henry's speech captures the sense of comradeship and patriotism which binds the men together on the field of battle. The real, historical Battle of Agincourt bears this out: it is thought that Henry's forces numbered around 5,000 men, while the French army numbered 30,000, although some estimates are as high as 100,000 men. Very much outnumbered, King Henry has to give his men a rousing speech. Shakespeare is so descriptive: …'for he to-day that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother...."

Old plays they are but so much we can learn from them—plays that delve into issues of love, loss, treachery, honor, tenderness, anger, despair, jealousy, contempt, fear, courage,  and wonder. They are issues in which  Shakespeare deftly used linguistic techniques to raise questions on morality, politics, war, wealth, and death. They speak to us today as well as they did to his audience over 400 years ago.

 

“Friends, Romans, countrymen,  lend me your ears."

A famous quote by William Shakespeare that lives on to this day.

 

Noralyn Onto Dudt whose published articles have been mainly about Covid-19, the vaccines, and historical narratives was wondering whether she could pull one off on such a famous figure like William Shakespeare. Reading through Shakespeare's plays can be like "climbing steep hills" but climb you can when you "go slow at first."