Will We Ever Truly Escape Shakespeare?

8:00 AM - WALLACE 103 - 10/20/2015

The morning was bleak. We were twenty-four hours back from Fall Break, and depression was setting in. Yes, we had three days of "rest and relaxation," but did we really have three more quarters? Some of us mourned the fiesta; others wondered what could be discussed in class now that Brett's promiscuity had been dissected so thoroughly. As usual, chatter filled the air. 

Then Ms. Lemon said that magic word...Shakespeare.

Splitting into groups, we read Act I Scene I of Measure to Measure and discussed the scene's language and content. Ms. Lemon shared with us a behind-the-scenes clip from a New York production of Measure to Measure set in the 1970s, which offered a glimpse into the creative possibilities different directors can explore when adapting such a play. Finally, we read James Richardson's "In Shakespeare," which comments on the truly ridiculous nature of many of Shakespeare's greatest works. Women turn into asses, heroes are tormented by spirits, and men much too hastily marry boys women. Sarcastically, Richardson states, "it's all so realistic/ I can't stand it," (14-15). Lastly, he states his relief that while Shakespeare's characters are often frenzied, naive, and deeply troubled, we the reader are nothing of the sort, never staggering "through an Act that just will not end," (24). We all know that statement is anything but accurate. 

Walking out of the classroom, I only had one question lingering in my mind: can we ever truly escape Shakespeare?

To be honest, I have always been quite a fan. At first, of course, we all must accept the fact that the beloved Elizabethan English must be navigated if we ever hope to understand its content. Luckily for those who are "Shakespearically" challenged, we do not have to read Shakespeare to know Shakespeare. Let me explain....

"To be, or not to be: that is the question."

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."

"Romeo, Romero! Wherefore art thou Romeo?"

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

These are among the most commonly recognized lines from Shakespeare (okay - maybe we only know that last one from She's the Man). When we hear these lines, we are aware that Shakespeare is being thrust upon us. However, upon doing a bit of research, Shakespeare is everywhere.

Thanks to our study of Twelfth Night freshman year, many of us are aware that the legendary film She's the Man is based upon Shakespeare's Illyrian shores. The 2001 film O is short for Othello, but you probably already knew that as well. Musical numbers were added and the Capulets and Montagues became the Sharks and Jets in West Side Story, among many other Romeo and Juliet inspired films. William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew helped to propel the genre of high school angst comedies in 10 Things I Hate About You. 

Not impressed? Pull up YouTube and read on.

Let's listen to some Eagles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H-Y7MAASkg

"Get Over It," the first track off of their 1994 "Hell Freezes Over" album, is about victimization and the need to get over anything that is holding you back without complaining along the way. The second verse contains the lines "The more I think about it, Old Bill was right. Let's kill all the lawyers, kill'em tonight." Don Henley directly quotes a line from Shakespeare's Henry VI. Now you can pull that fun fact out at your next social gathering. 

Not a fan of the Eagles? How about Bob Dylan? In his "Desolation Row," he cites both Romeo and Ophelia, along with other notable fictional characters. In his "Bye and Bye," Dylan states, "I'm not even acquainted with my own desires," a line strikingly similar to that in Act 1, Scene 3 of As You Like It.

Finally, no playlist is complete without the Beatles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r52ZBx0KMI

While producing the "I Am the Walrus" fadeout, one of the Beatles turned on the radio in the recording studio, only to catch a broadcast of King Lear. Listen to the song, and then listen to the outro. "Oh untimely death..." is one of the most distinguishable lines, but much more of the dialogue from Oswald's death scene can be heard when listening closely.

I will not begin to discuss the multiple allusions to Shakespeare woven into so many different Disney classics. Hint: look up The Lion King and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Hamlet is everywhere! I do wonder, however, what it is about Shakespearean storylines that seem to permeate throughout our minds. With so little time and so many words, why would songwriters choose those of Shakespeare for their masterpieces? Why take the time to reimagine a 16th century story when a film producer could simply create his or her own? With only eight short semesters worth of high school English, why take the time to read so many works of
Mr. William Shakespeare? 

Ms. Lemon...your move.