#6 - Grass is Greener, Richard II & Sonnet 15

Richard II Blog – Grass is Greener

Sonnet 15 describes the fleeting perfection of life, “holds in perfection but a little moment”, and the innate desire to live despite its impermanence. It describes, the world taking away from youth coming closer to expiry, and concludes “I engraft you new” which will, in its own way, sustain something that is technically unsustainable. This preservation in the form of writing is precisely what we can call history. Shakespeare has embodied the engrafted through his history plays which preserve the encapsulation of his society, people, and politic.

He has found solidity within the world’s instability, but most importantly the importance of living a fulfilling life and not one we see will play out in Richard II:

“Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,

And wear their brave state out of memory;”

While time is decaying, Richard II is decaying himself and the realm with it.

In Richard II, everyone is longing for something else, someone else’s (fill in blank), or something that is not there. No one is truly content. From the beginning, Richard has banished his own cousin Bolingbroke out of sheer jealousy. This type of illegitimate and weak-minded decisions rots his kingship and engulfs his politic with personal desires (body). By allowing his own desire for control come before his own subjects he loses the people’s trust in him and ultimately leads himself to his death. Bolingbroke/Henry IV fills in this space by catering to the needs of the common people, gaining him kingship that is created by legitimacy over birthright. Bolingbroke, at a time, actually desires not only for kingship but also for Richard’s death. When Richard takes money to finance a war in Ireland, we see he has completely disowned any sort of desire for a good society, instead only his own immediate, fleeting, needs. Which raises important and rebellious political questions and promotes a focus upon capability rather than inheritance where they become kinged strictly by tradition rather than actual desire to rule.  John of Gaunt’s comparison to the tending of the garden reveals the work that is entailed, he curses Richard on Gaunt’s own desire for good politic. The people desire this good politic as well.

The microcosm speech in the prison in Act V.4 at Pomfret Castle cell metaphorically parallels the isolated feeling that Richard is experiencing due to his previous actions. He reflections on the dissatisfaction of everyone:

 “Thus play I in one person many people, and none contented.”

His inhibited thoughts are at war with his desires. He feels the tear between his individuality “I” and his Kinged “I.”  In the end, he concludes, “Til nothing shall be pleased Til eased with being nothing.” Exton murders him, and now Henry IV is to lead, but we will see that his desires will get in the way as well. Though his desire is fulfilled as king, he now has to live/act in the way he promised. 

#5

How far should one take their individual desires?

Society as a whole is only reestablished after both Romeo and Juliet, the individualists, are dead. However, this new reestablishment is more stable than before in that it the feuding between the Capulets and Monteguts have been put aside. The individuals that fought out for what they believe in made a change in the way society was run. Did they ‘win’?, They could only find what the wanted when it was too late, but it did however make a shift in the way the society would work there on out. Love was the way they individuated themselves from the confines of society. One’s freedom will always outweigh anything else. In Albert Camus’s Notebooks he notes, “In ancient drama, the one who pays is always the one who is right—Prometheus, Oedipus, Orestes, etc.”
Romeo wants love. Juliet wants love. This desire will withstand all—tromping family, disobeying society, and without it, the only other option is not live at all. Is it better to follow one’s individual desires even if their family and their community/society says it is wrong? How far can one’s own gut or desires be trusted?

Along with this deep-set desire in Romeo, we also see the death of a former desire for a new one in the Chorus: “now old desire doth in his deathbed lie…” in replacement for “young affection gapes to be his heir” which presents his new love for Juliet over his affection to Rosaline. One desire has replaced another.  While his love for Juliet is said to be stronger, this swift switch raises questions of temporary versus permanence in desire – how can one trust them?

Friar Lawrence is an important weighted figure in the play. He also goes against these manmade rules, seemingly not for himself, for Romeo and Juliet though his true intentions seem to be a little unclear. He is the dominating religious figure who marries them, but also who, whether indirectly or directly, brings them to their demise by staging the poison. The friar desires to do what is ‘right’ in his eyes along with quell the problems in Verona.

Though the story uses love as its variable, it has much more to do with forbidden or individual wants than marriage or young/first love. Author Andre Gide, is quoted “The great danger is to let oneself be monopolized by a fixed idea.”

Shakespeare shows that the framework of society should constantly be questioned; constantly open, and that change can be a good and necessary agent.

#3 For the Love of Money

“Do all men kill the things they do not love?” IV.I.66

In Merchant of Venice, the desire for materialism (is back again!) presents itself entangled among other desires, but this time it’s slightly more complicated. The play starts off with longing, through Antonio’s unhappiness: “In sooth know not why I am so sad,” but “my merchandise makes me not sad. I.I. 45.” Antonio has wealth (material), but is lacking something he desires on another level – love (emotional). His self-pity and depressive characteristics are put aside when Bassanio, in desperate need of money, comes to him for a loan. Antonio has an ambiguous connection with Bassanio that is so strong he is willing to risk a pound of his own flesh for him to retrieve the money, showing the value the character sets on relationships. But! Antonio will only loan Bassanio money if he pursues it for the Love for Portia, not just for her family wealth. In this way, Antonio’s character is representing emotional over superficial possessions.

Thickening the plot, Antonio is anti-Semitic, conflicting drastically with the Jewish Shylock that raises desire differences within and between religions. The play goes further to reveal a stereotype of the Christian characters (Antonio) valuing relationships through love and reoccurring theme of marriage, while the Jewish (Shylock) valuing material wealth. Antonio’s hassling of Shylock over his Judaism inflicts in Shylock a deep burning desire beyond wealth-- revenge. Here we see Shakespeare presenting desires in their ‘negative’ connotation. Despite risk of his own life, Antonio is willing to stick by the law or ‘justice’ of his deal with Shylock to give away a pound of his flesh. When Antonio is offered his share of the money in the end, his only wish is that Shylock converts to Christianity and that his will entitles Lorenzo and Jessica to his estate. This, religion and relationships, to him is more important than material wealth. Shylock constantly mentions mistreatment because of his religion – revenge particularly in the dialogue about Jews being humans.

Love and/or marriage is presented in The Merchant of Venice through the two women, Portia and Jessica, who each end up happily with their men. But both have placed such a high value upon their desire for the materialistic symbolism of a ring to signify their love. This desire complicates the pure love they have into something more societal influenced and tangible. These societal expectations versus one’s individual desires will be looked at more in depth in Romeo & Juliet. Love is beginning to appear as a social construct beyond just a ‘pure’ romantic relationship, even though we are still left with the cliché ‘happy ending’. The women’s desire for this material ring is so strong they use a manipulative advantage to trick Bassanio and Gratiano into breaking their promise and surrendering their rings out of some weird control static.: “I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring, Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.”

The longing for love is very prominent throughout the story, furthermore the forbidden love story between Lorenzo and Jessica, despite her marriage boundaries (casket game) set by Shylock they are determined to make the love for each other work. In the end, Antonio’s ships turn out to be ok and his fortune secured, but his emotional discontent prevails.

Desire Can Be Funny

Desire finds itself wound up in The Comedy of Errors in ways just as confusing to the characters themselves. Desire is derived in several forms: material, sexual, romantic, and the longing for family. These forms ultimately can be divided between two categories:  superficial and emotional. Furthermore, this duality can be transferred to the play as a whole. The Comedy of Errors in fact thrives in this contrast. The play is both a light-hearted comedy on the surface look, but within it is entangled with topics of slavery, execution, hierarchy, marriage/gender issues, and societal issues as well as roles. Shakespeare dances along the line between the two rendering him the ability to capture life’s complexity and uncertainty. The dueling desires ultimately reveal that a person must choose only one, between the superficial or emotional at a time. As, Antipholus of Syracuse says to Dromio:
 "You would all this time have proved, there is no time for all things." 2.1.100. 

Types of Desires in The Comedy of Errors

·      Romantic: This would fall under the OED’s “longing, craving; a particular instance of this feeling, a wish” (the definition alone is a bit romantic). Adriana is endowed with her husband despite his ‘misbehavior.’ She bails him out of jail even though she questions his fidelity after he has pleaded his love to her sister. Adriana desires nothing more than for her husband to be returned by her side.  

Adriana - “and therefore let me have him home with me”

Abbess: “be patient, for I will not let him stir.” (5.1.101-102)

·      Sexual: “physical or sensual appetite; lust.” While Antipholus of Syracuse is lusting over Luciana, contrastingly, the absent of desire is shown. Dromio of Syracuse and Antipholus of Syracuse mock Dromio of E’s wife, aka his “fat marriage.” He begins saying “I could find countries in her” and continues on to describe all of the different locations of them on her “globe-shaped” body.

·      Family: The topic of family fits with the OED definition of “longing for something lost or missed.” Egeon, Antipholus of Syracuse, and Emilia are all desperately seeking to be reunited with their family (the lost/missed). Egeon’s desire to be together with his family is so strong that even the possibility of his own death will not sway him. This desire is so strong

o   Antipholus describes this longing to find his twin as such:

“I to the world am like a drop of water

that in the ocean seeks another drop

who falling there to find his fellow forth,

unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself 1.2. 35-36.

·      Materialistic: “that feeling or emotion which is directed to the attainment or possession of some object from which pleasure or satisfaction is expected.” The gold chain is used in the play as a gift to please Adriana, but furthermore symbolizing the possessiveness in material assets. This occurs mainly as a negative aspect in the story – causing confusion amongst the characters and sending an innocent Antipholus and Angelo to jail. The power of this object over the people themselves is so strong it is enough to pardon Egeon of death. Money arises also in Egeon’s death based on his 1000 mark ransom from the Duke, who is bound himself by the ‘law’ or superficial restrictions despite having sympathy for Egeon.

While these desires for materialistic, sexual, family, and romantic are still longed for today, one important aspect that reoccurs in conversation throughout the story is the importance of having patience. This plays a large component to the attainment of desire within the play. In the modern world, we celebrate (even strive for) an immediate fix to our desires and longing (see McDonalds, IPhones, etc). Everything must be immediate gratification.

In The Comedy of Errors the characters are unconcerned with the restrictions of this time or immediacy that seems so ever bound to us today. To them, one’s desire, even if it has been searching for a long time, day seems limitless and has the power to transform all of their lives.

Examples of Patience:

Adriana To Luciana about Antipholus of Ephesus’s return:

“patience unmoved! No marvel though she pause;

they can be meek that have no other cause.”

“With urging helpless patience would relieve me,

But if thou live to see like right bereft,

This fool-begged patience in thee will be left.” (2.1.32-41)

Each character's wants become entangled with one another, both causing and relieving problems. Adriana wants her husband home for dinner with no exceptions; this results with the wrong Antipholus to go along with her unyielding desire he does not know how to counteract. When the confusion of paying for the gold chain arises, no one cares about whom it should belong to, only that it is paid for. When Antipholus is offered such goods, he doesn’t question the right or wrong of the matter, but accepts it without thinking of consequences. Money and superficiality tromps truth.

The play concurs with everything in its place, showing the necessity of all of these entwined desires.

Leaving the final line:

“we came into the world like brother and brother;

And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.”