In Search of William Shakespeare...

[fajrdrako]

Since I was in Tudor mode, and since I still had the DVD out from the library, last night I watched In Search of Shakespeare, a four-hour miniseries hosted by Michael Wood.

I was enthralled.

Now, I always like the Michael Wood presentations. He blends of intelligent research, good writing and infectious enthusiasm, with a knack for visual interest and insights. Applying his technique to one of my favourite writers, and one of my favourite historical characters... it was irresistible, and I was transfixed for four hours.

When I was a history student in London, one person in my class was convinced that there was more information about Shakespeare to be found, if only someone could find it. That was 30 years ago, and I think people have found it - I wonder if one of them was my friend? There were various bits of information I didn't know - things that have been discovered recently, that either weren't in Will in the World or which I'd forgotten. Sometimes it was just fun to see the places I'd visited in England - Anne Hathaway's cottage, Mary Arden's house, the church in Stratford-on-Avon.

Sometimes what I liked was the way the show put different items together. For instance, when Shakespeare moved into a new lodging in London early in his writing career, it was casually mentioned that one of his neighbours was Richard Poley, the government spy. That put a chill up my back: I knew Poley was one of the men who killed Christopher Marlowe. Some of the plays were explained by pointing out their relevance to the time: Macbeth, for example, a play about the murder of a Scottish king, was written and performed for James I shortly after the Gunpowder Plot.

The central theme is the dilemma of Shakespeare's time, the politic knife-edge between Protestantism and Catholicism that everyone was caught up in - and Shakespeare more than most. Was Shakespeare a secret Catholic himself? We'll never know, but I think his central position in a religious war made him a believer in humanism. A cleric of the time wrote an open letter to "W.S." to persuade him that God was the proper subject of poetry and plays, not human love. Shakespeare then published Venus and Adonis, a tribute to the goddess of love.

I liked the way the sonnets were presented - by reading choice bits, then pointing out that this outpouring of love was addressed to a man. But I didn't understand the references to the identity of the young man who was the subject of the sonnets. Woods ties it to Wilton House , but why? Is he implying the subject of the sonnets was the Earl of Pembroke?

So it seems. A quick look at the Wikipedia entry clarifies:

Most of the sonnets are addressed to a beautiful young man, a rival poet, and a dark-haired lady. Readers of the sonnets today commonly refer to these characters as the Fair Lord, the Rival Poet, and the Dark Lady. The narrator expresses admiration for the Fair Lord's beauty, and later has an affair with the Dark Lady.

It is not known whether the poems and their characters are fiction or autobiographical. If they are autobiographical, the identities of the characters are open to debate. Some have suggested that the Fair Youth is the same person as the "Mr. W. H." referred to in the publisher's dedication, possibly William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, one of Shakespeare's patrons.

He does make a guess as to the identity of the Dark Lady of the sonnets - Emilia Bassano, daughter of a Venetian Jew resident in London. And shortly afterwards, Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice. Yet Wood concludes at the end of the show that Shakespeare truly loved his wife. I can't guess, either way; but if he did, it must be a case of absence making the heart grow fonder, since they lived apart for the greater part of their lives.

There are many reasons to love Shakespeare, but what I love most is his ability to write about those who would be outsiders, and show their humanity.

Comments

[acampbell.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard of this one, either! I'm putting in a purchase request for it at the library right away.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I confess, I've been fantasizing about buying it. I'm sure it's beyond my price range, but I'd love to own it. One of these days!

[acampbell.livejournal.com]

I should have checked the catalog first! we already have it. I placed a hold.

I really liked that dramatization-series about Shakespeare with Tim Curry as the Bard. But I don't think that's available on DVD.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Let me know what you think when you see it!

Now, what's this about a dramatization with Tim Curry? That sounds great! What was it called?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Okay, I found it on IMDB - what a wonderful site that it. Life of Shakespeare (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075526/). I didn't even know about it.

Thank you for telling me!

No, it's not on DVD. Whimper.