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Position:Home>Philosophy> Do we ever read the real Shakespeare behind the veil of print?Question: Do we ever read the real Shakespeare behind the veil of print!? Because of problems in printing, the length of time before the plays were published, etc!., do we ever read the real Shakespeare!? Does this have a relationship with understanding the Bible!? Is the authors purpose all the matters!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Maybe or maybe not!. We shall never have certainty!. Any old book suffers the corruption of the medium, time, the transmission process, etc!. The purpose of the author matters but it's not all that matters!. Sometimes historical meanings arise around the work independent of the author's purpose!.Www@QuestionHome@Com The "real" Shakespeare was not intended for reading; at least not the plays!. The were intended for performance before the common people!. Nothing exalted, nothing with deep meaning!. Nothing hidden except the sexual allusions; obvious to this audience but not to modern people -- slang, particularly sexual, changes rapidly!. The modern equivalent to shakespearean plays would be soap operas and B-grade thrillers!.Www@QuestionHome@Com I beg to differ with Poppidad!. Shakespeare often found himself in a position to please the royal court and as well the groundlings!. This is apparent in many of his works!. His brilliance lies within his ability to do this and simultaneously poke fun of his 'audience'!. While I wouldn't call that a hidden agenda, perhaps a kind of resentment and a form of self-entertainment that would give pleasure to himself as well as to his audience!. That is not an agenda but rather a testament to his literary prowess!. Www@QuestionHome@Com I'd imagine that a bit of fear about the possibility of persecution affected the underlying art we find in Shakespeare's writing!. Wouldn't want to displease the royals, and such, as the case was in those days!. Regarding logistics of the age, I'd say the same inquiry could be made about many of the great authors who've descended upon us through the ages!. And, many of those works have been questioned thusly!. My personal opinion is that such deeper evaluation can be quite enlightening towards imparting a higher level of understanding!. (Your a good looking guy, BTW, Ron U)Www@QuestionHome@Com We have the same problem today, but is it a problem!? Shakespeare had no hidden agenda!. He did not have any great message beyond what is obvious!. Shakespeare tried to earn a living by writing plays!. In so doing he had to appeal to as large an audience as possible and alienate as few as possible!. Www@QuestionHome@Com |