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Since the dawn of time, humanity's essential need has been to know, to discover, to understand and to conquer. For all human fear lie in the unknown and in ignorance. Isn't that why death scares us so much? As the light of ‘the known’ increases, the darkness of the incomprehensible ‘feared’ disappears.
Therefore, humanity has evolved through knowledge, which is passed on through words. I believe that words are our greatest weapon, for they are sharper than any blade. A person who masters the art of words is not only a poet, but also a person who can bring the world within his soul to life, for others to see.
One of the greatest writers of all times is and forever will be William Shakespeare. Yet, beneath the surface of his acclaimed works lies a question worth exploring: Was Shakespeare a rebel? He is more famous than other artists and writers of his time not only because of his ingenuity, but also because of his courage to question the social and political norms and to speak his own mind, thus conveying his thoughts through beautiful pieces of art that will remain engraved in history.
Through his plays, not only did he criticize the society of his time and the ignorance and selfishness of humanity, but he also raised questions regarding equality and human rights.
For instance, in “The Merchant of Venice”, he accentuates the idea that women can also be strong and sharp in judgement through one of the main characters, Portia, who disguises herself as a lawyer to defend Antonio in court. She cleverly wins the trial and defeats Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who wanted to take his revenge on Antonio. Therefore, by crafting strong female characters, Shakespeare subtly challenges the limited roles assigned to women in his era, becoming a precursor of nowadays gender equality proponents.
Moreover, he claims that love should never be confined by social rules, conflicts and hierarchy, because love is blind and has no boundaries. As an example, I would like to remind you of one of his most famous plays, “Romeo and Juliet”. It tells the story of two young people from rival families who fall in love. Although they are not allowed to be together, they defy the social norms by secretly marrying. They also devise a clever plan in order to escape together. However, their plan fails and both of them take their own lives because they couldn’t bear the thought of living in the other’s absence. This tragic story highlights the power of love and loyalty, even against conflicts and hatred.
Shakespeare had both talent and creativity, but something else sets him apart from other writers. His bravery to express his thoughts and beliefs makes him an example of clear-mindedness, verticality, ambition and consistency.
He makes critical remarks regarding the historical environment of that time, cleverly shrouding his opinions in the fictional settings of his plays. For instance, in “King Lear”, Shakespeare critiques the rigid structures of monarchy and inheritance, exposing the flaws of absolute power and familial loyalty. King Lear divided his kingdom between his two elder daughters and banished the youngest one, for she refused to exaggerate her love for him. However, the elder daughters turned against him and treated him cruelly, thus he died of grief, making us question the consequences of pride and blind trust.
To conclude with, although Shakespeare lived hundreds of years ago, he is still present in our society through the work he left behind. When reading his plays, we read about ourselves, for they all speak about the human condition, expressing themes such as love, loyalty and friendship that will always be actual and valuable. Moreover, human flaws such as jealousy, envy, dishonesty, lies, backstabbing are also tackled conveying thus a very complex image of humanity with qualities and flaws that shall for every stay with us.
It is for all the above mentioned that Shakespeare was a rebel of his times, a playwright who dared to question human nature, accentuating our beliefs, shortcomings and eternal values.
His plays were his act of rebellion against an unfair society built upon ridiculous rules, thus finding in the art of narration a safe place to express his genuine point of view about the world and mankind.
Therefore, Shakespeare, not through a natural flow of the ephemeral into the void of oblivion, but through a continuous stirring of the eternity within his soul, managed to transform all of his experiences into a work of art that resonates eternally, beyond any realm that time could ever desecrate.
Giulia Ciobanu- 9A
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