In the immediate aftermath of Stan Lee’s untimely passing last year, Real Time host Bill Maher wrote a blog post that decried America’s fascination with comics and superhero movies. In a pseudo-edgy tone, he somehow connected the visual arts to Donald Trump for, you know, reasons. When the backlash hit from the industry and fandom, he managed to double down by feeling sorry for people who like escapism and a decent amount of action in their entertainment. Even more importantly, he managed to twist a well-meaning letter by POW! Entertainment into a pointless aside on how Americans make childish comparisons between the popular entertainment of today and works like those of William Shakespeare.
He is certainly entitled to his opinions, but not his own facts. With this in mind, I want to take you on a journey into the past. We’ll explore William Shakespeare’s intriguing stories, world history, and how the works that we enjoy today are an extension of his revolutionary legacy.
Let’s begin with a question.
Who Did Shakespeare Write For?
In order to understand The Bard, it’s important to grasp the world in which he lived. William became an actor and playwright in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It goes without saying that England was quite different at the time.
Modern Capitalism was over a century away, there was a massive aristocracy, and many people fell into an economic strata that we would now characterize as the working poor. Being the genius that he was, Shakespeare knew that he had to please the nobles, but he also had to reach many people who lacked a formal education. In fact, most of his audience probably couldn’t read or write!
In other words, he became one of the great popular entertainers of his day. Let’s take a deeper look by examining one of his finest romances: Romeo & Juliet.
One of the reasons why Shakespeare stands the test of time is his stunning simplicity. In Romeo & Juliet, he tells the story of warring houses who have gotten to the point where they’re brawling on the streets of Italy. Still, Romeo meets Juliet at a ball, and they fall for one another. They know that they’re supposed to hate each other, but their mutual attraction overtakes their feelings about the blood feud until it catches up with them. And of course, their love affair ends in tragedy.
Now, let’s consider Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. In a different set-up, they meet in Gotham during Batman’s war on crime. They’re probably supposed to despise each other because, well, she’s a thief and he’s the Batman. However, they wind up falling for one another many times over.
The only real difference is that their love story doesn’t really end in tragedy because DC needs to produce more Batman comics and movies!
Did We Forget About The Jokes?
Many of Shakespeare’s works are simple meditations on power, corruption, and the nature of good and evil. There are plenty of dark scenes and tragic moments, which portrays his exploration of the dark side of the human condition. However, it’s easy to forget that the backstabbing is balanced out with something that you might have missed because of the passage of time.
To put it simply, Shakespeare’s plays are positively filthy.
Consider the very title of Much Ado About Nothing, which has three meanings. As we all know, nothing implies that the characters are blowing virtually meaningless things out of proportion. On another level, noting was often pronounced as nothing in Shakespeare’s time, which refers to gossip or eavesdropping. But the sauciest pun of all lies in the idea that one could also say no-thing, which was a slang term for vagina.
That’s right. Shakespeare hid a double entendre in plain sight.
Don’t believe me? The same wordplay is in Hamlet!
HAMLET: Lady, shall I lie in your lap?
OPHELIA: No, my lord.
HAMLET: I mean, my head upon your lap?
OPHELIA: Ay, my lord.
HAMLET: Do you think I meant country matters?
OPHELIA: I think nothing, my lord.
HAMLET: That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.
OPHELIA: What is, my lord?
HAMLET: Nothing.
Hamlet, Act III, Scene 2
By the way, there’s yet another pun in this patch of dialogue that illustrates the point. Try to find it!
Okay, Shakespeare knew how to get laughs, but how does that translate into modern entertainment? Well, consider virtually any comedy, dramedy, or stand-up act on the market today! If there are euphemisms or metaphors in the script, it’s a good bet that you’ll be able to trace its lineage back to that absolute madman from Elizabethan England!
What’s The Point Of It All?
Bill Maher seems to think that our society has regressed because people like escapism, action, and funny one-liners. However, an examination of history shows us that we’ve almost always been like that. Whether it’s Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, or the superheroes of today, we should revel in and enjoy the evolution of the media that we love so much.
After all, the characters and settings may change, but the underlying principles will last forever.
But Wait, There’s More!
Before I let you go, I want you to savor something else. William Shakespeare may be responsible for all of those jokes about your mom.
CHIRON: Thou hast undone our mother.
Titus Andronicus, Act IV, Scene 2
AARON: Villain, I have done thy mother.
It really puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?
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