I have a new obsession.
His name is William Shakespeare, I think.
Wikipedia says that he was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. However, there is controversy (and apparently there has been for some time) that the man who wrote what we think of as the Shakespeare canon was not the man born in Stratford upon Avon, who acted in plays in London in the late 16th, early 17th centuries. Candidates suggested by their 'advocates' include the Earl of Oxford, Francis Bacon, the Earl of Derby and even Queen Elizabeth I. I am currently reading a book (one of many that I am reading on this topic) that is clearly in the man from Straford's camp, but is asserting he was a crypto-Catholic and is using circumstancial evidence to support his views.
I think I understand why I find this subject so interesting. I have always maintained that history is subjective and I believe historians would agree. We, as human beings, approach the world with very specific points of view and generally we examine the past with our point of view in mind.
Recently we were visiting with our friend Thomas up at our cottage and he asked if we thought Hannah would remember the experiences she was having at the time and recounted an experience from his childhood that he recalls as one of his earliest memories.
We all have early memories, but are they really the actual events that we are recalling or are they the events recreated with our current point of view in mind? I would argue, that, like the many educated scholars studying the works and life of Shakespeare, we are imprinting the past with our current opinions, beliefs and rose tinted glasses.
My memories of Robbie's childhood are a mix of guilt and pride. Guilty because I know how difficult it was for him to have a 'broken home' but full of pride because, well...I survived and so did he, and look at him today...bright, strong and ready to take on the world! Ask Robbie and he sees our 'time together' as damn near idyllic. He recounts the trips we took (the 35 pools we dunked in at La Quinta being one of them), the 'happy hour' dinners of cheap bar food and the goofy parties I threw for him (with a grocery bag standing in at the pinata) as some of his 'best memories'. I look at the life we have now and think, man, poor Robbie, he never had this...he never did that...and I can't believe I fed him in bars at age 4!!! If you were to record on tape our memories separately, you might be lead to believe he was not actually THE Robbie I took along for the ride.
That, I believe, is how history happens, and how even the most straightforward of stories can be retold again and again, but like a game of telephone, alter slightly over time to become something completely different.
I believe that Hannah will 'remember'.
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3 comments:
Hi Nicki -
Nice blog, and welcome to the obsession. I started as an actor and got the bug when reading how the Earl of Oxford had so many circumstances or experiences similar to those of Hamlet. I figured it was amazing that a guy like Oxford, so like the prince, actually lived in Shakespeare's time and yet I'd never heard of him. And I figured that if Oxford and Shakespeare must have known each other (if they weren't the same,i.e., if Shakespeare wasn't his pen name), given that so many of Shakespeare's contemporary sources (Golding, Lyly, Watson, etc.) were associated directly with Oxford. What finally got me was the idea that Oxford had written plays for Court and Blackfriars etc during the late 1570's and through the 1580's and then withdrew before "Shakespeare" the printed name appeared (without any prior writing paper trail).
Never mind that guy from Stratford, he was never identified as the writer until indirectly in the folio of 1623 and then a bit more directly in 1640.
Check out www.shakespearesmonument.com
I think the thing will be solved in the history department, not in the literature and drama dept. Not as much at stake.
All best, Hank Whittemore
I believe the saying goes "Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story", (or rather a good memory in this case)!
I totally agree our individual POV skews our memories, and thank goodness for that - I think there's also a lot going on at the neuron level in your brain - in terms of pattern development, repetition and association - that also tends to help when it come to selecting, creating, storing and over time, refining or vetting memories.
New obsessions are good for you Nicki - and it looks like you may have found a "foil" for your discussions on the topic is Hank here...
There is an interesting book called 'The Players'by Betram Fields that examines all of the candidates and the arguments for an against each of the candidates. It highlights the fact that Shakespeare the actor is not fully linked to the writings until the First Folio and goes over the descrepancies in the Stratford monument. It is very intriguing and I am enjoying the journey.
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