ajamaya

Written near the very end of Shakespeare's run, this is a mature work from a mature writer. It has elements that are oddly light and somewhat comical but it's not quite a comedy. It's not a tragedy either. I think it's more a fairy tale about forgiveness late in life and magically being granted a second chance. This is wish-fulfillment from a writer who must have experienced a lot of personal pain. It's also the most heartfelt and insightful depiction of love and relationships that I've seen in the Shakespeare plays. The tragedies don't have room for love and the comedies are just too simplistic and farcical to show any real insight (e.g. Much Ado About Nothing is charming but is exactly what the title professes). And don't even think about mentioning Romeo & Juliet; puppy love between a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old hardly qualifies as insightful. There's just something so sad about this fantasy. Even as beautiful, wonderfully uplifting events are occurring one senses a deep pain and regret from Shakespeare himself; the events depicted are just too beautiful, the forgiveness too perfect for such a thing to ever happen in the real world. The joy of this fictional world only underscores the pain and heartache and regret of the real world. Shakespeare's wish-fulfillment fantasy is glorious and devastating all at the same time. ps - I highly recommend the Signet Classics editions of all Shakespeare plays.

2023-08-02 18:55