Quote of the Week...from William Shakespeare

This above all: to thine own self be true.      
                                    ---Polonius to his son Laertes, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Be true to yourself would be the commonly used modern-day version of this famous line...never before is it more important and applicable to people's lives.  In the beginning of the Shakespearian play Hamlet, the Danish usurper King Claudius' advisor Polonius is bidding farewell to his son Laertes, who is going off to study at Paris...and runs off a list of maxims designed to remind him how to behave around others while abroad.  This line seems to have stuck the most over the ensuing centuries, and why not: it is crucial that we stay true to our own conscience and respect our own ability to perceive and process information to the logical conclusions that they lead to instead of simply bending with the social and political winds around us and subverting our own integrity to the whims of others.  If others are espousing a narrative that I believe is either too narrow or false, then it does me no good to go on social media or in person and deliver my differences...they'd sooner die than to admit they were wrong and would only treat me as an enemy.  So I look around me, on social media and on television and see different narratives being pushed about different issues...one of these carries the mantras "necessary conversation" and "silence isn't an option" while its adherents ostracize and condemn anyone brazen enough to diverge from its politically correct line.  I see the essence of this particular narrative's main argument as being legitimate...although incomplete...but bringing up a bigger picture that puts it into a broader perspective would doubtless peg me as "tone deaf" and "insensitive" as I have seen done to others.  Seeing the risks involved in delving into this issue right now, I'll bide my time until heads around me are clearer...if that ever happens.  But I will in the meantime be true to myself and refrain from saying a lot of claptrap that sounds good but carries little meaning...

As for Shakespeare, I'm "reading" Hamlet right now...or more precisely, listening to an audio recording of a performance of it.  Although Shakespeare's plays are a standard staple in high school English class reading assignments, they are meant to be watched and listened to as the actors bring to life the often archaic language of four centuries ago.  I plan to watch as many of his works as possible in the next few months, and of course I'll be reporting about my reactions on this blog...