Epigram
25.04.2016
Arts
Editor: Mattie Brignal
Deputy Editor: Ed Grimble
Online Editor: Amy Stewart
arts@epigram.org.uk
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Bristol’s tribute to the Bard of Avon
To mark the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, Epigram explores why three of the Bard’s plays are as relevant and poignant today as they’ve ever been. King Lear, Adam Becket
The Tempest, Megan Warren-Lister Although contemporary societies are ostensibly removed periodically, culturally and geographically from the content of Shakespeare’s plays, what lends them their immortalised significance is the way in which they orbit around the central issue of the human condition. The various plots pirouette to reach unique ends, but each is an inquiry into what it means to be human; a perpetually relevant examination of human existence that is applicable across centuries and countries. Shakespeare’s cheap-junk ethereal island in The Tempest facilitates this sort of inquiry by acting as the ultimate simulacrum for power relations, a source of eternal human contestation.
of the civilised arts, this encounter with an unchangeable other in his life causes him to struggle. The flaws within Prospero’s character are not overcome until the final scene when he declares, ‘this thing of darkness I acknowledge mine.’ It is in this acceptance of such an intractably dark element of the self that the true value of The Tempest may be found. Recognition of one’s bestial self is far greater an achievement than aspiring to total control of ‘the material world’ and the mutual truce Prospero makes with Caliban is merely a metaphor for Prospero’s resignation from petulant persistent human battles for power. By both accepting the inevitable presence of bestial desires, and rejecting them, Prospero accepts himself, and is in turn able to forgive his enemies in deciding that ‘the rarer action is virtue than vengeance.’ At the close of the play, in relinquishing his art altogether and simultaneously accepting his mortality,
Flickr/ David Welch
Every time we used to listen, watch or recite the end of King Lear at college, my English teacher would cry. He could never cope with the depths to which the tragedy plunged, and neither can I. Not that I always cry, but there is barely a more upsetting sight than that of Lear emerging on stage with the corpse of his beloved Cordelia: ‘howl, howl, howl, howl!’ King Lear is a play about the awful truths of human nature, but also one of hope. Well, until that hope is brutally extinguished in Act V. It is still just as relevant today, 410 years on from its first performance; barely has a play or a playwright written about aspiration, tragedy, and grief in quite such a way. It is such a sad play that for much of its existence, from the late 17th to mid-19th centuries, a version rewritten by Nahum Tate, The History of King Lear, was performed - complete with happy ending. It was shit. Lear is not a play that needs a happy ending; its whole point is the crushing of hope and love through nature and the uncompromising awfulness of humanity. Am I selling it to you? It has a sub-plot that is just as good as its predominant plot, remarkably. Lear’s fall from grace is mirrored by Edgar’s, and the villain Edmund’s rise represents a new meritocratic world. Edmund also happens to be the sexiest character in Shakespeare. His soliloquy at the beginning of the play calls into question the whole nature of society, both then and now: ‘now Gods, stand up for bastards!’, he cries. The ruthlessness of nature is displayed, as both Lear and Edgar are left to the elements on the heath; Lear’s raging at the heavens is a sign of his authority slipping, but also of the unforgiving world in which we live. This also strikes a contemporary chord, as our world is threatened by climate change and natural disasters: ‘and thou all shaking thunder, strike flat the thick rotundity o’ the world’, Lear wails into the storm. There are questions about our existence on this planet, as love does not triumph; good does not necessarily win over evil. Gloucester exemplifies this, the noble character who has his eyes plucked out by some of the most evil characters in Shakespeare (Regan and Cornwall), despite doing no wrong. His cry ‘like flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods; they kill us for their sport,’ has endured as an epithet interrogating life. King Lear makes you wonder what the point of it all really is, whether humanity is as good as it is made out to be and whether believing in a higher power or authority will get you anywhere. If you haven’t seen it, go and watch it this year. You won’t regret it. ‘I
have a journey, shortly to go: My master calls me, I must not say no.’
The Tempest’s protagonist Prospero engages on an appropriately tempestuous journey which sees him transformed from vengeful old man, proudly wielding his control of magic over others on the island, to humbled gentleman who is paradoxically wise to the affliction of an incurable lust for power. Barry Beck notes that The Tempest ‘can be seen as an allegory examining the growth of the human spirit.’ Most crucial to this allegory is an understanding of the relationship between Prospero and Caliban, a native ‘fish like’ creature enslaved by Prospero. It is more appropriate to see Caliban not as a character with autonomy, but instead as the embodiment of Prospero’s unconscious. Prospero refers to Caliban with such gross irreverence that the difficulty he initially has in accepting the existence of a perpetually bestial element in himself is illuminated. Having tried to bring every other aspect of his life into control through classical study
Prospero decides, ‘our revels now, are ended.’ By leaving his magic behind he is also leaving Caliban, he no longer needs imaginary representations because the archetype of the Freudian id within the ego, (represented by Caliban) has been integrated into himself. Ultimately, Shakespeare reminds us that acquisition of real power comes paradoxically when one departs from the unending quest of it, and in realising that all power that is significant can be found within oneself. The brilliance of The Tempest lies in it’s exploration of the rainbow palette of human emotion: featuring betrayals, proposals, jealousy, and magnanimity, Shakespeare weaves a tapestry of human experience into his shortest play with such skill that the watercolour of sentiment becomes tangible to everyone, anywhere.
Romeo and Juliet, Matilda Haymes Although a multitude of great writing has followed Shakespeare, his work remains as popular and relevant as it was 400 years ago. He is a monument of what the very essence of great literature should be and is still the pinnacle of the Western literary canon. Romeo and Juliet has become one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays and perhaps the most iconic love story in literature. It has defined the tragic love tale and in contemporary culture the couple still prevail as the idealistic example of true, boundless love. Love is a fixation in modern society, so the story of Romeo and Juliet symbolises many values that are still important today. Its long term cultural significance has made the play synonymous with a fated love; Juliet’s balcony in Verona is a very popular tourist attraction where many unmarried people touch Juliet’s statue as a good luck ritual in the hope of finding the love of their lives. The play remains such a popular example of romance, despite its tragic ending, because it is an inspiring romantic story where a couple’s love prevails despite their conflicting backgrounds. Modern adaptations such as West Side Story clearly exemplify that Romeo and Juliet’s situation is not exclusive to the 16th century. The various social expectations mean that this is still a believable and moving story when it is translated into the modern era. Shakespeare ensured the cultural legacy of his work by creating timeless themes and characters. Throughout Romeo and Juliet there is a clear theme of social difference that is still apparent in a contemporary society. Although rivalries similar to the Capulets and the Montagues certainly still exist today, this is not the most relatable difference in the play. The generation gap between Romeo and Juliet and the adults in the play is still a common occurrence today. Juliet’s parents disregard her desires and want to force her into an arranged marriage. The conflict that arises between Juliet’s wishes and her parents’ expectations is a common experience for a teenager in the modern age; younger readers can associate with Juliet’s struggle of being denied to act upon her own wishes. Romeo and Juliet is still so relevant today because we can identify with it so strongly. Shakespeare’s writing has maintained such popularity for the past 400 years because he predominantly wrote about the fundamental characteristics of humanity; his stories will never lose their cultural relevance because they explore ideas that are so deeply rooted in our collected human experience - and that is timeless.
WHAT WHO
Cao Fei Multimedia artist 1978 - present
Flickr: Ina Centaur
Cao Fei was born in Guangzhou, China in 1978. She received the Best Young Artist Award by Chinese Contemporary Art Award in 2006. Recognised as one of the most important in a generation of new artists from Mainland China, Cao Fei uses photography and video installations to create pieces that juxtapose virtual reality with elements of urban modern society. Her work compares a virtual utopia to a hyper-capitalistic reality in order to reveal the disillusionment of the younger generation in China.
Fei is captivated by ‘Second Life’, an online virtual world and it is very influential to her art. She is present in several of her works through her ‘Second Life’ avatar as both participant and observer. One of her most famous works, ‘Whose Utopia?’ (2006), examines the impact of economic growth on the individual. She interviewed factory employees extensively before creating a video project that looked at their dreams for life compared to their current situation.