After
I watched the play, The Twelfth Night,
by William Shakespeare, I had an epiphany on life that people are not always
what they seem, and often true happiness is inextricably linked with seeking
sincerity and authenticity in one’s relationship with others and oneself. “Suburban”, by John Ciardi, “Ode to American
English” by Barbara Hamby and “The Cask of Amontillado” each explore this theme
– in vastly different ways. The Twelfth Night, while based on a love
triangle, provides a poignant tale of unrequited love that ultimately fails
because of a lack of authenticity and because of deception. Indeed, in my own life, when I am not
forthcoming with others about my feelings or when I am dishonest about myself
(perhaps even to myself), I suffer consequences, even if they are not as
dramatic as Furtunato’s demise or Viola’s shattered heart. Ultimately, perhaps,
my life more closely parallels Ciardi's flowerbed, and I hope eventually to
appreciate Hamby's enthusiasm for the special qualities of the American
identity. After seeing the play and reading these works, I am left wondering
what it means to be authentically me.
Barbara
Hamby’s “Ode to American English” and Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Night each explore what it means to be authentically
oneself. Hamby specifically adores all
things American and generally contemplates how languages and culture shapes
one’s concept of self. First, she
introduces how she is in love with “American English” and the entire culture
that it represents. She reminisces
romantically on curious American phrases, the citizens’ energetic modes of
thought, and America’s unique blend of heterogeneity and homogeneity. Further, she provides a distinctive contrast
with the language and culture of the English.
Shakespeare, an Englishman, similarly explores identity, but through the
prism of gender. In The Twelfth Night, Viola, a woman who disguises herself as a man,
Cesario, because of peculiar circumstances, eventually falls desperately in
love with a man who does not even know that she is available. She ultimately realizes that she will only be
happy if she is authentic about her identity.
Indeed, as long as she is in disguise, she can never be with her
beloved. Both Hamby and Shakespeare,
therefore, explore this theme of authenticity – that in order to be truly
happy, one must explore and eventually embrace one’s core, authentic
identity. After exploring these two
works of art, I have reflected on how I am honest to myself, ways in which I am
not honest, the benefits of living authentically and deliberately, and the
sacrifices of self-deception.
In
John Ciardi’s “Surburban,” a misunderstanding occurred in Ciardis’ neighbor’s
yard. The neighbor, Mrs. Friar, claims
that Ciardis’ dog deposited “a large repulsive object in [her] petunias.” Instead of Ciardis opposing her claim
(because he knows the truth that his dog is actually in Vermont with his son),
he agrees with her and apologizes.
Ciardis indeed wants to argue with Mrs. Friar, but he also realizes it
will likely lead to further problems.
Throughout The Twelfth Night,
I realized a similarity with Viola’s thought process when torn between her
heart and her head. In an intense scene,
Viola while pretending to be the man Cesario, longs to tell Orsino that she is
actually a girl. Her heart pines for
him, because she loves him and wants to be with him. However, in her thoughts,
she realizes that it would be a poor choice to tell him, because Orsino would
be astonished by her deception. Upon
reflection, I realized how both the play and the story explored struggling with
telling the truth. For myself, I believe
that sometimes telling the truth is inadvisable because it might hurt others,
and arguing often will not accomplish anything productive.
In
“The Cask of Amontillado”, by Edgar Allan Poe, the primary character,
Montresor, sends his servants away during the carnival season so that he can
implement his devious plan. He then
invites Furtunato, a man against whom he is homicidally seeking vengeance, to
his house for a “wine test”. Montresor
is duplicitous, charming Furtunato with a phony facade. He plies Furtunato with drinks until he is
drunk and takes him to his basement, chaining him to a wall while he
meticulously builds a new wall in which to encase him to die slowly, brick by
brick. Montresor’s revenge is exquisite,
but perverse. I was struck by the comparison
with The Twelfth Night’s Viola who is
duplicitous not only with others but also with herself – although not a
murderer. She creates an entire other
identity, Cesario, in order to work for Orsino, the man she loves, just like
Montresor feigned friendship with Furtunato, in order to extract his
revenge. The parallel among the themes
is that often we do not know what motivates someone – whether they have
ulterior motives to use us or perhaps even if they are deceiving themselves and
we are just caught up in the play.
Hamby,
Ciardi, Poe, and Shakespeare encouraged me to reflect on the level of
authenticity that I bring to my relationships with others and with myself. While many of these characters are larger
than life and are embroiled in situations I will most likely never encounter, I
am able to relate to the duplicity that many of them employ. Indeed, I am fake around certain people for
certain reasons, such as personal gain or fear, and I am also obsessed with
certain parts of life but do not confess it to others, even though it might
well benefit me. In addition, I do not
confront situations because I am uncertain of the future, and in certain social
situations I pretend to be someone else because I am intimidated. Each of these authors is arguably challenging
the reader to explore what it means to be authentic and to consider the consequences
of duplicity – be they for the better or the worse.
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