Mythology and Me

It is interesting to think what Shakespeare, or any piece of literature for that matter, would be like without mythological and biblical references in them.   Although I am not well versed in mythology or The Bible, I can catch on to some of the better known references and get some sort of meaning out of them.  I realize the importance of these references and the layers of meaning that each one is capable of. 

While reading the first few acts in All’s Well That Ends Well, I felt bombarded with mythological references, most of which I had little idea of what exactly was being referenced.  My lacking in this area has some what caused a lack of interest in some of the plays we have read; although I understand the content, I don’t understand what lies beneath it.  This made me think of my high school English classes where almost everyone but myself hated “reading between the lines” to find a deeper meaning.  This reading between the lines has always been so easy for me that I was unable to relate to my old classmates’ woes.  But now I understand.  Shakespeare wrote his plays with so many different references, meanings, and interpretations that it is nearly impossible for a person to in one, two, maybe even twenty readings, to catch each and every one of them.

So what does that mean for me?  I could easily give up, like many of my old high school classmates chose to do, which would probably be the easiest, more lax choice.  Or, I could give Shakespeare my best effort and try to understand at least 20% of what he means in each of his plays.

So here’s a good ol’ GOOD LUCK! to myself (and whoever else needs it).

Go get ‘em tiger! (Or boar, or whatever)