(Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa)
My favorite line from The Winter's Tale comes after Polixenes gives his "Mark your divorce... and mark my words" lecture and is spoken by Camillo in conversation with Florizel. After Florizel declares, "This you may know and so deliver, I am put to sea with her whom I cannot hold on shore," Camillo said:
"I Would your spirit were easier for advice,
Or stronger for your need."
How often are our spirits "hard for advice?" To me this is THE major theme of The Winter's Tale. Leontes lost his wife and son because he was hard for advice. The Clown was just hard for anything and lost everything. Polixenes is now "hard for advice" and I hope he pulls out of it.
The lives of those who have a spirit "easier for advice," make the largest difference; and don't wear the chains of anger and jealousy.
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ReplyDeleteThere is a talk that comes to mind about having "an easiness and willingness to believe" by Elder Michael T. Ringwood, a religious leader from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He says that "the daily living of the gospel brings a softness of heart needed to have an easiness and willingness to believe the word of God."
ReplyDeleteThose who don't listen to advice and are stubborn are generally in sin and are unhappy. That connects with what you were saying about those who do not take advice from others.
In relation to this, I will never forget a quote from a mentor of mine who said, "why would you get mad when someone gives you advice? It's free!"
ReplyDeleteI remember that talk from Elder Ringwood. We miss out on so much when we reject advice or constructive criticism. I can think of some moments in my life when I thankfully was open-minded and learned from someone else and admitted my own mistake. But, alas, I have a long ways to go before I do that perfectly and consistently.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I liked the examples of people "easy for advice" that you thought of. I can't think of any specific instances in which that description applies to them, but for some reason, it makes complete sense that Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa would be good at that. Do you know stories about them that I don't?
ReplyDeleteI forgot to explain my title... Much of the time Shakespeare's characters explain or express themselves with MANY words. Sometimes saying MORE is more; but sometimes the multiplication of words takes away from your point. In this case a one liner was more effective, so LESS is more.
ReplyDeleteThis is cool. I never took this aspect from the play- being hard for advice. That is after all, one of the many things that stopped Leonte's from making the right choice of not sending his wife to jail. Everyone was on Hermione's side -even the oracle- and yet he still was so hard hearted it led to his ultimate destruction and downfall for the next 16 years. Nice Anthony
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