Intellectual Relapse in Shakespeare

Original Art by Roberto Amado-Cattaneo

This blog is somewhat irrelevant. Recently I have been reading some contemporary literature. Actually I am more often than not in the process of reading some contemporary literature. Regardless, what I noticed is that when I read contemporary literature I find myself amerced in the material (I am talking about good material not crap, if I am not into a book I put it down and move on). When it is funny I laugh and typically when it is sad I cry, as well as a myriad of emotions in between these two. The point is that I am affected by the material I am reading. There is a certain connection to the text that I feel as a reader.

Now forgive me for my ignorance, but I just don't feel the same way when I read classical literature. That is not to say that I am not affected by works like that of Shakespeare, but the feelings are not quite as acute. I feel a kind of social detachment from older works. I understand what they mean and can still relate in general terms, however I feel a disconnect because I can't relate to the times. The universal issues that  find their way into Shakespeare like love, loss, death, etcetera are still as much alive today as they were then, but in the same breath times have changed. I live in a different age than Shakespeare.

Honestly I think the biggest hurtle that I have to over come is the language. The language is beautiful and articulate, but as a result of this kind of linguistic relativity I find I am stretching to find meaning and thus loosing feeling. Like anything else when it is done with ease and comfort I find it more enjoyable, and when I am outside my level of 'comprehension' I find that I struggle to enjoy the activity.

None of this is to slight Shakespeare's significance, or to downplay classical works of literature, it is more of an acknowledgement of my difficulty studying Shakespeare, and what this course is teaching me about myself as an 'intellectual', a student, and a literate human being. Blogs like this one help me to create an outlet for my frustrations in pedagogical realm.

Again I find that I am in a kind of intellectual relapse. I end up falling back into a habit of reading objectively looking to hard for connections to historical context and literary influence. I have to realize that I don't know as much as I would like, so I must stick with the basics. On the top of that basics list is reading for my own enjoyment, and secondly for my intellectual enrichment. Otherwise what is the point of reading, if you can't enjoy it? That is like going to watch a movie to only to focus on the dynamics of light. I need to just watch the screen and enjoy the show. I am working on trying to find a balance in my mind between intellect and imagination.