An Excerpt from Shakespeare’s Guide to Living the Good Life
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, with sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.”
~ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, act 2, scene 1
Close your eyes and imagine yourself in this space, surrounded by colorful flowers, murmuring water, and gentle thyme-scented tendrils of air. An oasis, a place of refuge and quiet serenity, far away from the rattle and hum of daily life. Breathe deeply as you imagine yourself swaddled in the serenity of this natural sanctuary. Read the quote again, drinking in the words as you inhale and exhale slowly.
You have just experienced the gift of William Shakespeare. A mere twenty-seven words of his iambic pentameter have the power to transport us to an enchanting summer afternoon. This is one of the many reasons why Shakespeare’s works continue to be explored and adored.
The Bard of Avon, aka William Shakespeare, offers a multitude of treasures like those few lines from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With 154 sonnets and over 30 of the most famous plays in recorded history in his oeuvre, Shakespeare is a treasure trove of creativity, inspiration, and freehearted observations about relationships. And not just romantic relationships (although he had much to say about Cupid’s domain), but also our relationships with nature, commerce, systems of governance, music, our bodies, the cosmos, and God.
I wrote this book because Shakespeare’s treasures are as relevant to us today as they were in the tumultuous, plague-ridden time that Shakespeare lived. Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed, lost, or isolated? Do you also struggle to find the purpose and meaning in your life on dark days? Shakespeare gets you. Even better, he’s got some great insights that can guide us through those feelings and into the good life.
I had a crush on William Shakespeare “the writer” before I had any idea what he had written, thanks to a weekly magazine insert in the Sunday newspaper. The insert, called The Parade, featured a list of famous birthdays for the week, and I was five years old when I learned that I shared a birthday with the bard. I had been reading since the age of three, and I loved books, fairy tales, poems, pencils, markers, paper, and writing more than anything in the world. Sharing a natal aspect with a famous writer seemed like a sign that we were meant to have a lifelong affair (which we have).
The more I learned about William Shakespeare, the more enthralled I became with his story. He was a country boy, raised in a small village along the outer fringes of the Forest of Arden, a place much like the farming community-turned-suburb where I was raised.
Although Oxford and Cambridge had been educating the elite members of British society since 1096 and 1209, respectively, Shakespeare attended neither of them. He became one of the most revered playwrights of Western civilization, despite (or maybe, because of?) his lack of formal schooling. His success emerged from his ability to creatively convey his personal observations about the world, not from following the conventional rhetoric of the time. Honesty, originality, and playfulness are his hallmarks, and likely the very reasons why his art has endured.
My love affair with Shakespeare has lasted throughout my life, and he never ceases to surprise and delight. How could the person who wrote these snarky gems: “the first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” (in Henry VI, Part II) and “thine face is not worth sunburning” (in Henry V), also have written passionate poetry such as “doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love” (in Hamlet)?
Why do we still say today that mediocre things are “so-so” (As You Like It)? Why is overcoming the fear of connecting with others called “breaking the ice” (The Taming of the Shrew)? Why is no cap described as the “naked truth” (Love’s Labor’s Lost)? Why do we say that we live in a “brave new world” (The Tempest)?
Why, you ask? Because Shakespeare allowed himself to feel all the feels, and then used his singular talents to express his point of view through a medium that he loved. That’s why his words are so relevant today. “So-so” describes the monotonous numbness that many of us feel in our lives. “Breaking the ice” takes enormous strength, is often a difficult process, but once it happens, we get to experience the flow. Telling the “naked truth” by sharing our authentic selves with others is the ultimate form of exposing ourselves. Living in a “brave new world” acknowledges that it takes courage to embrace change, especially on a collective level.
Shakespeare’s deep dive into the human condition and his passion for sharing his insights with the world have enriched my life in so many practical ways. That’s why I want to share his guide to the good life with you. The best part is that you don’t have to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Shakespeare or his works to get the most out of this book. England’s national poet is much more accessible than we’ve been led to believe; he’s got something for everyone.
Have you been in love? Shakespeare’s got loads to say about that, such as: “[w]hen love speaks, the voice of all the gods make heaven drowsy with the harmony” (Love’s Labor’s Lost) and “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite” (Romeo and Juliet).
Or perhaps you have suffered the “pangs of despised love” like Hamlet and want nothing to do with romance? Shakespeare has even more to say about that, including some stinging insults: “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me” (Much Ado About Nothing) and “He’s a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality” (All’s Well That Ends Well).
Do you feel restored by communing with nature? Shakespeare was a nature lover as well: “We were as twinned lambs that did frisk i’ th’ sun” (The Winter’s Tale) and “Come unto these yellow sands and then take hands, curtsied when you have, and kissed the wild waves whist” (The Tempest).
Are you intrigued by politics and business? So was Shakespeare, who obviously felt some kind of way about them: “Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power” (Julius Caesar) and “Though inclination be as sharp as will, my stronger guilt defeats my strong intent and, like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin, and both neglect” (Hamlet).
Do your comedic tastes run to the bawdy side? Shakespeare rarely resisted the temptation to add a bit of toilet or sexual humor to his plays: “Graze on my lips, and if those hills be dry, stray lower, where the pleasant fountains lie” (Venus and Adonis), and the original fart joke “A man may break a word with you sir, and words are but wind, ay, and break it in your face so he break it not behind” (The Comedy of Errors).
Are you interested in the movement of the moon and stars? Shakespeare was, too: “The sun's a thief, and with his great attraction robs the vast sea; the moon's an arrant thief, and her pale fire she snatches from the sun” (Timon of Athens).
You get the gist.
Shakespeare lived in a time that was much like our own – overrun with political turmoil, divisiveness, war, extreme weather, recurrent plagues, the fouling of natural resources on which everyone relied, and discrimination against people who were different.
Yet amidst the backdrop of those challenges, Shakespeare showed us what was important by doing what he loved.
The performances of his works with his best friends and acting colleagues, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, brought a bit of joy to the lives of his neighbors, even if it was only for a few hours during a matinee or evening performance at the Globe Theatre, the Curtain, or Blackfriars indoor playhouse.
Shakespeare offers us, his world-weary audience, the same respite and inspiration today. His humor, depth of emotion, keen political analysis, innovative use of words and phrases, appreciation for the natural world, and understanding of human behavior, have drawn us a map to the good life.
Yes, there is sickness, death, conflict, and division in today’s world. But there are also sunrises, starry skies, friendships, families, dreams, forests, indigo seas, food, drink, laughter, and love. Shakespeare invites us to enjoy the latter while acknowledging the former and shows how balancing an appreciation for both is key to living the good life.
Each chapter of this book features a play by William Shakespeare, summarized so you’ll always know the main story; a theme related to the good life that threads its way through the play; some history and context to bring the Elizabethan era to life; the science of well-being as it relates to each play’s theme; and several enactments so you can apply some of Shakespeare’s hard-won insights to the theater of your own life.
Grab your favorite beverage, get cozy, and immerse yourself in the Bard of Avon’s enchanting form of entertainment, which is not only delightful in its artistry, but offers a gold mine of practical advice to enhance our lives. Hey nonny nonny and huzzah!
[Above is the Introduction to my upcoming book, Shakespeare’s Guide to Living the Good Life: Life Lessons for Comedy, Tragedy, and Everything in Between. I hope you like this preview, and if you do, please consider supporting my work and purchasing a copy from your favorite bookshop!]