Madison's Commonplace Blog

 Something I have realized lately is that grief makes for really good poetry. Having someone to love is good, and we may want to occasionally express our feelings poetically, but it is when that love is taken away that we suddenly find ourselves needing an outlet for this love that does not know where to go. Perhaps this is why Hamlet has so many soliloquies throughout the play; his anguish over losing his father consumes him, and he has a real need to express it. One line from Hamlet that I found particularly poetic was, "But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue" ( Hamlet , 1.2.164). Hamlet serves as yet another demonstration of impossible love in Shakespeare's works. Although he is filled with love for his father, Hamlet is unable to do anything with this love,  because his father is dead, and so his heart breaks, like a dam that is destroyed by an overflow of water. This expression of having to hold his tongue stings as a stunning reminder of grief to those who h...

While Twelfth Night  is full of humor, lying, and confusion, it is also full of friendship, and I like to imagine that Olivia and Viola went on to become very good friends. On one such occasion, Olivia remarks on the goodness of Viola's friendship: "A friend like thee might bear my soul to hell" (Twelfth Night, 3.4.226). This statement of trust made me smile when I read it, because it made me think of the people in my life who are so loyal and good. Often, I don't show enough appreciation for these people. When I reflect on life's ups and downs, I see that what makes life not only bearable, but even wonderful, are the people that surround me with love, laughter, and joy. When school, work, health issues, and social struggles threaten to put me down, they are never able to do so for long because of the people  in my life that reach out and lift me up. This phrase by Olivia made me remember the importance of expressing my admiration for others. People need to know t...

 My favorite character in Twelfth Night  is Antonio. We could go really deep into who Antonio really is or what he adds to the play, but when it comes down to it, what I really love is that Antonio is kind . His actions throughout the play are motivated purely out of love, and he performs them so selflessly. At one point, Antonio gives Sebastian his money, and Sebastian is blown away by his kindness. "My kind Antonio," he says, "I can no other answer make but thanks/And thanks, and ever thanks; and oft good turns/are shuffled off with such uncurrent pay" ( Twelfth Night, 3.3.14-18). I was recently shown a tremendous act of kindness by a friend who painted me a picture because she knows I've been struggling with some things. As I cried over this painting and the love that was put into it, I thought of this moment between Antonio and Sebastian, and I realized that I had nothing to give my friend but thanks. Such an act of kindness is truly invaluable, and as much...

So many of Shakespeare's wonderful expressions center around love, and I think that's because love is something that every poet, writer, and regular human being is trying to understand. One such phrase that I came across was when Viola was describing her love for Orsino, though under the guise that she was describing a friend's love. Says Viola, "She sat like Patience on a monument/smiling at grief/Was not this love indeed?" (Twelfth Night, 2.4.127). Some might argue that no, this isn't love. Smiling at grief? Being happy despite experiencing unrequited love? That's not real love. But I stand by Shakespeare on this and say that yes, this is in fact real love. Viola's words describe the fact that yes, she is grieving at the fact that her love is unreturned, but  she is happy that she even gets the chance to love. Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to teach us that real love does not require anything in return. Real love gives everything it's got, and if ...

As Viola is describing Orsino's love to Olivia, she says something that I found very profound: "Make me a willow cabin at your gate" (Twelfth Night, 1.5.271). Viola goes on, describing how Orsino will do anything for Olivia, but the part that captivated me most about her speech was this first line. I often hear the phrase "guarded heart," and I think that to some extent, everybody has a guarded heart. We do not allow people to see everything that is in our hearts, especially upon first meeting others. It takes time for us to open up and allow people to see who we really are, what we treasure, what makes us tick, what makes us human; what is in our hearts. And here, Viola is telling Olivia that Orsino would like Olivia to make him a willow cabin at her gate. Of course, there are many possible interpretations of this phrase, but I like to think about it as the gate to one's heart, because I think that's an excellent way to describe love. Love is allowing s...

As I was reading sonnet 116, I really enjoyed the phrase, "love is not love/which alters when it alteration finds." I am confident that I have so much to learn about love, but this  I know to be true. Real love is unconditional. Real love remains constant, even when everything around it is changing. I think that Desdemona exemplifies this well, as she continues to assert her love for Othello even as the world around them comes tumbling down and Othello renounces every bit of love he ever proclaimed for her. I think it's also important to recognize that this definition of love doesn't just apply to romantic love. In my relationships with my roommates, parents, siblings, leaders, and friends, I would do well to remember that even amid disagreements or challenges, my love for these people remains. If my love is conditional upon good circumstances or perfect everyday life, or even being loved back, then it is not true love. Real love does not ask for anything in return. R...

 The first time I read this phrase, I did a double-take and look at the footnote to understand the meaning. Toby refers to the sadness that has "plagued" Olivia with the passing of her brother, and then says, "I am sure care's an enemy to life." The meaning of the word "care" here isn't the same as we might use it today; it is synonymous with "sorrow" in this case. Essentially, Toby is explaining that sorrow prevents us from the happiness that we hope to find in life. However, I have to disagree. Dwelling on sadness and sorrow is not  healthy - certainly we should do what we can to keep an optimistic attitude and look for the good things in life. However, without sorrow, we would never be able to experience the happiness and joy that we so desperately seek in this life. We learn this in the scriptures: there must  be an opposition in all things, because without the bad we would never appreciate the good. The moments in my life that have s...

Before doubt creeps in. Before tragedy strikes. Before love is lost. Before any of the wreckage begins in Othello , we get one of the most beautiful lines from Othello about Desdemona: "For she had eyes, and chose me." I think this is what all of us want. We want to be seen , and not for our outward appearance, not for what makes us better or worse than other people, not for our accomplishments, but for what makes them human. We all yearn for somebody who will see us as we are and embrace and love all of it, and that's exactly what Desdemona did for Othello. She heard his tragic backstory, saw the scars on his skin, recognized the years of good and bad in his eyes, and fell in love with it all. I honestly like to picture Othello as somewhat unattractive. Not horribly ugly or repulsive, but also not somebody who would ever be expected to catch the eye of somebody as high-ranking as Desdemona. And yet, she looked past what she saw on the outside, and she chose him for what ...

 When Othello arrives safely at Cyprus, his joy at seeing Desdemona, and her joy at him in return is quite a happy scene. As they call out and run to each other, Othello cheerfully says, "If after every tempest come such calms, may the winds blow till they have wakened death" (2.1.201-02). The contrast between Othello's fear during his dangerous travel to Cyprus and the joy he feels at seeing Desdemona once again is one that makes Othello appreciate his wife more than he would have if his journey had been perfectly smooth. This idea of valuing something more when it is lost (or almost lost) is found in both Othello  and Much Ado About Nothing , and yet these plays conclude with completely opposite endings. It seems almost like they demonstrate this idea in reversed ways from one another: in Much Ado About Nothing , Cassio does not appreciate his love for Hero until he thinks she is dead, but then is joyful when he finds out she is no. In Othello , Othello knows his love f...

 This line comes from dialogue between Emilia and Desdemona in Othello . They are discussing Othello's recent and unexpected anger towards Desdemona, but even as the two discuss the idea of how Desdemona might have been better off if she had never seen Othello, Desdemona expresses that she still loves Othello: "My love doth so approve him/That even in his stubbornness, his cheeks, his frowns... have grace and favor in them" (4.3.20-22). Even though Othello has hurt Desdemona for something that she is not even guilty for, Desdemona cannot forget her love for him, because she truly loves him. I think this shows a critical difference between Othello and Desdemona; Othello, believing Desdemona to be unfaithful only because of rumor, acts brashly and rudely towards Desdemona. Desdemona, on the other hand, has a substantial, tangible reason to be angry and upset towards Othello, and yet the love she has for him doesn't simply diminish as a result of his anger. I think this ...

One of my favorite parts of Much Ado About Nothing was when Beatrice was tricked into believing that Benedick loved her. Immediately after hearing Ursula and Hero discuss Benedick's affections for her, Beatrice decides she must leave behind her former contempt and maiden, pride, because such things are not as glorious as the possibility of love. My favorite line (in act 3, scene 2) is line 117: "And Benedick, love on; I will requite thee." This is a softer side of Beatrice, a side that, up until this point, we have not been able to see. This decision to requite Benedick's love may seem sudden and impulsive, like an infatuation that will quickly disappear. However, I think that Beatrice's love is actually much more than this. Perhaps the harsh words and quick tongue that Beatrice displays throughout Much Ado About Nothing  are actually walls that Beatrice has built up around herself to prevent any further heartache than she has already experienced. We learn from B...

 In act 5, scene 2 of Much Ado about Nothing,  Benedick tells Beatrice, "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably." This quote struck me as odd the first time I read it, and I re-read it a few times to try to understand what Benedick means by this. He says it after having a conversation with Beatrice about loving against one's will, a conversation that is, as usual for Benedick and Beatrice, full of wit. I think this is one of the reasons I love Beatrice and Benedick's relationship as much as I do; they are so different from the classic fairytale story of love at first sight and perfect romance for the entire relationship. I love this because it is so real . No relationship is flawless right from the start, no relationship is free from an argument or difference of opinion. And yet, although managing a relationship is different than the classic fairytale version we hear about in books or see in movies, I think that makes it more rewarding in the end. Sure, Beatrice and...