Why You Really Need Zia Mohyeddin before reading Shakespeare
I had the honor to listen to a living legend in this post-modern world. His extraordinary excellence in communication skills, firm grip on engaging the audience, and going with an unmatchable pace of thoughts arouse my cognitive sense. Yes, I am talking about Zia Mohyeddin whose name is put at the top of the list when we talk about Urdu poetry.
With the passage of time, he shifted his taste towards English literature and attracted the attention of millions of literary figures and souls. His wonderful exposition “Why Shakespeare is Shakespeare” goes into the ears of listeners not only in the Asian Continent but also in the whole world.
His way of delivering the message accurately and smoothly makes the listeners perceive everything within seconds. When he talks about different ages and makes a comparison, it gives a lethal combination in terms of wondrously. One hour and fourteen minutes long analysis on Shakespeare (Father of English Drama, Playwright, and Sonnet writer) and his works (Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, Hamlet, Romeo Juliet, and Henry contains all segments of his personality whether in terms of memorization, putting quotes with a dramatic expression.
In this Shakespearean analysis, Zia Sahib`s depiction and exposition of grown and fully grown characters of Shakespeare make him quote and read turning points, conflicts, and downfall in his provocative way. He touches every piece of art whether it is, Othello, King Lear, Romeo, and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Merchant of Venice, or Henry IV.
Othello:
If someone is in dire need of knowing the themes of jealousy, love, pride, stereotypical mindset, betrayal, and stupidity, Othello is preferable with transparent plots and dialogues. The opening of tragedy with doubtless claims begins with Desdemona's selection of lover, Othello, (an African general who got stuck into suspect of wife's adultery) which shows the start of love. But Desdemona's father is unhappy and scolds Othello, but he defends by saying that For she had eyes, and chose me.
But with time, a relation-killing insect named doubt takes birth and eats the happiness of the ongoing journey of love. Blindfolded, Othello could not differentiate between wrong and right. During this period, planned and unplanned conspiracies take place and lead to the killing of Desdemona.
Romeo Juliet:
I never touched Romeo and Juliet throughout my journey of High School studies. The reason might be that it was not included in my academic text and outline. But listening to Zia Mohyeddin made me comprehend and resemble all the happenings quite effectively. The love journey of Romeo and Juliet starts with eyes. It is the nature of the poor human soul that it easily falls in love and, of course, becomes prey whenever it comes to the eyes. Also, dancing in the ball arranged by Juliet's father avails a chance to both share flirtatious and cryptic couplets while dancing.
“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.”
These lines show initial claims that everyone makes while the start of a love story. I think it is part of human nature to melt after having such types of words. One goes for thousands of expectations after doing something bigger or smaller for another beloved one. Loving and claiming are two different narratives that lead towards contradiction.
“I am no pilot. Yet, wert thou as far
As that vast shore washed with the farthest sea,
I would adventure for such merchandise.
Again, super talk is taking place and Romeo is satisfying himself by saying that he would commit every type of action and take the risk to gain her. This exaggerated notion comes into everyone's life and one starts thinking that it is a piece of cake for him to gain the very next person.
All in all, your life is precious and love would be taken as an agreement between two fools. This was what I took from this masterpiece.
Hamlet:
His chooses quote and plots of Hamlet (a tragedy by Shakespeare) made me feel confident and proud that I selected English literature for my bachelor’s. Of course, hamlet is a masterpiece of masterpieces in which we see that Hamlet is wrapped up in helplessness and loneliness and surrounded by anger and disgust. His blind eyes over the matter of his father's murder are putting him in the restless phenomenon. He puts everything on delay. So, it is said, “if he does not delay, there would be no play”. This wonderful dramatic delay would lead us to relate a single soliloquy in this post-modern world without one inch of doubt.
It seems that it is so difficult to reach a certain point that this is the final verdict of a well-known tragedy. But there is a famous soliloquy that is remembered and quoted by literates, writers, disciples, and mentors.
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep
Before this time, I had gone through this aforementioned soliloquy. But it had a little effect on my nerves, and I knew the meanings of the first sentence. After listening to this speaker, it gave a different kind of sense and interpretation.
I related it to my life and goals that it is so crucial to taste the sufferings of life to know the worth of life. Also, taking arms against the sea of troubles is a sign of determination. When you are enough courageous to tackle the problems and find solutions for them, everything would fall into your lap.
“Am I a coward who calls me villain breaks my pate across, plucks off my beard and blows it in my face, Tweaks me by the nose, gives me the lie i’th’throat / As deep as to the lungs? Who does me this?
This stage definitely comes in everyone's life when self-doubt touches and surrounds every single nerve, bone, and flesh. Of course, all of us have Hamlet in ourselves, BUT Hamlet has very special permission to travel through the twilight regions of the soul. After going through madness and wisdom, strengths and weaknesses, he gets nobility as an outcome.
King Lear:
If someone wants to go for the meanings of fate and how fate leads everything, King Lear would testify all the scenes. King Lear is a very fantastic, giant, and cathartic play that contains the spiritual death of the king, his agony, and resurrection. The play talks about the division of kingdom amongst daughters and the love of one daughter amongst three who cares more about her father.
King's decision to stay at his daughters` dukely houses and expulsion from these houses makes Lear pitiful and drenched to a very raging storm.
During the storm, he blames and considers himself a slave. Also calls himself a poor, weak, infirm, and despised old man. It happens that we don’t take a breath until we blame others for wrongdoings that take place due to ourselves consciously and unconsciously. I think it is in the blood of Homo sapiens to look for vengeance and to bring bad upon others.
In our lives, we do take thousands of decisions based on our perceptions, but these may lead us to our destruction. These decisions sometimes take a toll on our circumstances.
Zia Mohyeddin Bows, the Audience stands & claps, the curtain falls, and it is over and out from my side.
