Kings had their clowns, the people their actors and musicians. Shakespeare was scheduled as a servant. It is thus that successful stupidity has always treated genius.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I get the impression the English kings were witty, for some reason. I feel like all you had was your wit.
I do think that, for instance, we've been very lucky to have theatrical careers and be associated with Shakespeare which sometimes gives you a kind of bogus kudos.
Class clowns become actors.
It's not that Shakespeare is frivolous, but you spend your time just getting people to dress up in other people's costumes and pretending to be people that they're not, and you think, after the years go by, well, what on earth was all that about?
Shakespeare's villains are fabulous because none of them know that they are villains. Well, sometimes they do.
Comedy is obviously a matter of personal taste and the world always needs a clown and some people have no taste at all and any clown will do.
Just as the performance of the vilest and most wicked deeds requires spirit and talent, so even the greatest demand a certain insensitivity which under other circumstances we would call stupidity.
I'll bet Shakespeare compromised himself a lot; anybody who's in the entertainment industry does to some extent.
There was a time when people liked to take Shakespeare and twist him around to make whatever social or political statement they wanted to make.
From kings to groundlings, Shakespeare made his work profound for everybody. That is how it should be. There is no hierarchy in theatre. It makes everyone part of a collective.