To Be Continued...

I am only sixteen years old, but I have lived an eventful life. I have traveled half way across the world to Europe and Africa. I have been up and down the east coast of America. I've had my Bat Mitzvah and have become a Jewish adult. I have found the courage to perform onstage in front of an audience. I've been broken hearted. As a result of these experiences, I find it easy to single out one historical event and the three pieces of literature that have truly shaped me, despite my young age. The plot of The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare and The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that occurred after the fall of Apartheid in South Africa both solidified my belief in the importance of reconciliation and redemption. The character of Shylock from The Merchant of Venice has helped me to define my identity and gain a deeper appreciation for my religious heritage. Prospero's speech from William Shakespeare's The Tempest helped me understand and accept the never-ending cycle of life and death.

The Winter's Tale is one of William Shakespeare's final plays. It is considered to be one of his "problem plays," but it is one of my personal favorites and never ceases to move me. Its themes of reconciliation and redemption are profound. It tells the tale of Leontes, King of Sicilia and his wife Hermione. Leontes makes the grave mistake of accusing his wife of being unfaithful to him with his friend, Polixenes, King of Bohemia. After he imprisons her, she dies and their son dies of grief. Leontes spends sixteen years mourning them. He suffers for years until it is revealed that his wife is actually alive and had given birth to his daughter soon after she was imprisoned. Hermione is able to forgive him because he has suffered, mourning at her grave, and has not even thought of taking another wife. When Leontes and Hermione are re-united, no words are necessary. It is considered one of the most powerful theatrical scenes, a moment of perfect and complete reconciliation.

"When Leontes, after long years of suffering caused by his own insane beliefs and actions, reaches the end of his self-imposed penance and is restored to the wife, friend, and child he thinks he has lost, the emotional effect matches any of the grim catharsis of tragedy by stirring grace and redemption into traditional romance?(McLeish and Unwin, 249)."

The Winter's Tale is partially a fable, teaching the importance of repentance. There is an important lesson here for humanity. We must right our wrongs in order for there to be peace (Scott, 342). According to Scott, these are the essential ingredients for happiness. Without repentance, we cannot have peace. Without forgiveness there can be no love.

The world is, at times, not a very nice place. Rape, human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and abuse are widespread. Wars and genocide have torn apart countries in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East: wars over greed, power, and old, petty rivalries. The leaders of most nations are too selfish to admit their wrongs and make peace with their enemies. Just take the ongoing battle between the Palestinians and Israelis as an example. The Winter's Tale teaches that forgiveness can right seemingly unspeakable wrongs. Two kings are able to absolve their differences, and a wife whose entire life was destroyed by her husband is able to take him by the hand and forgive him. It would truly be a miracle if the leaders of the world or people in their family relationships could follow the examples of Leontes, Polixenes, and Hermione. I believe firmly in the "pebble/pond" effect: If one person has the courage to offer forgiveness, he or she creates a ripple effect. Peace can be achieved, disputes can be resolved, and lives can be changed for the better.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which began its work in South Africa in 1995, was set up to begin the healing process after the fall of Apartheid. Anyone who had suffered at the hands of the government's cruel laws could testify in court and tell his/her story. Even members of the Apartheid regime who were responsible for crimes against humanity were invited to testify and ask for forgiveness. In return, they were granted amnesty and could escape punishment (http://www.wikipedia.com). The commission helped South Africa begin its healing process, and I believe it is responsible for the relatively peaceful transition of governments and the racial tolerance that now exists in South Africa. In fact, it was vitally important for the establishment of a new Democracy for South Africa and has influenced people's attitudes to the past and each other. Now, in South Africa when a white person expresses his or her guilt about the past, black South Africans say we must forgive and not feel that way because everyone has a story to tell (Interview with Shelley Etzine). The Truth and Reconciliation Commission made me realize that the end of war and suffering comes when those responsible for wrong doing admit their mistakes and ask forgiveness, and when those who are victimized get an opportunity to air their grievances. It would be a great miracle if other nations in the world could follow the example of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and bring about peace and hope for the future.

It has never been easy to be Jewish. History shows that the Jews have suffered at the hands of the Egyptians, the Christian Europeans, the German Nazis, and the Ku Klux Klan in the American south. Today, Jews face threats from the anti-Semitic ravings of the president of Iran and others in the Muslim world that have been taught to hate Jews. I often wonder whether the vicious cycle of Jewish persecution will ever end.

During the summer of my eighth grade year, my grandfather showed me a film version of The Merchant of Venice with Sir Laurence Olivier in the role of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. Shylock is one of Shakespeare's most controversial characters. Some critics believe he is a comic villain and others say he is a tragic hero. I am more inclined to believe the latter. Shylock is a victim of his environment: "a man no less sinned against than sinning (Hazlitt, 59)." His seemingly cruel behavior comes from years of torment and bullying from his Christian neighbors (Hazlitt, 59). The young Venetian men make fun of his "Jewish gabardine" and business clients do not take him seriously. If he is a cruel man, it is the Christians who have made him so (Scott, 331). Through Shylock's suffering, I began to feel a kinship to him beyond just our religion.

Shylock is a brave man. It takes enormous will power and strength of character to hold onto his beliefs in such a hostile environment. That is why it is heartbreaking when Shylock is tricked into converting to Christianity. Shylock's fate made me reconsider my religion. I knew that it would be cowardly and selfish to give up a religion and culture that so many people had fought, died, and suffered to defend. I began reading and re-considering Jewish texts and philosophies. Those philosophies have become my philosophies, and there is no doubt in my mind now that I will raise my children as Jews.

One of Shakespeare's final plays is The Tempest. The play is unlike any of his others, centering around Prospero, the Duke of Milan, who has been marooned for years with his daughter on an island inhabited only by fairies, sprites, and a beast named Caliban. He was usurped by his younger brother, Antonio, and as revenge, Prospero causes Antonio's ship to crash on his island. Through schemes and the help of a sprite called Ariel, Prospero sets things right and finds his way back to Milan and his dukedom. Late in the play, Prospero reflects on his life as he realizes that it is slowly coming to a close:

"Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into air, into thin air;
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep." (Shakespeare, Act IV, Scene iii)

The passage indicates Prospero's desire for release. He has lived a long, full, beautiful life, and he wishes to begin his "long sleep" (Berryman, 198). Prospero does not fear death:

"There is no discrepancy, and it is neither disillusioned nor frightening, this forecast?though not Christian either. It [death] is radiant and desirous (Berryman, 169)."

The passage is thought by most critics to be autobiographical of an older Shakespeare, reflecting on his own life and his own desires for an end.

The first time I read and understood this passage from The Tempest, I cried. I cried because of the beauty of the language and because of its relevance to my life at the time. My grandfather had died nine months before, and I was struggling with his loss. I felt it was unfair that I had lost this precious person in my life. I hated death. However, after reading this passage, my anger began to fade away. I began to realize that it was simply a long rest at the end of a good life. As a result of this new insight, I came to understand life. Birth is a miracle in and of itself. As we go through life, we encounter our "cloud-capp'd towers", "gorgeous palaces", and "solemn temples": our obstacles and milestones. As humans we must conquer these obstacles and enjoy our milestones to reach our "rounded," peaceful sleep. When we come to the end of our lives, we begin to understand that death is not something to fear or hate; it can be a welcome reward for a good and long life. Our lives may be of no great consequence in the great scheme of things, but as long as we live them with zest, make a small mark on our corner of the world, and leave happy memories, the universe will be a better place. As Zach Braff wrote in the film Garden State: "Breathing is all it takes to mean something." All in all, life is a beautiful thing that begins with a miracle and ends with peace. I began to understand this as I read the passage so beautifully written by a great philosopher, and suddenly, I knew the passage I would read at my grandfather's grave for his memorial service.

My grandfather, a scholar of Shakespeare, kept a Commonplace Book in which he copied quotes of his favorite poets and authors, in particular, those from the poems and plays of his beloved Shakespeare, his bible. He was not a very religious man, so these words were a great source of comfort and strength to him. They helped him come to terms with his life. He knew that his end was coming and told us all that he was not afraid to die. Without the wisdom of these great writers, he might not have been able to find meaning in his life or face his end with such peace. I was very lucky to learn this great lesson from my grandfather.

I have much of my life still to live. Life is often scary and hard to face, but I carry along with me the lessons I have learned so far in my sixteen years in the world. I believe in forgiveness. I believe in fighting for what I believe in. I believe that life, despite all its difficulties, is a miracle, "rounded with sleep." In the words of J.R.R. Tolkein, "the road goes ever on and on..." and there is still so much to experience, read, and learn.

Works Cited

Berryman, John; Berryman's Shakespeare. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1999

Hazlitt, William: Bloom's Major Dramatists: Shakespeare's Comedies- "The Masterpiece of Shylock." Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 2000

Interview with Shelley Etzine, South African Native- February 20, 2006

McLeish, Kenneth, Unwin, Stephen; A Pocket Guide to Shakespeare's Plays. London: Faber & Faber Limited, 1998

Scott, Mark W; Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations, vol. 1 and 3. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1992

Shakespeare, William; The Complete Works of Shakespeare. London: Oxford University Press, 1969

www.wikipedia.org