‘To thine own self be true …’ Blog 136 by Ms Paige Turner
It was an odd thing for such a lecturing old woman of a Polonius to say: ‘To thine own self be true.’
I’ve never been quite sure of what it means. What’s ‘myself’? And what involves ‘being true’? I guess in current speak it might mean not gluttonously and knowingly climbing on the back of others’ work, successes or reputations when you haven’t put in a jot of backbone like phishing for emails et al. Take what belongs to you and no more.
Of course Hamlet’s Polonius was lecturing all the time and look where that telling got him. Stuck up in an arras. And anyway, Polonius would probably have interpreted his words as ‘protecting his own interests’. Truth, or being true, is a question of interpretation.
It was a delight to lead the Black and White workshop at Amersham the week before last and the day workshop at Missenden Abbey yesterday where we examined amongst other things, what truth really is and concluded: elusive.
The next evening workshop in Amersham in June is Green so enquire within if interested.
Watch out for the second of my features on filching Shakespeare’s plots and characters for your own fiction in next month’s Writing Magazine. www.writers-online.co.uk And the first response in to spot that oxymoron will receive a prize of my choosing.
‘To thine own self be true.’
24/04/2016 // by Jan Moran Neil
Well, I’m faced with a conundrum. I can’t read what I’m typing because it’s all black on black: the typeface and background are as one. Perhaps it will resolve itself when I post it. I like the idea of the Bard, who fliched his plots, having those plots fliched again. The seven deadly sin are eternal sources of inspiration. Perhaps the oxymoron is that truth is a matter of interpretation – if so there is no truth. And if there is no truth is everything a lie? The Amersham workshop in June – Green. Is that on the theme of envy?
Dear Reader – or rather dear Mr Double Cream from Uxbridge – as I do believe you are my one and only reader – despite the fact that my daughter: Miss Trial reads all my blogs at one sitting, once a year in a cab crossing London, your interpretation is interesting. It wasn’t my intention with regards to the oxymoron so maybe I need to return to the writing board as my one reader is intelligent. All will be explained on my next bi-monthly blog unless someone else gets there first. Does anyone else read my blog??