I heard David Allen White talking with Hugh Hewitt yesterday about pain and suffering in the world as Shakespeare saw it. He was speaking regarding the pain many are beginning to suffer as a part of our economic meltdown. Professor White spoke of King Lear who suffered great tragedy because of misjudging his daughters. Lear plans to divide his kingdom between his three daughters however when his youngest, Cordelia, refuses to tickle her fathers ears with over the top love language, he impetously refuses to give her her third of the kingdom. The attached video shows the scence of Lear's rejection of Cordelia. Great suffering ensues for Lear ending in his beloved Cordelia's death and his own. However, out of pain and suffering that Lear endures he develops wisdom. At one point near the end of the play King Lear is a ragged, anonymous man looking for shelter from a fierce storm. He finds a hovel and prays a prayer prior to entering The prayer is as follows:
You Houseless Poverty -
Nay, get thee in. I'll pray and then I'll sleep.
Poor naked wretches whereso'er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides
Your looped and windowed raggedness defend you
From seasons such as these? O! I have taken to little care of this.
Lear has learned compassion and humility. The very things that he did not show his daughter Cordelia.
As we endure economic pain... perhaps much worse is still ahead. What lessons shall we learn? What wisdom shall we gain?
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