Ovid's and Shakespeare's Epitaphs
Structure and
Contents
I. Introduction
II. OVID
III. SHAKESPEARE
I.
Introduction
1.
I have proved by gematric evidence that Shakespeare modeled
his epitaph completely on Ovid's. This means that he saw the course of Ovid's
life closely related to his own.
But
aren't the epitaphs too dissimilar to be relatable? Am I adding just another
theory on Shakespeare's existence?
Let
me ask in return, why are there so many mysteries about Shakespeare in the
first place? And then let me assume a daring answer: because Shakespeare led a
life in complete disguise.
2.
What did Shakespeare have to hide? Beliefs most sacred
to him but not to others. This brings us to Shakespeare's Catholic family
background that is so obvious that is should no longer be denied. Recent
research provides irrefutable evidence that the author of Shakespeare's plays
must have been in
3.
Shakespeare's life in disguise was real and unreal at
the same time. This leads us to the question, what is reality, and who can
truly know about it? My answer is: Those who suffer without despairing, or
religiously speaking, those who suffer in imitation of Jesus Christ, knowing
that compensatory justice will be granted only in the world beyond.
Shakespeare's
necessity to conceal parts of life and his inmost beliefs taught him to
distinguish between TRUTH and APPEARANCE. Appearance has a positive and a
negative meaning: Truth has a surface, has sensory aspects which are suited for
metaphoric poetic use. Negatively it refers to people who mix up appearance
with truth so that they are liable to live in illusion and self-deception.
4.
I am convinced of two things: First, Shakespeare drew
his moral strength from his LOYALTY – to his
family and the "old faith". Second, he chose the VIRGIN MARY to be the anchor and source of his
immense creativeness and inner freedom.
When Shakespeare discovered the Latin gematric system,
he found that it led to God's infinite wisdom in the structure of numbers. He
also discovered that the Latin language was chosen by God for his providential
plan of salvation: Principal terms of Christianity like the three Divine
Persons PATER FILIUS SANCTUS SPIRITUS, the
names of IESUS CHRISTUS, VIRGO MARIA and
many other words reveal ideal gematric values. As Shakespeare became more and
more convinced of the spiritual treasure of the decimal system and numeric
representation, he developed an additional strategy of disguise in order to of
escape the persecution of conscience and the curiosity of people: Fleeing from
state doctrine to the extraordinary, he took refuge to God's infinite wisdom.
Those who want to follow him there, must be aware that many of his gematric
calculations can be reconstructed, but that his deepest insights remain his
own. In this refuge he found his untouchable identity.
II.
OVID
1.
Ovid's epitaph reads:
Hic ego qui iaceo tenerorum lusor amorum
ingenio perii Naso poeta meo.
At tibi qui transis ne sit grave quisquis amasti
dicere "Nasonis molliter
ossa cubent".
Here I lie,
playful composer of tender love stories,
Naso the poet, ruined by my own
genius;
But for you, who pass by and
have loved, may it
not be hard to say " Naso's
bones may softly rest."
The
two disticha have a clear parallel structure: Each hexameter starts with three
words in the same number of syllables. The fourth words end with the third
stress.
2.
In the first distichon Ovid speaks about himself to
the fictitious visitor of his grave (ego–iaceo–perii–meo),
in the second he addresses the visitor (tibi-transis-amasti).
He connects the two disticha by his cognomen (Naso–Nasonis).
3.
Ovid deplores that his exceptional poetic talents
(ingenio) were also the cause for his sad end (perii). He wants to be
remembered mainly for his love poetry that once made him famous in Roman
society. Especially his ars amatoria had aroused the Emperor's
displeasure who thought it too frivolous and counteractive of his moral
reforms. For reasons not quite known Augustus banished Ovid to a place on the
Shakespeare
feels equal to Ovid for his own love poems and so has good reason to identify
with him. So what Ovid laid down in his epitaph he need not repeat.
4.
In the second distichon Ovid expresses his hope that
posterity will do him more justice than Augustus and remember him kindly. He is
confident that LOVE (amasti) unites people in mutual understanding and
affection.
GOOD
FREND FOR IESVS SAKE
FORBEARE
TO DIGG THE
DVST ENCLOASED HEARE.
BLESTE
BE YE MAN YT SPARES THES STONES
AND CVRST BE HE
YT MOVES MY BONES.
1.
Shakespeare reduces Ovid's classic convention of the
passing-by visitor to two words "GOOD
FREND".
High-nosed
critics are quick to deride Shakespeare's epitaph as doggerel, possibly because
they don't find any of his well-accustomed ingenuity in it. (You will find
about 30 Google hits under '"Shakespeare's epitaph" doggerel'). In
fact, the four lines contain only one single thought in three verbs: Do not DIGG, SPARE, do not MOVE. But simple words and content need not be
primitive. I suspect that, once read, the wording of the lines is kept in
memory as so little significant that it isn't thought worth being thought about
a second time. It is perhaps also a matter of personal belief: If you doubt the
historical Shakespeare to be the author of Shakespeare's plays you will rather
cast a half-hearted look at the lines. So the lines possible require being
thought over several times. Couldn't it be
his last masterpiece of disguise?
2.
Certainly, what Shakespeare gives us to understand in
these four lines, is hard to bear. He first addresses the visitor kindly with "GOOD FREND" (39+45
= 84) and then puts him off with
a "CURST BE" (77+7 = 84)
in the fourth line. To curse someone means to wish him eternal condemnation. Christians may remember what Jesus says about the Last Judgement to
those on the left:
"Depart
from me, you CURSED, into everlasting fire which was prepared for
the devil and his angels."
(Mt 25,41)
We should assume that Shakespeare did not write that last line
lightheartedly, that he rather felt just reasons to do so. In this respect,
however, no strict proof is possible, only well-imagined plausibility.
Ovid's fate is also his: temporary banishment from his home country,
more or less voluntary, absence from his wife and children, from his family and
friends; later on, permanent interior banishment, unsurmountable barriers of
communication.
I suppose Shakespeare was acquainted with people who would have liked to
know more about him, but sensed that there was an ultimate distance that he
would not transgress. He may have subliminally felt persecution all the time
and, suffering traumatically from it, longed for getting rid of it for all
times to come. He guessed that curiosity about his person would survive him and
chose a curse as strongest apotropaic defense.
3.
If you think more closely about it, the
phrase GOOD FREND FOR IESUS SAKE contradicts
the reproach of lacking originality. The reader of the epitaph is called upon
to consider what Jesus did and suffered for all men, that he was friendly to
all people and helped and healed those who came to him (Joh 6,37). Shakespeare
wants to say: "Look at Jesus and try to understand him and you will
understand me. In my theatrical profession I tried to show what humanity is, I
praised virtues and denounced vices. I offer friendship to all people and
expect the same from you."
It should be noticed that Shakespeare avoided religious language in his plays
but that he now openly reveals his faith in Jesus Christ. This means he had
believed in him during all his life but did not openly speak about it. He
expects his salvation only from him.
4.
Shakespeare's appeal FOR
IESUS SAKE in the first line of his epitaph evokes the
circumstances of Jesus' death and resurrection. The phrase "GOOD
FREND" reminds of JUDAS who greeted
Jesus like a friend and then betrayed him with a kiss. And Jesus answered him:
"FRIEND, you have come for this?" (Mt 26,50)
FOR IESUS SAKE then serves as a warning for every
visitor to his grave not to think and act like Judas.
After Jesus had risen from death and the pious women found the grave
empty, two angels said to them: "Why do you look for the living among the
dead?" (Lk 24,5) Shakespeare feels in a similar sense: "My earthly
remains are of no use. They will not help to find out more about the secrets of
my life just as you cannot find anything in mere DUST.
It's too late now. My home is not here any longer. I've left you my literary
work, for which I want to be remembered". Shakespeare may speak with
Shakespeare had proved to be a MAGICIAN of WORD. To
safeguard the rest of his grave he resorts to a last magic spell, acting like a
Prospero.
5.
Presumptuous critics condescend to admit
the "folk quality" of alliteration used in the epitaph without taking
the trouble to find some deeper sense in it. The first line contains three
initial F and
also three S:
GOOD FREND FOR IESVS SAKE
The three F
connect 2+3+1 word groups. There is a connotation of
"FREND FOR IESUS": It can mean either "You who feel friendship
for Jesus" or Jesus is every human being's true friend. The visitor to his
grave, whom Shakespeare calls a friend, should therefore, in friendship For Jesus, do
what the author of the epitaph asks him for: FORBEARE.
6. I'm
not the first to realize that Shakespeare provided for his name to be included
in the epitaph. He does so in three words:
SAKE |
34 |
21 |
55 |
19 |
10 |
29 |
84 |
HEARE |
36 |
34 |
70 |
10 |
19 |
29 |
99 |
SPARES |
74 |
47 |
121 |
39 |
47 |
86 |
207 |
|
144 |
102 |
246 |
68 |
76 |
144 |
390 |
144 = 8*18; 144:1098 = 18*(8:61) = 1242 |
The alphabetical equivalent of 18 = S,
Shakespeare's initial letter. The numerical sum of the epitaph is 1242. We may assume that Shakespeare freely adapted the
spelling –EARE in FORBEARE and
HEARE to his name.
7. Both
IESUS and SHAKESPEARE
contain two S. They appear twice in SPARES and STONES, indicating
Shakespeare's identification with Jesus.
There are 14
S in the epitaph. The alphabetical equivalent for 14 is O. So
the product 14*18 stands for the Initials of OVIDIUS and
SHAKESPEARE.