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Shakespeare - His Life and Plays, Chapter TWELVE Not of an age but for all time

Chapter TWELVE Not of an age but for all time

At that time, few people thought of plays as literature. When Ben Jonson published his collected works in 1616, the year of Shakespeare's death, people made a joke about it. They said that Jonson did not know the difference between 'work' and 'play'. So Heminges and Condell did not expect to make much money from publishing Shakespeare's plays in the same way. They did it as a duty in memory of their friend. Eighteen of Shakespeare's thirty-seven plays appeared for the first time in the collected works published in 1623. They included some of his finest tragedies and comedies - Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It and Twelfth Night.

Ben Jonson often criticized Shakespeare's work in private conversations. He was a great dramatist himself, but he wrote a different kind of play. But for Heminges and Condell's complete works, he wrote a fine poem about his friend and rival. He compared him to the best of the Greek and Roman dramatists and said that Shakespeare was the greatest of them all: 'He was not of an age but for all time.' (He did not only belong to his own time. His work will live for ever. ) All writers belong to the time when they live. It is a mistake to imagine that Shakespeare had the same views on religion or politics as we have. No serious student accepts that, and it is a pity that so many modern directors change the meaning of his plays in performance to suit their own opinions. So Jonson was right that Shakespeare was not only a man of his own time. But he was also right in the sense that Shakespeare's plays give pleasure to people at all times and help them to understand life better.

This is partly because the plays are full of exciting scenes and wonderful speeches, and the characters are still real for us because they have a special way of speaking that suits them personally. Shakespeare was never satisfied with one form of play, and so almost all of his plays contain something new and different. He studied the successes of other dramatists and improved on them. Finally, he was a great dramatist because he was an actor. In some of his sonnets, he seems ashamed of his profession. He wanted to be known as a gentleman. But his plays are great because he always imagined them on the stage while he was writing and he knew which actor was going to play each part.

But Shakespeare's great ability in the theatre is only part of the story. King Lear is a play that asks the question: 'What is a man?' In this play, Lear realizes that titles like King or Lord are not the things that matter in life. He learns that ordinary people suffer in the same way as he does and that before everything else, a man is a father, son or husband.

Shakespeare understood the minds of men and women and can help us to understand them. Because he was an actor and spent his life studying people and listening to them, he could imagine the thoughts and emotions of all kinds of men and women. He can make us believe that he knew what an old Jewish person or a black soldier thought, although he had probably never spoken to one. He can show us the hopes and fears of an intelligent young girl or an Egyptian queen, although in his lifetime these parts were always acted by boys.

And so if you are fortunate enough to see a great Shakespeare play well acted, this is still the most wonderful experience that you can have in a theatre.

- THE END -

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Chapter TWELVE Not of an age but for all time Capítulo DOCE No de una época sino para siempre Розділ дванадцятий Не від віку, а на віки віків 第十二章不属于一个时代，而是永远

Shakespeare remembered a number of his friends with small gifts in his will, but only three of them were members of his company: the great actor Richard Burbage, John Heminges and Henry Condell. シェークスピアは彼の意志で小さな贈り物を持った多くの友人を思い出しましたが、彼の会社のメンバーであったのは、偉大な俳優リチャードバーベッジ、ジョンヘミングス、ヘンリーコンデルの3人だけでした。 Burbage died in 1619. The other two are the men who made it possible for us to see and read Shakespeare’s plays today. 他の2人は、今日のシェークスピアの戯曲を見たり読んだりすることを可能にした人たちです。 Двое других - это люди, благодаря которым мы сегодня можем смотреть и читать пьесы Шекспира.

At that time, few people thought of plays as literature. 当時、文学として演劇を考える人はほとんどいませんでした。 В то время мало кто считал пьесы литературой. When Ben Jonson published his collected works in 1616, the year of Shakespeare’s death, people made a joke about it. ベンジョンソンがシェークスピアの死の年である1616年に彼の収集した作品を発表したとき、人々はそれについて冗談を言いました。 They said that Jonson did not know the difference between 'work' and 'play'. 彼らは、ジョンソンは「仕事」と「遊び」の違いを知らなかったと言った。 Они сказали, что Джонсон не знал разницы между «работой» и «игрой». So Heminges and Condell did not expect to make much money from publishing Shakespeare’s plays in the same way. そのため、ヘミングスとコンデルは、シェークスピアの戯曲を同じ方法で出版することで多くのお金を稼ぐことを期待していませんでした。 They did it as a duty in memory of their friend. 彼らは友人の記憶の義務としてそれをしました。 Eighteen of Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays appeared for the first time in the collected works published in 1623. 1623年に出版された収集作品には、18のシェイクスピアの37の劇が初めて登場しました。 They included some of his finest tragedies and comedies - Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It and Twelfth Night. 彼らには、マクベス、アントニー、クレオパトラ、As You Like It、Twelfth Nightなど、彼の最高の悲劇とコメディが含まれています。

Ben Jonson often criticized Shakespeare’s work in private conversations. He was a great dramatist himself, but he wrote a different kind of play. But for Heminges and Condell’s complete works, he wrote a fine poem about his friend and rival. しかし、ヘミンゲスとコンデルの完全な作品のために、彼は彼の友人とライバルについて素晴らしい詩を書きました. He compared him to the best of the Greek and Roman dramatists and said that Shakespeare was the greatest of them all: 'He was not of an age but for all time.' 彼はシェイクスピアをギリシアやローマの最高の劇作家と比較し、シェイクスピアはその中で最も偉大であると述べました。 Он сравнил его с лучшими из греческих и римских драматургов и сказал, что Шекспир был величайшим из них: «Он был не в возрасте, а на все времена». (He did not only belong to his own time. （彼は自分の時間だけに属していたわけではありません。 His work will live for ever. ) All writers belong to the time when they live. It is a mistake to imagine that Shakespeare had the same views on religion or politics as we have. シェイクスピアが私たちと同じように宗教や政治についての見方を持っていると想像するのは間違いです。 No serious student accepts that, and it is a pity that so many modern directors change the meaning of his plays in performance to suit their own opinions. 真面目な学生はそれを受け入れません。そして、非常に多くの現代の監督が自分の意見に合うようにパフォーマンスの彼の演劇の意味を変えるのは残念です。 Ни один серьезный студент с этим не согласен, и очень жаль, что многие современные режиссеры меняют смысл его пьес в спектакле в соответствии со своим мнением. So Jonson was right that Shakespeare was not only a man of his own time. ジョンソンは、シェークスピアが彼自身の時代の男であるだけではないことは正しかった。 But he was also right in the sense that Shakespeare’s plays give pleasure to people at all times and help them to understand life better. しかし、彼はまた、シェークスピアの演劇が常に人々に喜びを与え、彼らが人生をよりよく理解するのを助けるという意味でも正しかった。

This is partly because the plays are full of exciting scenes and wonderful speeches, and the characters are still real for us because they have a special way of speaking that suits them personally. これは、演劇がエキサイティングなシーンと素晴らしいスピーチでいっぱいであり、キャラクターが自分に合った特別な話し方を持っているので、私たちにとってまだ本物だからです。 Shakespeare was never satisfied with one form of play, and so almost all of his plays contain something new and different. He studied the successes of other dramatists and improved on them. Finally, he was a great dramatist because he was an actor. In some of his sonnets, he seems ashamed of his profession. 彼のソネットのいくつかでは、彼は自分の職業を恥じているようです。 He wanted to be known as a gentleman. But his plays are great because he always imagined them on the stage while he was writing and he knew which actor was going to play each part. しかし、彼の芝居は素晴らしいものです。なぜなら、脚本を書いている間、彼はいつも舞台で芝居を想像し、どの役者がどの役を演じるかを知っていたからです。

But Shakespeare’s great ability in the theatre is only part of the story. しかし、劇場でのシェークスピアの優れた能力は物語の一部にすぎません。 Но большие театральные способности Шекспира - это только часть истории. King Lear is a play that asks the question: 'What is a man?' King Lear は、「男とは何か?」という問いを投げかける劇です。 In this play, Lear realizes that titles like King or Lord are not the things that matter in life. この劇では、リアは王や主のような称号は人生で重要なものではないことを理解しています。 He learns that ordinary people suffer in the same way as he does and that before everything else, a man is a father, son or husband. 彼は、普通の人が自分と同じように苦しんでいること、そして何よりも先に男は父親、息子、または夫であることを学びます。 Он узнает, что обычные люди страдают так же, как и он, и что прежде всего мужчина - это отец, сын или муж.

Shakespeare understood the minds of men and women and can help us to understand them. シェイクスピアは男性と女性の心を理解し、私たちがそれらを理解するのを助けることができます. Because he was an actor and spent his life studying people and listening to them, he could imagine the thoughts and emotions of all kinds of men and women. He can make us believe that he knew what an old Jewish person or a black soldier thought, although he had probably never spoken to one. 彼は、おそらくユダヤ人と話したことがなかったとしても、年配のユダヤ人や黒人兵士が何を考えているかを知っていたと私たちに信じ込ませることができます。 He can show us the hopes and fears of an intelligent young girl or an Egyptian queen, although in his lifetime these parts were always acted by boys. 彼は、知的な若い女の子やエジプトの女王の希望と恐怖を私たちに示すことができます。 Он может показать нам надежды и страхи умной молодой девушки или египетской царицы, хотя при его жизни эти роли всегда играли мальчики.

And so if you are fortunate enough to see a great Shakespeare play well acted, this is still the most wonderful experience that you can have in a theatre. そして、もしあなたが素晴らしいシェイクスピアの演技が上手く演じられるのを見るのに十分幸運なら、これはまだあなたが劇場で持つことができる最も素晴らしい経験です。