Milford High School - Oak Lily and Ivy Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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20 THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. “I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?” These words always bring forth a feeling of sympathy from readers or audiences. No doubt they always will because of their appeal to the heart of every free man who believes in democracy. Portia’s mercy speech is another well known passage of The Merchant of Venice, and one to be remembered because of its grace and everlasting truth. Portia tried to persuade Shylock to accept money instead of human flesh for his bond, as she reminded him: “The quality of mercy is not strained. It falleth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” At the end of her speech she begged Shylock to be merciful and spare Antonio. Her womanly loveliness and virtues will ever be remembered. One of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies is Hamlet. This play deals mainly with the misfortunes of Prince Hamlet of Denmark, whose father had been murdered by his uncle. The characteristics of the unfortunate Hamlet are true to life. By turns he is joyful and depressed. He has only one friend, Horatio, in whom he can conflde. All the others are false and artificial. Even his mother fails him. Hamlet’s sweetheart, Ophelia, is so obedient to her father that she disregards Hamlet’s love for her. Her brother, Laertes, is also influenced by his lather. To Laertes, who is about to set out on a journey, Polonius gives a group of maxims: “Give thy thoughts no tongue Nor any unproportion’d thought his act. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment To thine own self. To thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man.” Whom we, to gam our peace, have sent to peace Than on the torture of the mind to lie In restless ecstasy.” “Better be with the dead. peace

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THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 19 SALUTATORY. In behalf of the class of nineteen thirty-one I extend a most cordial welcome to you all. We wish to thank our parents and teachers for their co-operation during the past four years and we desire to express our hap¬ piness at their presence here to-night. THE PHILOSOPHY OF SHAKESPEARE. The title of the foremost writer of English literature of all time is possessed by a man who lived more than three hundred years ago. The fame of that writer, William Shakespeare, has spread through every civilized country and to every generation. The plays of this remarkable dramatist are still read because of their dramatic power, their poetic beauty, and their philosophy, for Shakespeare was a philosopher as well as a dramatist. As a philosopher Shakespeare showed a profound understanding of human nature. He has filled his plays with everlasting truths. He wrote about human ideals and ambitions which are always the same in all ages. The tragedy Julius Caesar is, perhaps, not so popular as others, but, nevertheless, it contains some of the great man’s moral truths. The real hero, Brutus, had worthy ideals which influenced him to murder his friend Caesar. These ideals are now embodied in modern governments. Brutus wanted a democracy and in his own words we read, “I slew my best lover for the good of Rome.” Hence, even though the people of a democracy can¬ not sympathize with the brutal murder of Caesar, they do sympathize with the motives of the noble Brutus. Brutus was loved deeply by his wife Portia. She was a fine type of woman who was at all times loyal to her husband. To give proof of her devotion she said: “I have made strong proof of my constancy. Giving myself a voluntary wound Here, in the thigh: can I bear that with patience. And not my husband’s secrets?” There has been no nobler example of friendship than that between Antonio and Bassanio in Shakespeare’s popular comedy. The Merchant of Venice, Antonio was entirely unselfish, and he even exposed himself to the utmost danger to lend Bassanio money with which to journey to Belmont to woo Portia. Bassanio, in turn, tried his best to save Antonio from Shy- lock’s scheme of revenge. Antonio attempts to console Bassanio with his cheerful farewell words: ' ‘Give me your hand, Bassanio; fare you well! Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you.” The folly of racial prejudice is forcefully exposed in another scene wherein Shylock points out the similarity of Jews and Christians. Fired with indignation over the abuse heaped upon him by the Christians merely because he is of a different religion, Shylock exclaims:

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THE OAK, LILY AND IVY. 21 The characteristics of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem to be reversed. Macbeth was a gallant soldier but was selfish and possessed his full share of moral cowardice. However, he was influenced by his wife, who had ad¬ mirable control of herself and a good supply of moral courage, although she, as a woman, lacked the physical strength of Macbeth. To Macbeth’s expressions of fear she replied: “But screw your courage to the sticking place. And we’ll not fail.’’ Unfortunately, Macbeth became convinced that Duncan’s murder could be accomplished, and he said, “I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.” The murder of Duncan was Macbeth’s first crime but not his last. Each crime made him more cruel and tyrannical, and little by little his moral cowardice disappeared. However, Lady Macbeth, the compelling force in the first of the drama, weakened at the end. She babbled all her secrets for curious listeners to hear. In the night walking scene, the guilty queen cries in remorse: “Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.’’ Macbeth’s realization of the futility of crime comes to him a short time before his death. When in a thoughtful mood, he said: “I have lived long enough; my way of life Is fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf; And that which should accompany old age As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath, Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not.’’ Ben Jonson aptly said, “Shakespeare wrote not for an age but for all time.” In our homes, our libraries, and our schools are volumes of Shakespeare’s works. No other author, ancient or modern, can take his place in our hearts. His ideals are our ideals, and his immortal words are the delight of modern scholars. Leigh Hunt rightly spoke of Shakespeare as “Humanity’s divinest son, that sprightliest, gravest, wisest, kindest one . . . .” Dorothy Phillips, ’31.