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 Italy (cf. Richard Paul Roe, The Shakespeare Guide to Italy 2011). I don't hesitate to identify this author with Shakespeare from Stratford, who in Italy found a chance to complete his education and deepen his faith. Of course, questions emerge inevitably. How could he leave and re-enter his country undetected? He somehow managed; but admittedly, his absence from England is difficult to imagine and explain.

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 Black Sea in 8 AD. Ovid died about eight years later shortly before his pardon could be reached.

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.

III. SHAKESPEARE

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 St. Paul: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2Tim 4,7).

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.

 

 

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