Our Mother bought a fascinating little book for the grandchildren last Christmas. ‘Will’s Words’ is beautifully illustrated, effectively portraying simple messages through the exaggeration of cartoon. More specifically, it explains the significance of William Shakespeare’s works, its influence on the English language, and why its important for us to continue his study.
Brilliant!
‘… fascinating little book…’
The first page depicts the reality of life in London during 1606 – a truly nasty place captured in perfect detail. Billows of coal smoke arise from hundreds of chimney pots, garbage is strewn throughout the streets, horses rear up, defecating at want. There’s taverns and bawdy houses with truly impish caricatures. There’s even a woman emptying a chamber pot from a top story window, hurling its contents to the streets below. The scene is perfectly vulgar.
“… reality of London in 1606…”
The author then adds descriptors to help a child notice the pick pockets, rogues, muggers, and thieves. All to explain the significance of Shakespeare, his theater, and the important distraction it offered – an escape to an other worldly place, free of the misery Londoners endured on a daily basis.
Makes a lot of sense.
Though a move to Newfoundland would have made a lot more cents!
Which is exactly what was explained to our children;
“…looked like Nirvana.”
The first thing a Newfoundlander should notice about this book are the dates. This story starts in 1606 – only four years before John Guy and the first wave of English colonists established operations in Cupids, Newfoundland. Make no wonder they described Newfoundland as the most opulent living environment on the planet; according to ‘Will’s Words’, it must have looked like Nirvana.
17th century Newfoundland boasted lush forests, beautiful grassy headlands, and a ridiculous abundance of freshwater streams and ponds. There were no agriculture or industrial developments, no wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, nor typhoons. Temperatures remained moderate year-round and even hurricanes quickly downgrade to “Gales” once Newfoundland’s continental shelf soaks up their energy. We don’t have poisonous snakes or spiders, no hostiles, and few predatory animals. And most importantly to anyone with an aptitude for hard work, the oceans teemed with codfish – enough to feed the world with salted ‘Bacalao’, and fill our coffers for nearly 500 years.
“… filled our coffers…”
Despite the absurd “oral history” we love to teach about the “hard times”, the “poverty”, and “miserable weather” in Newfoundland – a quick comparison using real historic data proves that ‘Will’s Words’ could provide the ground work for the world’s first ‘Comedic Tragedy’
‘The Merchant of Venice had a Midsummer’s Dream in Newfoundland’.
