To be, or not to be. Perhaps the most profound arrangement of thirteen letters and six words. I probably only know these six words from Shakespeare where four of the words are repeated twice.
But let’s talk about what has been posited about the great bard. It is said the name must be a pseudonym as his writings show much insight into the royal court and ruling elite of the day. It is theorised that he said too much and it would have been dangerous to put his real identity forward. As I said this is all supposition and conjecture and I am sure there are plenty of experts on the subject. I am not one of them. Just a layman. I am also speculating on what others have speculated. I encourage others to research.
Anyway speculation has it that during Shakespeare’s time the subject of legal fiction names for man were being discussed. The use of legal fictions was already well known and used for merchant enterprises. It was also the tool used to subjugate nations and continents. They ruled through the use of trading companies. The problem was ruling populations. If only man could be made fiction he could be ruled with ease. The idea that you must have a legal trade name to do business with trading companies was the plan.
Shakespeare was well aware of the implications of this. Man would no longer be. Or could it have been a question of men who were blindly giving up their existence? Maybe it was meant as a lament of what would be if this came to pass? Could he have meant it as encouragement as in be all you can be? Was he trying to educate the people of the perils? Was it a warning?
Whatever his meaning, he was well aware that man would be a slave and ruled by fictional concepts as had nations fallen for the same swindle. Maybe I am wrong and have it totally out of context. What even was the context when he used that phrase?
Maybe I am just an ignorant bog man and not sophisticated enough to decipher the great bard. Actually that is the only statement I have made so far that I can attest to. It’s up to you to be or not to be. All else is speculation.