The Secret of Shakespeare (1996)

I finished reading Martin Lings' The Secret of Shakespeare: His Greatest Plays Seen in the Light of Sacred Art this afternoon. I thought I'd better blog about it as soon as I can otherwise a month will pass by and I'll still not have gotten round to it. It has been a refreshing read, as Lings often is. I'll list the plays discussed in the text and then give you a brief idea what the book covers, without any spoilers (hopefully). I read the third edition of the book, which has been revised and enlarged, with a foreword by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales published by Quinta Essentia in 1996.

After the foreword and the preface, the book begins with an explanation of sacred art and then moves onto Shakespeare's outlook. From this point onwards Lings focuses on a series of plays individually which are generally in chronological order. The plays are as follows: Henry IV, Hamlet, Othello, Measure for Measure, Macbeth, King Lear, Anthony and Cleopatra, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest. The final two chapters are 'Notes on Performance and Production' and 'The Secret'. He focuses on the plays of Shakespeare's maturity, and thus the later plays in his writing career, making brief references to earlier works.

Firstly I'd like to comment on Lings' style. His writing is so concise and precise yet so eloquent that it is always a pleasure to read, and sometimes requires rereading so that you can capture the depth of what he has just described. I felt this especially when reading his book Symbol and Archetype and this eloquence has come through here too. I often find myself rereading sentences not always for meaning but because they have been so beautifully constructed. This enhances the reading experience hundredfold and I find I am sat before a wise man who is trying to open our hearts up to fulfil our potential. There is something refreshing and revitalising in his words that not many academic works can offer.

Lings discusses the role and value of spirituality in art and how this is part of what makes it timeless. This is why we keep coming back to certain great works of art, like Shakespeare. He beautifully explains the levels of interpretation and meaning to make sense of the works on various planes. Some of the symbolism Lings clarifies for modern readers is that of marriage, suicide and revenge. He describes how Shakespeare artfully represents suicide and revenge, utterly unchristian acts, in a way that the audience recognise the nobility of the acts in his plays and even sanction them. In bringing the sacred interpretation into light Lings consistently explains the journey of the soul through purgatory and towards heaven. He also distinguishes between alchemy and mysticism, of which there are elements in the plays.

Plays are written to be performed and not only read, and thus Lings considers the implications of producing these plays to a modern audience and to what extent directors ought to deviate from Shakespeare's own productions and why. The risk of an incomplete interpretation of the play could result in a poor production and thus take away from some of the depth intended. He also recognises that the modern audience does not have the same worldview as the audience of Shakespeare's time, which not only affects their interpretation and understanding of the play, but poses a challenge for directors who then have new expectations and pressures on them. Lings' advice is sincere and aims to maintain authenticity so that one can enjoy the intended magic of the original plays without obscure and inaccurate adaptations to cater to superficial tastes.

I haven't elaborated on the finer details and content of the text because I would not be able to do the great author justice; he has crafted his book in a way that I would not want to meddle with because I would be guilty distortion at worst and clumsiness at best. Many of the plays discussed in the book I have previously read or studied through my academic career. However, the few that I hadn't read meant that it was more difficult to follow the analysis and interpretation because, quite simply, I didn't know the story. For this reason, I would suggest you read the plays before reading this interpretation, but read this book before jumping to wild conclusions in order to avoid misunderstanding a significant poetical device. I'm glad I've had Lings' insight into Shakespeare's plays because I had been unable to appreciate Shakespeare very much through a less convincing approach to his work, rendering it somewhat unimportant and now I can re-read the plays with a renewed interest. I would say it has allowed me to take a fresh look at Shakespeare's works.