Shakespearean plays resonate for they explore the universal nature of humans. The themes tread on the cusp between good and evil, the threshold after which sanity falls apart.
In the 1600s, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth. 300 years later, people remain fascinated with it.
It is a story of a man gone astray. It is a story of self-fulfilling prophecies, of lofty ambitions, of macabre intrigue and an eventual fall from grace. It is one man's story but everyman's journey.
During the play, there was a dull ache in the chest, a sense in the wrongness of it all. Didn't this story play itself out many times across the collective history of human beings?
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The drama unfolded in Fort Canning Hill, an open space. Bats were flying about, roused from their sleep by the shifting lights and occasional sonic booms. The weather was kind; gentle winds breezed through the grounds.
The revving of engines as cars sped on the adjacent roads, the somewhat irritating rustle of plastic as people ate their tidbits, the random snatches of a piano tune in the background all contributed to the authenticity of the experience.
It was an interesting venue, no doubt. But viewing a play in the park should be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. More than once and it would no longer be charming.
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The play would appear as an exotic mystery to untrained minds. One must read the plot at least once or it would be all too easy to lose track of the fast-moving play.
A rather enjoyable interpretation of the maestro's words but, in time to come, a somewhat forgettable one.
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Human nature is immutable. We long for progress and hunger for more. It had been so and will continue to be.
But how much more is more? Where do we draw the line?
Macbeth was first the Thane of Glamis, then the Thane of Cawdor. He later usurped the throne and became the King of Scotland. But at what price? The price paid, while intangible, was no less exacting.
As we grow older and begin to worship all the trappings of wealth, perhaps it is time to consider this:
Pride and prestige carry a price with which the mind senses but fails to measure.
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