Men and their internal struggles
When Shakespeare wrote Merchant of Venice he played with the men’s emotions on center stage. We got a sense of understanding how anger and hatred can affect reason.
Only a literary genius would portray the character of Shylock who seemingly was the embodiment of someone with so much vindictiveness in his heart. Shylock demanded Antonio’s pound of flesh should the latter fail to pay back a loan in due time. He hated Antonio’s anti-Semitic views.
Shakespeare’s literary masterpiece used the characters of Shylock, Antonio and Portia in underlining men’s weakness. When Shylock asked Antonio’s pound of flesh, Shakespeare pointed out that hatred knows no bounds. Barbaric may be the ways of men in the olden times but it was direct and honest. The modern times approach to anger is subtle, scheming and deceptive. However, the intent is the same and that is to let the perceived enemy suffer. Portia’s challenge came with a condition. “Antonio should not bleed.” What could be more impossible than that? A cut in the flesh and no blood?
As a teleserye often times focuses on a storyline involving vengeance, in the end, the producer or director of the show gives the story a twist. There is no such thing as sweet revenge.
Leviticus 18:18: “Don’t seek vengeance. Don’t bear a grudge; but love your neighbor as yourself for I am the Jehovah.” However, in Leviticus 24:19-20 “The penalty for injuring anyone is to be injured in exactly the same way. Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Whatever anyone does to another shall be done to him.” Precisely we were given free will so we can decide which way to go but it comes with consequences.
Social media has made it easier for us to fight back especially when one is a victim of bashing. Many will agree with me through their experience that by ignoring the bashing, one raises the bar in dealing with the situation when one decides to let it pass. Everything comes in passing, good or bad since nothing is permanent in this world especially in politics. Alliances depend on expediency. That is understandable. However, when there is so much division in almost all issues of governance, there must be something wrong.
Former President Fidel Ramos wrote in his book: “The future of the world stands on the shoulder of the people.” For me, that is the true essence of people power. A united people.