The Bible Vs. Western Cannon
The Bible Vs. Western Cannon
viewed and enjoyed, during the holidays, at MC, Sir Ridley Scott’s
[Unlike, your sirs at the school, eh!,
Scott was knighted by
Queen Elizabeth II at
Buckingham Palace for his “services to the British film industry” in
the year 2003- Hollywood blockbusters Gladiator (starring
Russel Crowe), Black Hawk Down, Alien, Blade
Runner, Thelma
& Louise, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Kingdom of Heaven, American Gangster, Robin Hood, Prometheus, 1984] ‘Exodus:
Gods and Kings based upon
the Book of Exodus, the
second book of the Hebrew Torah and
the Christian Bible. The defiant leader Moses
[circ.
1530-1650 BC] rises up against the Egyptian
Pharaoh Ramses, setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape
from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues. Trust you haven’t missed
Noah [starring Russel
Crowe] based on the story of Noah’s Ark from
the Book of Genesis of The
Bible at Liberty Lite six months ago
either.
religious text. Bible is a literary masterpiece. The Bible is a priceless Jewel of Human Heritage as the Tripitake has been since it was
enscribed [89-77BC] by the Sinhalese,
already an advanced civilization at Aluvihare temple
under the patronage of King Valagambahu following 12 years of famine in Aloka Lena [Aluvihare], Sri Lanka while the
hoards of painted barbarians (the English) were still fighting the two legions of
Julius Caesar at the beachhead of
modern Wilmer on the coast of Kent [55
BC] of England.
content, for artistry, for affective power Bible is second to none of the
literary masterpeieces. Stillmore, for the way in which it keeps springing
surprises on us is exhilarating.
The Bible has been a significant component of English life for many
centuries, particularly since the publication of the Authorized Version of the Bible in 1611. The Bible has for centuries lit and fired the
imaginations of artists of all genres; the great masters of European Renaissance and those who followed them; the foundations
of English theatre were laid by medieval plays based on biblical events; the
Bible is the main source of inspiration for some of greatest works of western literature such as Milton’s Paradise
Lost as well as John Bunyan’s Pilgrims
Progress. The biblical references are numerous in Shakespeare’s plays.
Now, coming back to our subject, Shakespeare (Oh!!!!! that’s an enormous subject and he was never a subject, he is the king, no the god, who according to Harold Bloom responsible for “Invention of Human“), let’s talk about “The Merchant of Venice”.
The Merchant of Venice contains
more biblical allusions than any
other play by Shakespeare. In The Merchant of Venice, among other
allusions to The Bible, the biblical story of ‘Jacob and Laban’ [1.3.74-92] features, albeit fleetingly, [the
master never attempted to push arguments down the throats of the audience] in
an all important argument on Grace of
the God vs. free will, skill, courage and ingenuity of the human race.
To be continued.
