Famous Speeches and their Transformative Potential
ELSA Meet 9 September 2018, Agra.
‘Making a Difference with the Meeting of Minds’
There are several occasions when a spirited speech delivered has refused to die though it may have well established its purpose. Humanity continues to refer to these speeches for multiple reasons and look to them with awe-inspiring adulation.
The 9th September 2018 ELSA Meet on "Famous Speeches and their Transformative Potential" had all present virtually spell-bound by the spirited presentations of members not merely from Agra but of those who participated online in this Meet from Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Dhanbad, Muscat, Oman and U.S.A. in keeping with our ‘ELSA goes Global’ design.
The members came up with a wide variety of speeches ranging from historical, political, social to literary ones. The participation of members from other places earned the ovation and applause of one and all who heartily extended to them a special welcome. Dr. Shipra Kulshreshta set the ball rolling with the landmark speech by Swami Vivekananda in Chicago, coinciding with the 125th anniversary of the event. She mentioned how well the speech resonated with the audience and Americans due to its focus on tolerance and universal brotherhood.
Ms. Sharbani Roy Chowdhury delivered Malala Yusufzai's Nobel prize acceptance speech which lays stress on girl education as only medium capable of bringing change in the terrorism infested parts of the world. Dr Rajan Lal described how Mark Antony was able to instigate the Romans against the conspirators by rightly tugging their emotions. Dr. Srikant talked about Rabindranath Tagore's 'Where the mind is without fear.” Dr. Santosh spoke about the moral dilemma of Doctor Faustus in the play by the same name wrtten by Christopher Marlowe. Faustus' last speech before his eternal damming shows that the choice of good and evil lies with us and rhat we suffer for the choices we make. Dr. Chanda Singh mentioned another memorable speech from Shakespeare's play Richard II delivered by John of Gaunt which is still relevant as political advice to rulers. Mr. Saurabh Agarwal quoted excerpts from Winston Churchill's "Blood toil tears and sweat" to make a point that this speech not only established Churchill as prime minister of England but instilled new confidence in the country which faced a formidable opposition from Nazi forces. Dr. D.K. Singh and Mr. Shravan Kumar also shared their views on impact of speeches.
Dr. Margarita Merino from U.S.A. referred to the famous speech by President John F. Kennedy delivered a few months before his assassination. The speech is a call to students in universities to rally around for world peace through word and action. Professor Jonah Raskin from California took into account the "I Have a Dream" and other speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Ritu Bali from Muscat discussed Malala's speech at the UN that created history on account of its advocacy of girls’ right to education denied by both patriarchy and radical Islam. Dr. Arati Biswal from Bhubaneswar highlighted the salient features of Charlie Chaplin's speech in the film written and directed by him titled The Great Dictator (1940). Dr. Seema Sinha from Dhanbad titled her presentation “Shylock: A candle in the wind” and pointed out how marginalization negatively impacts individuals,communities and nations. Dr. Manju Rani from Chandigarh discussed Swami Vivekananda's “The Secret of Work.”
Prof. Nibir Ghosh moderated the event and summed up the Meet with his comments on elements that render a speech historic: passion for truth, eloquence, rhetoric, sense of belonging to a cause, essential humanness, love of freedom, scientific rationalism and the ability to touch the emotional chord in us so as to persuade us to peep within and live to the ideals that can change the world.
"Address at American University” by
President JOHN F. KENNEDY
at Washington,
D.C., June 10, 1963
https://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-045-002.aspx
Comments by Margarita Merino
After the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis,
and the tough issues with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev--and although
they had dangerous stumbles--they forged a way to new beginnings. It
was a very fine speech by president Kennedy, pushed by
the circumstances to be a cold war adversary before but who had
the right sense to be a human being first when the worst moment arrived,
ignoring the advice of some military personal or clandestine services whose
advice pushed him to that undesirable and embarrassing situation in
Cuba.
In this speech --where JFK, points out the task and
role of universities and their graduated generations to spread
knowledge against ignorance to serve the country in the task of
peace--, he spoke with humility, briefly and in a practical way, easy to be
understood, about issues so crucial for mankind, focused in common sense
and universal interest. It is very sad to imagine how—if his abominable assassination would have
never happened about five month after his words-- he would have evolved
under the sensitive influence of his brother Robert (who was
sincerely moved so deeply to civil rights which
his privileged childhood had not permitted him to know.
As he was not intimidated to fight the mob and to prosecute the
light of truth—no matter it would have been so close to the fortune and
ways of his own father who instigated his sons to be politicians but who was
unable to control their chosen paths.) These two young men had a
special part in the more subtle American Dream that died with them and
with Dr. Martin Luther King.
It is hard to compare the speeches given by Dr.
Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy or Robert Kennedy, —the
three of them assassinated, by the same sinister forces—, (or to compare
the ones given by the Clintons or the Obamas in
contemporary times) with the
harsh, illiterate, manipulative loose words and
propaganda,--encouraging rage, racism, intolerance, fake news— of a
person who is now in the White House but has not the ethics neither
the profile to be there. Unfortunately for the world...
- Dr. Margarita Merino has worked in education, graphic design and the media. An acclaimed poet writing in Spanish and English, she has lectured, given recitals and sung in prairies, prisons, theaters, classrooms, night-clubs, cloisters and castles. Born in Spain, she lives in USA.
“I Have A Dream” and Other Speeches
by
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Comments by Prof. Jonah Raskin
Without a doubt the most impressive speech I ever heard live and in person was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” Except that I wasn’t impressed with it at the time, which was August 28, 1963. It was only after I read the entire speech and heard recordings and videos of it that I was not only impressed but also moved and inspired.
In the spring of 1964, when my girlfriend at the time and I decided to get married, we chose for the date of our wedding ceremony the one-year anniversary of King’s speech. We were dedicating our lives to one another and also to the civil rights movement of which we had been a part ever since the late 1950s.
Before Eleanor and I were married in New York on August 28, 1964, I spent the previous three-months teaching at a college for African Americans in North Carolina. That summer three civil rights activists were murdered in Mississippi, their bodies buried in a shallow grave.
The day after Eleanor and I were married we moved to England, where we lived for three years. It was a political as well as a personal decision. It seemed to both of us that King’s “Dream” of integration and peace between black people and white people would not be realized in our life times. It seemed clear and it seemed obvious that the United States would be engulfed in violence.
JFK had been assassinated in November 1963 just months after King gave his speech in Washington D.C. King himself would be assassinated in 1968. That same year Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. Plus there was the violence of the War in Vietnam and the violence from police officers and U.S. troops on U.S. soil.
By the summer of 1964, King’s pacifism seemed obsolete. Malcolm X said as much in speeches he gave, including one entitled “The Ballot or the Bullet.” In fact, I came to admire Malcolm X as a speaker more than I admired King. I didn’t see how segregation and racism would be ended non-violently. Over the years I have come to admire King more and more and to turn to his speeches for inspiration. I love his voice, his cadence and his language. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” has become an integral part of me. So has the speech he gave on April 5, 1967 in which he came out against the War in Vietnam and said that the United States was “The greatest purveyor of violence in the world.” If he were alive today I think he would make the same statement. It would be no less relevant.
Recently, I have looked back at August 28, 1963 and wondered why I was not moved by King’s speech that day. What I know now is that I was a young person. I was 21-years-old. I had just graduated from college, and, while I knew African Americans and spent time in Harlem, I had never seen so many Africans Americans gathered together to hear their leader as they did on August 28. 1963. They surrounded me, and that felt good.
In those days, I didn’t appreciate the art of rhetoric, and didn’t understand the power of African American churches and African American ministers like King. Though there was and still is no one like King. There is only one King. But he was not a one-speech person. His April 4, 1967 was and still is brilliant. It took courage for him to deliver it, especially when he was urged not to condemn the War in Vietnam.
For me, the crucial part of King’s April 4 speech is this: “As I have walked among the desperate, rejected, and angry young men, I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems…But they ask -- and rightly so -- what about Vietnam?” King added, “Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government.”
King taught me not to remain silent, but rather to speak out in the face of violence, lies, corruption and injustice and to do so with the power of language and with passion, too. Thank you, MLK.
- Jonah Raskin, a professor Emeritus at Sonoma State University, is the author of 14 books, including A Terrible Beauty: The Wilderness of American Literature. He serves on the advisory board of Re-Markings (www.re-markings.com)
Final Speech from
Charlie Chaplin's film The Great Dictator (1940)
https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/.../29-The-Final-Speech-from-The-Great-Dictator-
Comments by Dr. Arati Biswal
https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/.../29-The-Final-Speech-from-The-Great-Dictator-
Comments by Dr. Arati Biswal
"It is a paradox that every dictator has
climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power
each dictator has suppressed all free speech..." - Herbert Hoover
The power of words cannot be underestimated.
Words can inspire, heal and rally people together to unite for a good cause.
Words can also cause divisions, spread hate, poison men's souls and disrupt the
notion of "universal brotherhood" of man. Charlie Chaplin, icon of
the Silent Era movies is more identifiable by his on-screen persona of the
Tramp, clad in baggy pants, tight coat, bowler hat, oversized battered shoes
and stick. As Europe reeled under the destructive fascist regime of Hitler and Mussolini,
Chaplin decided to address the threat it posed to Europe and humanity at large
with the first of his "talkie," The
Great Dictator (1940) his first film with dialogue. The film written,
directed, produced and starring Chaplin was a biting political satire on Adolph
Hitler, fascism and its practitioners, anti-Semitism and the Nazis.
The speech, of five minutes duration, at the end
of the film is a masterful piece of elocution, a tour de force of resistance to
the tyranny of Dictators, the "brutes". It was written and delivered
to perfection by Chaplin. An evocative and uplifting piece of oration, the
words strike a chord even today as it did in the 40s, a period of great turmoil
in world history as fear loomed with Hitler's Blitzkrieg. Chaplin spent many months
drafting and re-writing the speech to perfect it. In the speech, a Jewish
barber who has been mistaken for Adenoid Hynkel (Adolf Hitler) the dictator
ruler of Tomainia addresses an audience of soldiers from two warring countries.
The speech is a clarion call for peace and humanity in a machine dominated
world torn by greed and violence. A call for hope in the face of overwhelming
despair. It is a call to the soldiers and people in the world to free
themselves from the shackles of tyrants who manipulate men for personal gains.
To stand united and overcome all barriers of race, religion and nationality for
freedom and human dignity. Human beings must rise to their humanity in kindness
and compassion. They must look with hope to a better world where all, children,
old, and young live in secure harmony and as Chaplin remarked in his
autobiography as "a normal, decent human being". The speech goes
beyond its immediate context to become a message for all humanity of the need
to overthrow dictators and allow reason to prevail. It secured for Chaplin a
position in the pantheon of great orators, a commendable feat considering that
he was a comedian and entertainer.
Stand-up comedy is the ultimate form of free speech. In this speech Chaplin makes good use of comedy to drive home his message. The comedic device of “mistaken identity" is used effectively as the nameless Jewish barber resembles the Dictator and is later mistaken for him. Situational irony is created. Further use of irony is seen when the barber uses the pattern of the Dictator's speeches, to juxtapose the humane content of Chaplin's speech to contrast and expose the barbaric warmongering content in Hitler's speeches. Chaplin also mimics Hitler's speech skills by beginning on a calm, unobtrusive note and as the speech gains momentum, the crescendo rises to an impassioned level. The pitch rises and he begins gesticulating. The words are charged with emotion. Pathos is used as a tactic to call for action.The speech uses repetition, juxtaposition, similies "like cattle,""like cannon fodder," metaphors such as "machines men with machine hearts," 'brutes" and "cattle," parallelism, opposition "we think too much and feel too little," "Dictator's free themselves but enslave people," Biblical allusion "the Kingdom of God is within man" (Luke, Ch-17) to create effect. "The God is within man" (Luke, Ch-17) to create effect. The comic mask drops as Chaplin speaks, conveying to the world his view that people must unite and rise against Dictators to ensure a "free and beautiful life" a life of liberty, happiness, peace and progress."
Stand-up comedy is the ultimate form of free speech. In this speech Chaplin makes good use of comedy to drive home his message. The comedic device of “mistaken identity" is used effectively as the nameless Jewish barber resembles the Dictator and is later mistaken for him. Situational irony is created. Further use of irony is seen when the barber uses the pattern of the Dictator's speeches, to juxtapose the humane content of Chaplin's speech to contrast and expose the barbaric warmongering content in Hitler's speeches. Chaplin also mimics Hitler's speech skills by beginning on a calm, unobtrusive note and as the speech gains momentum, the crescendo rises to an impassioned level. The pitch rises and he begins gesticulating. The words are charged with emotion. Pathos is used as a tactic to call for action.The speech uses repetition, juxtaposition, similies "like cattle,""like cannon fodder," metaphors such as "machines men with machine hearts," 'brutes" and "cattle," parallelism, opposition "we think too much and feel too little," "Dictator's free themselves but enslave people," Biblical allusion "the Kingdom of God is within man" (Luke, Ch-17) to create effect. "The God is within man" (Luke, Ch-17) to create effect. The comic mask drops as Chaplin speaks, conveying to the world his view that people must unite and rise against Dictators to ensure a "free and beautiful life" a life of liberty, happiness, peace and progress."
- Dr. Arati Biswal recently retired as HOD P.G. Dept. of English, R.D. Women's University, Bhubaneswar
Shylock's Speech from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Comments by Dr. Seema Sinha
Comments by Dr. Seema Sinha
1. Shylock is the voice of the marginalised. 2. The arrogance and the religious intolerance of Antonio is unpardonable. 3. Ironically, he is the most admired man in the city of Venice. His
hatred towards the Jews is in complete contrast to his friendship towards his
fellow Christians. 4.The society was based on religious and ethnic hatred. Portia
dismisses the dignified Prince of Morrocco as having the complexion of "
the devil" because he is black, while the profligate Bassanio who
puts his best friend in peril is good enough for her. 5. The cruelty of the society changes Shylock into a murderous man. 6. The belief of the Christians in their own superiority and their indifference to the emotional and physical torture practiced on the Jews is shocking. They believed in their moral right to abuse the Jews. 7. The speech on "Mercy" should have been addressed to the
Christians also. 8. Shylock is a representative of the religious abuse of the Jews down
the centuries. It finally reached its climax in the Nazi Germany in the twentieth
century. 9. The result of the genocide of the Jews has created fresh and insoluble problems in the creation of Israel out of the Palestinian land resulting in a violent clash of Arab and Jewish conflict. 10. If the cry of the Jew had been heeded then the world would have been a better place.
If we could learn lessons from history we could avoid repeating the same
mistakes.
- Dr. Seema Sinha is Head, P.G. Dept. of English at B. B. M. K. University at Dhanbad, Jharkand.
Malala Yousafzai's Speech at the UN
Comments by Dr. Ritu Bali
Malala's
power packed speech in UN is the call of the day for the peaceful coexistence
of human tribe under the banner of universal brotherhood. She focuses world
attention to women rights/human rights of Pakistan but echoes upon the
terrorism worldwide. She asked for support from the developed nations for
compulsory education, protection of children rights and for governments to
tackle radical Islam. Not only this, her realistic approach brings forth her
fight against poverty, ignorance, racism, injustice, child labour etc. These are basic main problem faced by people in
developing nations besides terrorism. At
such a young age Malala showed the world what courage was all about.
Experiences made her richer in understanding. Her speech is marked in history
and shall remain to guide people and spread positivity. Her approach is
universal and broader in perspective. She dreams of a brighter peaceful and
progressive world and that is what makes her so special.
Note: Malala marked her 16th
birthday by delivering the speech at the UN
headquarters in New York on July 12, 2013.
- Dr. Ritu Bali is a poet and freelance writer to various literary magazines and newspapers and uthor of her debut book of poetry Heart to Art. She has been living at Oman since last 15 years and is an active member of Muscat poetry group which is a part of Indian Social Club. She did her Ph.D. on Dom Moraes.
Swami Vivekanand’s ‘The Secret of Work’: A Key to Happiness
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/kyog/kyo
Comments by Dr. Manju
Work is always considered a kind of burden by most of the people while again ironically sinners are given solitary confinement where they have nothing to do. We have an obvious question how work which is considered worship can be the cause of one’s distress and how to enjoy our work. Swami Vivekanand suggested a panacea in his speech ‘The Secret of Work’ where he considers ‘Karmayoga’ (work) a source of salvation if it is done incessantly and by keeping our soul “unattached”. Work whether it is good or bad carries its own consequences. “Good action will entail upon us good effect; bad action, bad.” When any work is done focusing on its consequence, it holds our soul in the bondage like chains. Good action can be understood like golden chains and bad actions iron ones. But chains are chains. A golden trap is as painful as an iron one. We can keep our soul free if we work incessantly but let not the mind be affected with the consequence or with the work itself. If we really want to make our work a pleasant experience, we’ll have to work like a master by loving our work and not expecting anything in return because “Every act of love brings happiness.” This keeps our soul unattached as “Attachment comes only where we expect a return.” On the other hand a person who works like a slave keeps himself attached with the result; does his work as if bondage will have a terrible experience. Thus it can be said that work is very important but keeping ourselves detached from the temptation of result is rather more significant. It is as simple “as water cannot wet the lotus leaf, so work cannot bind the unselfish man by giving rise to attachment to results.” Such work can be called worship as we expect nothing from mankind for the work we do.
- Dr. Manju teaches English in the department of UILA, Chandigarh University, Punjab. She is a poet and a story-teller.
John of Gaunt’s Dying Speech in William Shakespeare, Richard II
Comments by Dr. Chanda Singh
On his deathbed, John of Gaunt, in the manner of a "prophet newly inspired," warns his self-willed, arrogant nephew, King Richard II, of the dire consequences of his irresponsible, rash actions and negligence of duties as a king anointed in the name of God. Gaunt glorifies England by calling it "demi-paradise," "other Eden," "seat of Mars" etc. It is Richard's duty to do everything possible to safeguard England's high reputation and ensure the welfare of the "happy breed of men" that inhabit it. But he has reduced England to a "tenement" or "pelting stone" by leasing out its lands. The King, Gaunt laments, has reduced himself to a mere Landlord. Richard not only squanders the wealth of the nation but even confiscates the land and wealth of Gaunt upon his death, robbing Gaunt's son Henry of his rightful heritage. Gaunt's dying speech and Richard's act of seizing the property of the dead man has a tremendous transformative effect. Public opinion swings in favour of Gaunt's son, Henry Bolingbrook of Lancaster, who usurps the throne effortlessly. Richard dies in prison. Before his death Richard, looking into the mirror, says "I wasted time, and now time doth waste me." The speech is an exhortation to all rulers, world over, to warn them against self-indulgence and exploitation.
- · Dr. Chanda Singh, former HOD English, RBS College, Agra
Transformative Potential of Dr. Faustus' Last Speech
(Act V, Scene III, Lines 68-110)
Comments by Dr. Santosh Kumar Singh
The last scene in Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus is one of the most magnificent scenes of the play. The soliloquy of Dr. Faustus stands out as a remarkable speech in the whole range of English Literature. The Psychological peculiarity of Faustus' mind has been exquisitely painted. The doctrine of Medieval Christianity is powerfully exposed: the obsession with sin and eternal suffering in hell. The last scene reveals the death of a soul, struggling with its own fantasies and the delusions of Christian Theology. The pathetic and heroic figure of Faustus would be a lesson to all ages. The Theory of transformation of souls is known as metempsychosis. His sincere repentance for his misdeeds tells us a great lesson that in our life we should follow the path made by the Almighty. We should listen to the voice of Conscience not Will. Faustus finds relief in the theory of Pythagoras to escape himself forever from the eternal hell. But soon he realises that the soul is immortal and he has to suffer eternal damnation in hell. He yearns to make a last minute effort to save his soul by sincere repentance and fervent prayer. Hence he makes a frantic appeal to all the planets to to pray to God for His mercy and forgiveness. Should we conclude that in beginning phase of life human beings are probably a disbeliever in God and religion? May be at the climax of life, afraid of eternal damnation, we become believer of God. In the concluding lines I wish to say to correlate its transformative potential in every human life. A man should always do good deeds without harming physically and psychologically any creature on this universe. Act good and be happy is the base of life. It is universal appeal and cosmopolitan approach. Excessive worldly desires are the cause of deterioration and decay.
- · Dr. Santosh Kumar Singh teaches English at Sachdeva Institute of Engineering, Agra.
“Blood, Sweat, toil and tears” by Winston Churchill
Comments by Mr. Saurabh Agarwal
This speech delivered by Mr. Winston Churchill on 13 May 1940 was one of the memorable speeches made by British Prime Minister who led England at the time of World War II. His speech is addressed to British parliament three days after he took over the office of Prime Minister after Chamberlain who had led an unsuccessful armed crusade in Norway against Germany. The German troops had been gathering in France too. Churchill through this historic speech had consolidated his own political standing in England. The opposition Labour party was ready to support him affected by his speech: “If you ask what is our policy, it is to wage war by sea, land and air with all our might,” said Winston Churchill. “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” His words prepared the country for the upcoming war.: “Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, “come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.” His words had potential not only to assure him Prime Ministership but to lead a confident country against the tyranny of Nazi Germany. Indeed, the speech was so effective that, in 2003, TIME included it on the list of ‘80 days that changed the world.’
- Mr. Saurabh Agarwal is an entrepreneur based in Agra and is an avid lover of books and literature.
Mark Antony and His Transformative Rhetoric
Mark Antony’s Funeral Speech in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
Comments by Dr. Rajan Lal
Mark Antony’s speech is considered one of the most inflammatory political rhetoric all the world over. Antony begins: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;/ I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” Even the opening words serve the purpose of his reverse psychology. He does place himself on the same level as the commoners. Antony beguiles Brutus and conspirators by employing greasy words ‘honourable and noble.’ He instigates the Roman crowd by his political rhetoric against the conspirators. He argues, was Caesar ambitious if 1. He filled the Roman treasury with ransoms. 2.when he saw the hardships that many Romans live in deplorable predicament, he cried for them;3. three times I (Antony) offered the crown to him (Caesar), and he refused it; 4. he has left a legacy for every Roman? Thus, Antony transformed the mentality of commoners from accusing Julius Caesar to Brutus and allies and compelled them to commit suicide.
Address by Swami Vivekananda at the
World Parliament of Religions, Chicago 11 September 1893
Comments by Dr. Shipra Kulsrestha
There are many dignitaries who made their nation feel proud of them. Such one luminary was Swami Vivekanand. The speech given by him in1893 was a landmark in the history of world. We celebrated recently 125th anniversary of the speech on 11 September, 2018. He spoke at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago that he was representing a religion which taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. The significance of his speech rests on the fact that he refuted the exclusive survival of any religion and the destruction of the others. He spoke of "Harmony and peace and not dissension." He uttered that “we Indians believe not only in universal toleration but we accept all religion as true. He said that we must assimilate the spirit of others yet preserve our individuality and grow according to our own law of growth. It's a great thing when we think not only for ourselves but of the whole world as our own. In such terms only we fulfil the spirit of "Vasudhev Kutubakum.”
- Dr. Shipra Kulsrestha teaches English at Nagar Nigam Girls College, Agra.
“To be, or not to be, that is the question”
spoken by Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Comments by Nibir K. Ghosh
Having
taught Hamlet to my PG students for
decades, I can’t help recalling how many times I have been drawn to this
soliloquy for numerous reasons. First and foremost “To be, or not to be, that is the
question” reflects the dilemma which each individual has to confront
sometime or the other in the course of his/her life. Though Shakespeare wrote
this nearly four centuries ago, the speech will always remain contextual irrespective
of time, clime, nation or culture. Even today, when we see the daily newspapers
filled with rising incidents of suicide, we keep wondering what may have
actually led to the untimely self-inflicted end to a life. Be it the “slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune” or “a sea of troubles” or “whips and scorns of time,/Th 'oppressor's
wrong, the proud man's contumely,/ The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's
delay,/ The insolence of office, and the spurns/ That patient merit of th' unworthy
takes,” it is the decision of a single moment in isolation that compels one to
take the extreme step. Albert Camus was right when he stated, “rarely
is suicide committed through reflection … In a sense, and as in melodrama,
killing yourself amounts to confessing. It is confessing that life is too much
for you or that you do not understand it.” My plea is that when we confront a
situation that seems unbearable, we must reflect for a moment and visualize
what we intend to achieve by killing ourselves. That will not only save a life
but also lead one to think of coping with grace under pressure and doing
something for the good of all rather than leave behind a trail of misery for
the ones we leave behind.
·
Dr.
Nibir K. Ghosh, former Head, Department of English Studies &
Research, Agra College, Agra is UGC Professor Emeritus. He has been a Senior
Fulbright Fellow at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA during 2003-04.
An eminent scholar and critic of American,
British and Postcolonial literatures, he is Author/Editor
of 14 widely acclaimed books and has published
over 170 articles and scholarly essays on various political, socio-cultural and
feminist issues in prestigious national and international journals. He is founder Chief Editor of Re-Markings, a refereed international biannual journal of English Letters in the 17th year of its publication (www.re-markings.com)
