Obviously Shakespeare means different things to different people, but after walking around on Saturday I realized just how vast his legacy remains. We saw a man dressed as a statuesque ghost, young people performing scenes from Shakespeare, and older women wearing cowboy outfits dancing a Shakespeare-like jig. The fact that so many people came out for this event and responded in such different ways speaks to Shakespeare’s universality. His works can be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways which exist outside the constraints of age, time, and culture.
Shakespeare’s unbelievable legacy seems to be based on his ability to produce universal themes which can be understood by people of all ages. I wondered if the themes in popular modern films could relate to the themes which have stood the test of time from Shakespeare. Surprisingly to me, Frozen stood out as an incredibly popular piece which both children and young adults adore. During Clara’s birthday party, both she and the class could be heard singing the lyrics to “Let it go,” and I couldn’t help but think of The Roaring Girl. Elsa and Moll both find peace in allowing their desires to dictate their actions despite disapproval from their societies.
It is true that Shakespeare produces a lasting legacy, but his contemporaries also promote modern themes. Elsa’s character seems so similar to The Roaring Girl, and it made me think about what Lisa said about how the Royal Shakespeare Company exists for modern entertainment rather than as a museum piece. This trip caused me to realize the immortality of good literature and its ability to speak to universal themes of all ages and cultures rather than a specific time. Elsa represents a wonderful example of a roaring girl who pursues her own pleasures rather than attempts to please the people around her. The popularity of this song speaks to the feelings of release, freedom, and acceptance of a self-imposed type of loneliness which are so important to Moll Cutpurse and the message she conveys in The Roaring Girl.