"Battle of Wills"

The Saunders Portrait (Shakespeare, 1603)

I’m troubled. 

Today in class we watched Battle of Wills, a documentary about a man, Llyod Sullivan, and a painting, the Saunders portrait.  The film documents Mr. Sullivan’s encounters with a number of experts, as he investigates whether this inherited piece of art is actually a true portrait of Shakespeare.  The documentary ended without a final verdict, except that it is the most accurate, or viable, portrait that has been found so far.  This is not what worries me.

As the lights came back on at the end of the film and the TA turned to ask if anyone had questions, a remarkable number of people seemed to share a similar line of thought – “so what?” “What if it is a true portrait of Shakespeare, then what?”  There was deep frustration over the film’s lack of purpose.  This is why I am troubled.  In a third-year English course, full of students looking to obtain a major or minor in the field, the topic of cultural value was at stake and it was quickly being buried under a mountain of criticism, claims of meaninglessness.  Are not all these students looking to graduate with a degree of some sort in literary culture?  Yet, digging for the truth about cultural artifacts is being deemed pointless, simply for the capital value, a waste of money, etc.  It has been frustrating enough spending the last three years defending my degree to “outsiders,” but now I have to fight for the importance of literary culture amongst people with the same end goal? Something just didn’t feel right.

What if it is Shakespeare? Who cares? I do.  It’s culture.  If this actually is Shakespeare, we can finally put a face to one of the most prolific and iconic writers of the English language!  It’s culture.  It’s what shapes different groups of people all around the globe and should be of particular interest for English students who been surrounded by his influences for years.  If tomorrow someone claimed they had an actual portrait of Jesus would these people be saying the same thing?  Probably not.  Why? Because it would mean the world finally had a true likeness of a religious icon who has been shaping peoples lives throughout history.  I’m not trying to say that Shakespeare and Jesus are on the same level… although, to each their own… I simply wish to question how so many people can simply discount this historical moment, or movement.

I understand that I’ve started this commonplace book on a negatively charged rant, but this needed to be said.  As a student of English I am passionate about what I study and it throws me off a little when I find others who don’t feel the same.  I understand how in some of these more history-based courses we may be learning about things that are seemingly outdated, but it is important to remember how these events, people, paintings, shape our lives.