Last night, we all went to see Othello at The Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national playhouse. The stage was minimal and beautiful. The actors were convincing. I thought that the lead, Othello, portrayed Shakespeare’s character in a compelling way. Before the play, we had a nice dinner. Delicious food and great view of Trinity College Dublin just across the street. At dinner, I began thinking about how we were headed a see a play at Ireland’s national theatre that was written by an Englishman and performed for centuries all over the world. I thought about how that might be hard for the Irish, pulling in the British for their own entertainment—another look to the colonizer. I posed the question to others in the class. We talked about how the play was taking the place of a prominent Irish performance and how well…Shakespeare is Shakespeare.
Later, I began thinking about our discussion in class about forgiveness. This word carries so much weight. It normally only exists because of hurt projected on others. We ask forgiveness when we hurt someone, often someone we care about. We receive forgiveness despite whatever action we committed out of selfishness or pride. I think about how the picture of British culture being interspersed with Irish culture. Maybe this paints a picture of national forgiveness, or at least moves in that direction. We talked in class about how forgiveness allows us to move forward. Un-forgiveness only hinders progress.
After the play a few of us walked around Temple Bar, a vibrant district just south of the Liffey. We met a lot of people—some American, some Irish, and some British. We met a few local Dubliners, born and raised in and around the city—Joel, Andy, and a couple of Pauls. I met a Brit in the bathroom, we chatted, and I walked out to meet the other people he was with. I started thinking about how diverse Dublin is. For good or bad, it seems like an easy and attractive place for Europeans from nearby countries to visit. And Americans, obviously, love Ireland. The global mindset of people in Dublin gives me hope that we can both forgive and be forgiven—personally, culturally, and nationally.
