When people think of culture, particularly of high culture and society, they almost always naturally think of the works of William Shakespeare.  In fact, it can be said that having read Shakespeare, being able to discuss the plays and quote them, and also having attended actual play performances is a high water mark for high culture.  The classic image of a Shakespearean aficionado is that of a well-manicured man wearing an expensive suit and tie, neatly groomed with an old-fashioned timepiece in his pocket.  He sits front row at the play, politely applauding the ends of the acts, his closed umbrella sitting by his knee.  Somewhere close by, a woman in a long, elegant dress with her face demurely made up also claps. 

            Somewhere else, a gangly couple in old jeans and torn t-shirts throws themselves down into seats at a ratty old movie theater, the very definition of being unrefined and lowbrow.  They’ve heard of William Shakespeare, every single person in the world has, but have never seen a play and couldn’t quote any of his works to save their lives. 

            Of course, this is all looking at Shakespeare’s work in hindsight after centuries have passed and people have discovered and rediscovered these plays and lauded their genius.  Back in Shakespeare’s day, however, he and his troupe were the very definition of unkempt, gangly, and coarse.  They traveled around the English countryside, often performing outside on the dirty grass even in the rain and wind if it came to it.  Occasionally, they played in theaters, such as the infamous Globe, but all types of people came out to watch them.  Even the dirtiest and lowliest field workers grabbed seats at the back. 

            Royalty commissioned plays and had private performances and Shakespeare’s troupe would clean themselves up for that, but not their plays.  For the time period, Shakespeare’s plays were utter filth, constantly making sexual innuendos and jokes, often relying on black sexual humor that today we’d think only the most lowbrow would find funny. 

            And look at the plays themselves.  Romeo and Juliet is considered by many to be the greatest, most tragic love story of all time.  People today don’t think about how both Romeo and Juliet were probably no older than 14 or 15.  When he first appears in the play, Romeo is even mooning over another girl, then later on becomes infatuated with Juliet at Lord Capulet’s ball.  This isn’t the greatest of all loves.  This is a young, immature couple getting caught up in themselves and their emotions and then acting impetuously.  That’s what led to their suicides.  They were young and stupid. 

            Othello is another well-regarded play by the bard from Stratford.  Yet, even though Iago schemes against Othello and manipulates him, there’s a massive amount of sexual tension built between him and Iago throughout the whole play.  It’s simply dripping with homoeroticism.  And William Shakespeare was too able and experience a playwright not to know what he was doing writing it. 

            It just goes to show that time and context have a lot to do with anything you read and appreciate.