Solomonic Influence in Shakespeare’s Work

Life is a tall tale.
Full of sound, raging fury.
It is vanity.

Acts of vanity.
Vanity of vanities.
All is vanity.

Two philosophers.
Both Shakespeare and Solomon.
Cut from the same thread.

Threading together.
Their poetry of knowledge.
About vanity.

The one a poet.
The other king and poet.
Both linked together.

Both as deep thinkers.
Both as life commentators.
Judging vanity.

And so we notice.
The influence of the one.
Upon the other.

Of King Solomon.
Despite the passage of time.
On Shakespeare’s art form.

This is the message.
That these two great men offer:
Vanity corrupts.

And its corruption.
Does not respect anyone.
It is absolute.

King or commoner.
Vanity goes after all.
It leads to downfall.

Yet from Bard Shakespeare.
There is a ray of sunshine.
Penned from his works.

Where Shakespeare declares:
To thine own self be truthful.
Without falsity.

By this guideline.
You would never be false.
To any person.

And Solomon, too.
Sought for justice with mercy.
Dispensing wisdom.

Wisdom that desires.
Erasure of falsities.
Without vanity.

Together both men.
By meditating on life.
Seeking honesty.

Both meditating.
On the bitter and the sweet.
Of right and of wrong.

That life is a tale.
A tale made of our choices.
Ethical choices.

The choices made false.
Are full of our vanities.
Leading to furies.

Thus both men declare.
In sharing their sound wisdom.
Their observation:

Life is a tall tale.
Full of sound, raging fury.
Raging vanity.

Two ancient critics.
Divided by time and space.
Judging vanity.

Two ancient critics.
Both Solomon and Shakespeare.
Judging vanity.

One examines life.
And sees it made of fury.
An idiot’s tale.

Tale of vanity.
That makes one very foolish.
Foolish vanity.

As for the other.
He sees it too as empty.
As pure vanity.

As pure emptiness.
Empty of life’s true values.
Of moral values.

Two ancient critics.
 Both Solomon and Shakespeare.
Judging vanity.

Two philosophers.
Of ethical principles.
Judging vanity.

Both in agreement.
Malady of vanity.
That makes men foolish.