“You know you’ve been given a rare opportunity to talk to our agency and break a shocking news story, report or whatever you name it.” said the heavy man behind the table with a strange smile…”Yes, sir” I said with a troubled smile as I was not still sure that I came here or was brought here.
Then I was still awe-inspiring with the very structure of that building that was covered with one-way dark glass which was lined up with copper shielding and could be described as its ‘modern boxy structure’.
Now, this heavyweight officer and phantom-like people all around made a good recipe for being terror struck. “And you know what’s that great news ?”, the officer asked….”No sir I was just summoned to have a briefing from your headquarters.”
“Okay then listen, we’ve finally managed to prove it and now going to declare that Shakespeare is a terrorist.”….. The pen slipped out of my hands and I had to compose myself quickly…..”But why Shakespeare?
And why this expression ‘Shakespeare is a terrorist’ while he has died.” The officer told, ” By the way, he is still active in terrorist circles both intellectually and physically….and take it as a start as we are visiting art and literature.
We started from him because he is the most important figure.” ..”But he was a great artist.” I complained, “And here lies the problem, his influence is also great like him. Just look at this line,
Give me my Romeo, and when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine,
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to garish Sun.”
In a shock, I said,” But it’s a metaphorical expression depicting deep love and sorrow.”….”Our agency is not a literary institute and we read in a straight fashion. In addition to Othello, Macbeth and other plays we are decoding the soliloquies of Hamlet. His plays are full of intrigues, violence and non-state actors.
And by the way why he selected a Jew as the antagonist in ‘The Merchant of Venice’.It created a wave of persecution in the times to come.”…Now I spoke in a bit confident voice, ” But Jews respect Shakespeare. They were bankers and financiers in Europe at that time. He has got nothing to do with their persecution rather he would have strongly opposed it. There were wily politicians behind it.
” Now the officer stated in a flat tone, “It is nothing to do with any religion, we are a secular agency.” …..”Then what literature and literary figures have got to do with terrorism ?” I agitated and now he looked straight into my eyes and said, ” You perhaps didn’t read Laurie Anderson’s interview with Tom Stromberg. She cited a book in which the author claims the terrorists are the true artists, they’re only people capable of changing everything… the interesting story… we got to know by bugging electronic system that Shakespeare has been in touch with many dangerous people as well as political leaders.
Then look in Kurl Vonnegut’s novel where one of the protagonists watches a video showing the Second World War backwards. To watch the second world war drives the people to despair, but this character watches the film backwards, backwards over Germany, bombs fly from the ground to the aircraft as if attracted by a magnet and they return to America.
The thing I’m working on has got this kind of dynamics.”……”But it was written in 1990″ now I replied without any hesitation… and the official replied, ” And our agency has been working with the CIA since 1978. You know Shakespeare has a double identity.
Some years back you might have read in the newspapers that a man named Sheikh Zubair was Shakespeare in fact. And I tried to explain, “Though Shakespeare’s biography is a bit complicated he certainly belonged to the UK.” “So in this way, he has got a triple identity.” the official grinned.
Now I asked a bit cautiously, “What’s the EU’s reaction on this issue ?”…” They are reacting very sharply…”, I heaved a sigh of relief but he was completing his sentence as yet, and he continued, ” The Europeans are revising and editing their literature.” Though confused, I asked in a whispering tone, ” And how the leading world writers are reacting ?”.The officer told a bit proudly, ” They reacted more forcefully than we expected, they stopped writing, destroyed what was already written and are now searching for some profession other than writing.
” The heavyweight official kept on speaking but it was perhaps beyond me now. I somehow stood up and almost ran out of the ghastly building. On the way back an inscription came into my mind and my eyes were unknowingly moist. The great bard Shakespeare had this for his grave :
Good friends, for Jesus sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here
Blese be ye man yt spares the stones
And curst be he yt moves the bones.
