20.SING WITH SHAKESPEARE-14
Fortune
Fortune- who does not smile at the very mention of the word!
We use the word in the sense of good luck- something good that happens to us beyond our effort or expectation, beyond even our control. The Romans had goddess Fortuna in charge of this. She was depicted as blind or covered with a veil, to show that she is unpredictable and unsteady. She was sometimes shown with two faces. She does not stick to the same place or person for too long! She can cause both good and bad luck, and bring about a reversal in status and state of prosperity! So they used to talk of 'the wheel of fortune' showing how unsteady life is.
Stoic philosopher Seneca described it well.[ in the play Agamemnon]
“O Fortune, who dost bestow the throne’s high boon with mocking hand, in dangerous and doubtful state thou settest the too exalted.
Never have sceptres obtained calm peace or certain tenure; care on care weighs them down, and ever do fresh storms vex their souls. ... great kingdoms sink of their own weight, and Fortune gives way ‘neath the burden of herself.
Sails swollen with favouring breezes fear blasts too strongly theirs; the tower which rears its head to the very clouds is beaten by rainy Auster. ... Whatever Fortune has raised on high, she lifts but to bring low.
Modest estate has longer life; then happy he whoe’er, content with the common lot, with safe breeze hugs the shore, and, fearing to trust his skiff to the wider sea, with unambitious oar keeps close to land.”[
So, it was after all good not to depend on fortune, but to be content with what was one's lot!
By Huberti (Own Work) CC By-SA 4.0 Creative commons via Wikimedia Commons.
Wheel of Fortune
This was before the rise of Christianity. Public sentiment and faith in Fortuna was so strong that Christian doctrine could not shake it, but had to accommodate it. They reconciled with it as the working of the will of God!
The Greeks had their goddess Tyche as the deity of fate. But she was more associated with the city and its prosperity. It was believed that when no cause could be found for events like floods, droughts etc, these could be attributed to Tyche.
14th century painting.
Many kings and nobles have seen the reversal of Fortune in their lives. One of the more notable ones we know from Western history is Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius, simply called Boethius. He was senator and a high official in the service of the Roman king, but was sentenced to death for suspected conspiracy against the king. While in prison awaiting his execution, he composed a treatise on fortune and allied subjects which we know by the name "Consolation of Philosophy". Ranked next only to the Bible in influence in the middle ages,this is still regarded as one of the best philosophical works of all time. This reflected the view that the good and bad turns of fortune were but the workings of the will of God; they were both inevitable and providential. It would not do for one to resist them. Boethius sees only the goodness of God in this troubled world.
[Seneca too faced reversal of fortune, and he was asked to commit suicide! It seems bad luck inspires great philosophy in great minds. Our own Bhadrachala Ramadas sang many kirtans on Rama while imprisoned by the Nawab of Golkonda. But he was freed by the intervention of Rama! Seneca, Boethius and Marcus Aurelius all advocate Stoic philosophy. ]
For us Hindus, the goddess of Fortune is Lakshmi (Sri ) She brings prosperity, happiness, good luck, good looks etc. The opposite of these is dispensed by her elder sister ! Our poets have also recognised that Lakshmi is unsteady in her affections! The popular saying is that no one is on a high for 30 years, or down for that long! Popular poet Shailendra expressed it in just a single line:
ऊपर-नीचे नीचे-ऊपर लहर चले जीवन की
Oopar neeche neeche oopar
Lehar chale jeevan ki
Up and down, down and up
So the wave of life moves on !
In popular usage, fate, fortune, chance are often used in the same sense. But close reflection will reveal the subtle differences.
Shakespeare has many illuminating passages on the subject.
Fortune favours anyone!
Here the Prince of Morocco tells Portia:
If Hercules and his servant Lichas play at dice, it is not the better man who will win, but the one who is favoured by fortune! Likewise, in his case too, fortune may help a less worthy person to obtain what he desires!
So we profess
Ourselves to be the slaves of chance, and flies
Of every wind that blows.
[The Winter's Tale ]
Such people wait endlessly for 'something to turn up'!
You fools of fortune
[Timon of Athens]
But chance is blind- it makes no distinction between high and low.
The odds for high and low's alike.
[The Winter's Tale.]
Adrishtam!
In our languages, we talk of 'adrishtam' for fortune. It really means what is "not seen". In our philosophy, fortune is not due to blind chance, or whim of some deity, but the result of own good actions in previous births. The result we see here, but the cause is unseen.
Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered.
[Cymbeline ]
But people who are balanced should not depend on blind chance.
A man that Fortune’s buffets and rewards
Hast ta'en with equal thanks. And blessed are those
Whose blood and judgment are so well commingled,
That they are not a pipe for Fortune’s finger
To sound what stop she please. Give me that man
That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him
In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart,
[Hamlet]
Here, Hamlet is talking to Horatio. He compliments Horatio as a man who has taken good and bad times in his stride. People who are balanced in their emotion and reason do not fall victim to fortune's play. Hamlet says such a man is dear to him.
Therefore,
Yield not thy neck
To Fortune's yoke.
[Henry VI, part three]
For, fortune is whimsical and unsteady.
O You gods!
Why do you make us love your godly gifts,
And snatch them straight away?
[Pericles.]
So we all yearn for the good times to come back!
Fortune, good night;
Smile once more, turn thy wheel.
[King Lear]
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