Illustration credit: http://www.freakingnews.com/Donald-Trump-the-Scarecrow-Without-a-Brain-Pictures-140003.asp
What do President Donald Trump, Hamlet, and The Wizard of Oz have in common? A lot. Let me go right to a snippet of Hamlet’s often quoted soliloquy on man:
What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god!
the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals!
And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?
At first glance it appears that Hamlet is giving a glowing review of man. But when the quote is taken apart and the exclamation points are changed to question marks as they are in some versions of the text, the meaning changes completely. And I believe it is closer to Shakespeare’s intended meaning.
Consider the current meaning of the expression “you’re a piece of work.” It’s not a compliment. It’s an insult.
So, with that said, if we insert this meaning into the Hamlet quote with the change in punctuation, we come away understanding that man is not noble in reason, not infinite in faculty, etc.
To Trump’s supporters the exclamation points remain. To his detractors the question marks are in place.
For a minute take Trump’s campaign rhetoric and his political moves out of the equation and look at Trump the man, the mere mortal. Contrary to the saying about actions speaking louder than words, President Trump’s action and words speak out loud and clear. As a businessman he might be the great and powerful wizard, but as a man, he is a humbug.
Put Trump in Oz and he would fire the Wizard and take over control of the Wonderful Land of Oz. Where the original Wizard might have put green glasses on all the people in the Emerald City to convince them they were seeing what he wanted them to see, he knew in his heart he was misleading the people. (Take note of the word “mislead.” It literally means to lead people astray.)
In Wizard Trump’s case, he actually believes in his “humbugary.” In truth he is the scarecrow in need of a thoughtful brain. He is also the Tin Man, in need of a compassionate heart. And he is the Lion, but not the Lion who knows he lacks courage. He is the Lion who believes he is the King of the Forest. A lion who roars, rages and tweets.
I have lived through the “reign” of a dozen presidents. My view of them as political leaders means less to me than my view of them as men. I judge them using the checklist in Hamlet’s speech. I want a person in the White House who is noble in reason, a person who is admirable, and a person who is in action like an angel.
There’s no doubt that Obama, Bush and Clinton might have fallen short in many human areas. However, they were elevated by the office of the presidency and more often than not acted accordingly.
Along The Yellow Brick Road 