Looking at the Stars

So the next day I woke up and ate breakfast at the hostel, and then went out to explore the city. I started with Trinity College, since, it’s famous and pretty and was on my route around the city. I decided to take the guided tour, which was a FANTASTIC idea. I sometimes hesitate to do things, because they cost money, and I’m not sure I want to spend that much, but I try to remember what my dad taught me, which is that you never know when you’re going to go back, and you should go ahead and do it while you’re there. So I did. And it really was awesome. The tour guide was getting his PhD in the history of the different Christian denominations of Ireland, which made him a great tour guide for me, since I love religion and history, and he was full of fun stories about Irish religion, in addition to the normal interesting facts about the college. Which was very nice. It is the oldest University in Ireland, and a whole bunch of famous people went there, including Oscar Wilde.

Also, my favorite story from the tour was about this professor, who was really strict and really cranky, and the students used to go throw stuff at his windows when they had been partying. And so one night there was this big party, and a bunch of students went to go harass the professor. The professor was sick of the harassment, and decided to fire his gun out over the heads of the students to get them to go home. BUT the students were drunk, so four of them took this as a challenge, and went and got THEIR guns, and started a gunfight with a professor in the middle of the night. Sadly, the professor decided to come outside, and was shot. The students were expelled, of course, but since they didn’t know who had actually shot the guy, and the professor had shot first, they all got off. And one of those students went on to become an important Irish religious leader, and at least two others became members of Parliament. Of course.

After the tour was over (it wasn’t a long tour) we all went in to see the Book of Kells, which is a very old illuminated text of the four Gospels. It was really cool. I mean, just absolutely beautiful. Trinity College has some of the best illuminated manuscripts in the world, and I was so lucky to get to see them. Not just the Book of Kells, but a bunch of others too. And there was a exhibition about the production of these manuscripts, and then another about Brian Boru, who was the first Emperor of the Irish, and who I knew ABSOLUTELY nothing about, but now know much more about. He fought off the Vikings, which made the Irish very happy. He seems like a cool guy.

I also got to see the Long Room of the Trinity College Library, which incidentally is just SLIGHTLY longer than the main room of the Library of Trinity College Cambridge. I’m sure they weren’t trying to prove anything there. But the Long Room was gorgeous. I mean, rows and rows of books, and busts of famous literary people, and dark wood and high windows and, just a perfect library.

So after leaving that library, I went to another library. This time I went to the National Library of Ireland, and I didn’t actually go into the reading rooms or anything, because that was a bit confusing, but I had a really nice lunch in the café there, and I saw an exhibition on Yeats. Whose poetry I do enjoy.

Then I went to the National Museum of Ireland- Archaeology, which was really cool. First of all, the building was lovely. Very large and spacious, and then the exhibits were really… interesting. Actually, I saw a lot of dead bodies. Because there was this one exhibit on the early Iron Age custom of throwing people into bogs as sacrifices to prove ones kingship, and they had dug up some bodies out of the bogs, and I’m not gonna lie, it was weird. But intriguing. And then they had a visiting Ancient Egypt exhibit, so there were some mummies, including a cat mummy.

So then I left and headed to Saint Stephen’s Green, which probably has some historical significance, but was also just gorgeous. It had all these flowers and a little pond, and green space, and it was sunny, and there were people all over. So I just wandered around for a bit, and read in the sunshine, and saw a few of the monuments in the park, and it was very nice. I’m glad I went.

So then I headed over to the Charles Beatty Library. I got a little lost on the way, because it isn’t the most popular tourist attraction in Dublin, but it was well worth the confusion. So, basically, there was an Irish guy named Charles Beatty, who was a really sophisticated hoarder. And he spent YEARS collecting all sorts of stuff. Mostly book-y stuff. From all over the world. He is considered to have one of the last great personal libraries in the world. And so when he died, they set up a library so that everyone can enjoy the stuff he had. And it was incredible. There were pieces of gospels from the 2^nd century, and the first collection of New Testament texts ever (the letters of Paul) and illustrated manuscripts from all over the world, and early Islamic art before the ban on people came into effect, and calligraphy, and exhibits on how books were made in different cultures, and mandalas from India, and it was just incredible. Especially for a bibliophile. There was also a really nice garden on the roof. So I sat up there for a while and read.

Tjhen I came down and headed over to Christ Church Cathedral, one of the two Church of England/Episcopalian/Church of Ireland cathedrals in Dublin. But, it was expensive to get in, and I didn’t have much time, and I wanted to enjoy it, so I moved on.

I walked down to a pub that Dr. O’Neill had recommended, only to discover that it is the oldest pub in Dublin, so I had dinner there. Or a meal, I’ve kind of stopped using time-specific terms for what I eat, because is it still breakfast if I eat it at noon? Or is it lunch even though it’s my first meal of the day? Or what do you call a meal eaten at 4pm? Because in the US we’d probably say dinner, but I’ve lived in Spain for 4 months, and that would be lunch. So I don’t really eat breakfast lunch and dinner (I don’t usually eat that many meals, to be honest) I just eat a meal or two a day, whenever that happens. But I had a meal at the pub. Some nice corned beef. Because this is Ireland, after all. And I chilled there are read some more of A Song of Ice and Fire, which had a REALLY dramatic third book. Whew. That was crazy.

Then, I headed back along the river to the theatre where they were showing An Ideal Husband. Because I realized that morning, that it would still be showing, and I still wanted to see it. I mean, it’s going to be a while before I’m back in an English speaking country. And probably even longer before I get the opportunity to see awesome theatre again. I mean, Summer in Athens isn’t exactly high arts season.

So I bought another 15€ student ticket in an excellent location, and headed back to the hostle. I changed clothes and made myself presentable, and went to find some froyo before the show. Now, froyo was EVERYWHERE in Spain, so I expected that it would be a thing in Ireland as well, like it’s a western phenomenon. Except it wasn’t. I found ONE froyo shop, and it closed at 5, which would never happen in the US or Spain. I’m wondering if the fact that Ireland is so much colder than Spain has anything to do with it. Because they were as ubiquitous in Spain as they are in the US, but I don’t think I saw one in France either. But anyway, I settled for a cupcake that I got from a pub. It was a pretty good cupcake too. That phenomenon seems to be international.

ANYWAY! I went to see the show. And it was really good too. I'm going to talk about it again. So basically afterwards I went to bed, if you don't want to hear my rant on An Ideal Husband. 

But the theatre was also pretty incredible. It's a pretty old theatre, and it felt like it. It had the perfect sort of ambiance for an Oscar Wilde play. I mean, I felt like I was back in Victorian London. Despite all the Irish accents around me. It was cool. 

And then the set was awesome too, it really reflected the-

WAIT! Plot summary. 

So there's this couple: Lady Gertrude Chiltern and her husband, Lord Robert Chiltern, and they've been married for a while, and basically they're perfect. He's a politician, but a really moral one, and she's a really kind and supportive (and politically active) wife. And they love each other very much. So one night they are throwing a party, and this woman, Mrs. Cheevley shows up, and blackmails Robert. Because when he was very young, Robert sold a state secret (not like, start a war state secret, like insider trading, really) and that got him his wealth and his power. And he hasn't told his wife, because she'd be furious, and basically do the Victorian equivalent of divorcing him. SO Mrs. Cheevley says that if Robert doesn't support some dishonest venture in the House of Commons, she will reveal his secret and ruin his reputation. Robert grudgingly agrees, but then his wife (not knowing about the blackmail) tells him that he can't possibly support this venture, and makes him tell Mrs. Cheevley that. So Robert freaks out and tells his friend Lord Goring, who is... basically Oscar Wilde. And everybody acknowledges that. So Lord Goring tells him to tell his wife, but Robert can't because he doesn't want to lose her, and Lord Goring tells Gertrude that if he ever needs anything, he can trust her. So then Mrs. Cheevley shows up and reveals how Robert earned his fortunes to Gertrude, who promptly basically dumps him, at which point he gives her a very beautiful speech. AND CURTAIN. On the first half anyway. I know I suck at summaries, but it's hard to summarize this kind of play. So much happens! And yet absolutely nothing happens. 

So in the second half Lord Goring receives a letter from Gertrude that says she wants him and trusts him and is coming to him, and then Mrs. Cheevley shows up without Lord Goring knowing, because he thinks that it's Gertrude. And then Robert turns up, and hears someone there, and goes in and sees Mrs. Cheevley, who Lord Goring still thinks is Gertrude, and... actually this bit isn't really relevant. Suffice to say, Mrs. Cheevley tries to get Lord Goring to marry her (they used to be engaged) but he refuses and manages to get Robert's letter from her, and he burns it, but she steals Gertrude's letter to him, thinking that it is a love letter. So the next morning, Lord Goring goes to the Chiltern's house, and tells Gertrude what happened, and then Robert comes down with Gertrude's letter to Lord Goring, but he thinks it is to HIM (because there was no name) and is THRILLED that his wife has forgiven him, and they make up, and then insanity happens, and everybody is honest with each other, and Lord Goring marries Robert's sister. Which is way less random in the actual play. 

Whew. 

How did wikipedia do this? In about as many words as I did. It's nice to know I'm not the only one. 

So anyway, the set did a really good job of reflecting the plot and the themes of the play. There were a bunch of walls, but they all were made of glass, which works on several levels. First, it's a play about honesty, and the need for people to be transparent with each other. It also is really convenient for the eavesdropping and sneakiness that goes on in the play. Everybody can see everything, even through the walls. And then it echoes the statement that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones, and the play is full of hypocrisy and people who claim to be morally righteous, but aren't. And then there was a cloud/sky/heaven motif on the ceiling with an angel center stage in the very back, which refers to the concept of the "ideal" which permeates the play, and the idea of righteousness and goodness as well. 

So, I talk about Oscar Wilde a decent bit, and I like Oscar Wilde a LOT. And when you see all the stuff for him around Dublin, he is "a poet, dramatist, and wit." And that's how everyone, me included, remembers him: a sparkling bauble of wit. Genus, certainly, but a bit frivolous, and at times silly. Snarky, and sassy, and sarcastic, and light. But I forget, and I think others do too, that Wilde isn't fluff. He's a classic for a reason. And An Ideal Husband is no Dorian Gray, in its morality and gothic sensibilities, but it also isn't a weightless piece of comedy. And I have a lot of respect for Oscar Wilde for that, because he's GOOD at writing things that are funny and witty characters, but that just makes the moments that aren't funny all the more powerful. I mean, Lord Goring is one of Oscar Wilde's most wonderful, funny, snarky characters, but he's not the main character. An Ideal Husband, for all we remember the quips that come from it, is about a marriage on the verge of falling apart. It doesn't, but it comes very close. 

And as much as I love Lord Goring, Gertrude and Robert are really the play's strength. They are a wonderful couple. I sometimes get accused of not caring much for love stories, or disliking romance, but An Ideal Husband contains one of my favorite pairs ever. They are no longer a new couple. They aren't old, but they aren't just falling in love. An Ideal Husband takes place AFTER these two got their "happily ever after" and that's not something you see very often. And even after the honeymoon phase is over, they still love each other, and care about each other. They are each others ideal. At the beginning of the play, and at the end, though not in the middle. 

Which is another reason I love Gertrude and Robert, is because they are a good couple and a strong couple and an interesting couple, but they are not a perfect couple. She judges him too harshly, and he, rightly, doesn't trust her with his biggest shame. She idolizes him, and he feels like he cannot be anything less than perfect, or she will reject him. And, in a smaller way, he does it to her too at the end of the play. But he has this great speech after she finds out about his secret, where he says that it is the imperfect, and not the perfect that have need of love, and that being in love means accepting the other person for their faults and imperfections and loving them when they are hurt, not just when they are whole. And by the end of the play that's what they get. She accepts his past, and together they try to work to be better people, and after a whole play of secrets and deceptions, they are finally honest with each other, and that's what lets them reclaim their ideal in each other. It's sweet. 

Also, it's a healthy relationship. It's not a perfect relationship, but it's generally healthy. They support each other, and by the end they are honest with each other, and they are working together to make their relationship work. And that is something that I like seeing, if only because our media, and to an extent our society in general has a tendency to glorify unhealthy relationships. (For a modern example, see Twilight. For an old-fashioned example, I would like to point you to the classic love story between a 13 year old and her 18 year old boyfriend that ends with 6 people dead and the entire future ruling class of the town destroyed: Romeo and Juliet) So I always like seeing media examples of healthy relationships. Even if they're a little old-fashioned. And they tend to be old-fashioned. 

As sweet as Gertrude and Robert are, and they are the heart of the play, Goring steals every scene he's in. He always does. It's his job. Because, you see, there is always one character in every Oscar Wilde play (and Lord Goring is the best example of this) that is pretty much accepted as Oscar Wilde's presence in the play. The character is young, attractive, a little bit frivolous, gets all the best lines of the play, and usually gets the girl too. Basically, it's the best self-insert character that's existed since Oscar Wilde. Possibly since Oscar Wilde is the most awesome person since Oscar Wilde. He was made to be a character.

And like Oscar Wilde, Lord Goring has hidden depths. Throughout the play, he is accused of (and indeed presents himself as) entirely superficial and frivolous. He doesn't work (he doesn't need to), and he isn't married, and he doesn't really do anything useful with his life. He goes to a lot of parties and cares a great deal about his appearance. And other than that he just sort of sits around and flirts and snarks. Except that when there's a crisis, he's the person who both Robert and Gertrude turn to. And he's there for them. Totally and completely. He listens to their secrets and offers advice, and doesn't judge them, but he works with them to make sure that their relationship works. And the advice he gives in between his witty remarks is sincere and genuinely good.  It's heartwarming, really. It's interesting, because in Twelfth Night the fool was also a villain, but in this one, Lord Goring is a hero masquerading as a fool. Lord Goring condemns self-sacrifice with a witty quip, but when the time comes he almost gives up his own happiness and chance at marriage so that Gertrude and Robert's marriage will work out. 

But this production had a very interesting take on Lord Goring. Because usually he's played as a very suave sort of character, very in control, sitting back and laughing at the world. And this version bordered on slapstick. I mean, it didn't damage the integrity of the character, but... the actor was kind of tall and lanky, all limbs. And he pulled off that sort of can't control his own body thing with Goring, where he was just a little bit bigger and more exaggerated, and tripping and doing double takes and being startled... really a lot of physical comedy. And it was great. It worked really well, and it made Goring both more sympathetic and more human and even funnier, which is hard, because he's REALLY funny already. And at first I was kind of put off by the ridiculousness, but he ultimately did a very good job of it. He gave us some extra laughs in the light part, and then showed a remarkable ability to bring it in when it came time for Goring to be serious. 

Ultimately, this play illustrated, and so does Oscar Wilde, two concepts I've been thinking a lot about recently: optimism and cynicism. Not as opposites, but as complements. Because Oscar Wilde, and the plays he writes are prime examples of very optimistic cynicism. Like, the universe in which the play is set is not a good one. Nobody is guiltless. Even the knight in shining armor politician has done something corrupt, and the seemingly perfect Gertrude is even indiscreet before the end. As Lord Goring says, "Nobody is incapable of doing a foolish thing. Nobody is incapable of doing a wrong thing."

 But at the same time, the play itself is optimistic. People do wrong, but the play ends happily. People are forgiven, they learn from their mistakes, and it all works out in the end. Despite everything that happens, the good guys win, and there are good guys. And I like that. Because just like today we have a problem with romanticizing unhealthy relationships, I think we have a problem with romanticizing cynicism and pessimism. I'm reading A Song of Ice and Fire right now, which is fantasy, which is usually one of the last refuges of the idealists, but it is one of the most cynical, pessimistic, bleak pieces of work that I've ever read. It's good. I won't deny that, but... happiness isn't an option. You just hope that your favorite character doesn't die, because no one is safe. And there was a character who was optimistic and hopeful, and believed in the stories, and her life has been one tragedy after another until she has become as cynical and pessimistic about her world as the reader is.

 I believe in a little bit of cynicism, a healthy dose of questioning and a touch of snark to keep things interesting, but I also believe in optimism. And we don't need to be Pollyanna, but what are we doing if we don't believe that good things can still happen? That's a miserable way to live. And as someone who finds her optimism and her idealism in literature and theatre, I like seeing plays like An Ideal Husband, because it shows us this world of morally grey people who have feet of clay, and lets them have a happy ending, makes their sacrifice and their crises mean something. And that's the kind of world I want to live in. And when the world isn't like that, it's still the kind of world I'd like to work towards.