The Bible Vs. Western Cannon

The Bible Vs. Western Cannon

 
So, we are back. You guys [as you say] must have
viewed and enjoyed, during the holidays, at MC, Sir
Ridley Scott’s
[Unlike, your sirs at the school, eh!
,
Scott was 
knighted by
Queen 
Elizabeth II at
Buckingham Palace for his “services to the British film industry” in
the year 2003- Hollywood blockbusters
Gladiator (starring
Russel Crowe)
, Black Hawk Down, Alien, Blade
Runner
, Thelma
& Louise
, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Kingdom of Heaven, American Gangster, Robin Hood, Prometheus, 1984] ‘Exodus:
Gods and Kings
based upon
the 
Book of Exodus, the
second book of the Hebrew Torah and
the Christian Bible
. The defiant leader Moses
[
circ.
1530-1650 BC] rises up against the Egyptian
Pharaoh Ramses
, setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape
from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues. Trust you haven’t missed
Noah [starring Russel
Crowe
] based on the story of 
Noah’s Ark from
the
Book of Genesis of The
Bible at Liberty Lite six months ago
either.
 
The Bible is not simply a
religious text. Bible is a literary masterpiece. The Bible is a priceless Jewel of Human Heritage as the Tripitake has been since it was
enscribed
[89-77BC] by the Sinhalese,
already an advanced civilization
at
Aluvihare temple
under the patronage of King Valagambahu following 12 years of famine
in Aloka Lena [Aluvihare], Sri Lanka while the
hoards of painted barbarians (the English) were still fighting the two legions of
Julius Caesar at the beachhead of
modern Wilmer on the coast of Kent [55
BC] of England.
For sheer diversity of form and
content, for artistry, for affective power Bible is second to none of the
literary masterpeieces. Stillmore, for the way in which it keeps springing
surprises on us is exhilarating.
The Roman standard-bearer jumped into the midst of hundreds of enemy troops, determined to fight to the death. After some fierce fighting, the Romans finally reached the shore.
The first time ever I saw this image is in a British preodical on World History issued by the title of “KNOWLEDGE”.  I was too young to read the whole set of periodicals my father [B. Donald Benedict Peiris] brought me. But then I began. It was a good start. And the numerous images etched into my mind. And locating same image again in web decades late was a delight.
This book, the Bible, is dynamite-after all, didn’t the Sovereign Lord prophesy the creation of Israel: “O My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, My people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it,’ declares the Lord” (Eze. 37:11-14).
 
Above images is by kind courtesy of http://www.factsofisrael.com/en/stats.shtml

The Bible has been a significant component of English life for many
centuries, particularly since the publication of the Authorized Version of the Bible in 1611.  The Bible has for centuries lit and fired the
imaginations of artists of all genres; the great masters of European Renaissance and those who followed them; the foundations
of English theatre were laid by medieval plays based on biblical events; the
Bible is the main source of inspiration for some of greatest works of western literature such as Milton’s Paradise
Lost
as well as John Bunyan’s Pilgrims
Progress.
The biblical references are numerous in Shakespeare’s plays.

Now, coming back to our subject, Shakespeare (Oh!!!!!  that’s an enormous subject and he was never a subject, he is the king, no the god, who according to Harold Bloom responsible for “Invention of Human“), let’s talk about “The Merchant of Venice”. 



The Merchant of Venice
 contains
more biblical allusions
than any
other play by Shakespeare
. In The Merchant of Venice, among other
allusions to The Bible, the biblical story of ‘Jacob and Laban’ [1.3.74-92] features, albeit fleetingly, [the
master never attempted to push arguments down the throats of the audience] in
an all important argument on Grace of
the God vs. free will, skill, courage and ingenuity of the human race.



To be continued.