Shakespeare in Pyongyang

Juliet’s first love is Romeo. What about Romeo’s first love? Before meeting Juliet, Romeo was heartbroken over Rosaline’s rejection. Though he said that the sun that sees everything would have never seen such a beautiful woman in the world since the creation of this world (referring to Rosaline), he changes his mind upon seeing Juliet for the first time, saying, “Has my heart been in love at all?” It is rather more realistic that William Shakespeare did not set Romeo as a man who gives all his heart to one woman. Men have been always like that.

A North Korean defector who majored in English literature at North Korea’s most prestigious Kim Il Sung University told this reporter that students study Shakespeare in Pyongyang. He said he learned a few pages per piece, extracting a portion that does not have an ideology issue. The witty ruling by the judge in The Merchant of Venice who said that Shylock can take Antonio’s flesh but not his blood is even mentioned in a textbook for middle school students in North Korea. North Korea has a literature introduction book describing Shakespeare as a “great realist and writer who focused on the people’s pain.”

Many events commemorating the 400th years of Shakespeare’s death were held across the country on Saturday. The great writer coined as many as 2,000 words such as “control,” “fashionable” and “hint.” “All that glitters is not gold” was also from his work. He has a strong presence in people’s daily lives with such words and expressions being called as “Shakespeareism.”

When Julius Caesars was betrayed, he said, “You too, Brutus.” Then Brutus said, “I loved Rome more than I loved Caesar.” The lines are also from Shakespeare’s play. Shakespeare’s creative literary metaphors and expressions were often used to describe social and political phenomena at any time. Many politicians would use the lines of Julius and Brutus to rationalize their position over the result of the general elections.