Ambassador's speech at event to commemorate Shakespeare
British Ambassador, Jeff Glekin, took part in an event to honour Shakespeare, organised by Cosas magazine and sponsored by the representatives of Burberry in Bolivia.
“My horse, my horse, my kingdom for a horse.
Shakespeare had clearly heard the myth about President Melgarjo who gave his kingdom to Brazil in exchange for a beautiful white stallion.
I’m so proud to be in Bolivia representing the UK, a country with rich history and culture from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris. From Manchester United and Chelsea to Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. From Formula One to our great exports such as Scotch Whiskey, Vivienne Westwood and tonight’s sponsors Burberry.
But our exports of culture and heritage date back many centuries. There is no greater inspiration than William Shakespeare.
Every British schoolboy or girl studies Shakespeare at school. I can still remember having to learn Shakespeare sonnets and monologues off by heart in my English classes.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed; But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade, When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st. So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
I also remember that about six years ago as part of my training as a diplomat I was made to go on a course to learn about leadership.
How boring I thought!
But in fact they used the works of Shakespeare to demonstrate Leadership. You can pick almost any theme and you will find profound wisdom in Shakespeare from Love to Politics, from War to Music.
As today in Bolivia we live in politically interesting times, I thought I’d pick five lessons for us all:
1. Don’t be ambitious without being moral.
Macbeth is a parable on what happens when a man’s ambition outstrips his better instincts. The nobleman Macbeth wrestles with his conscience as he ponders whether to kill the king, Duncan, and seize the throne for himself:
… Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked newborn babe, Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubim, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’ other.
Sadly, “vaulting ambition” – not to mention some shameless strong-arming from his wife – won the day, and it didn’t end well for Macbeth.
2. Don’t procrastinate.
Oh Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Young, spirited, influential, in love, and totally incapable of making a decision:
To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether ‘tis Nobler in the mind to suffer The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune, Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles, And by opposing end them:
His ponderous response to the phantom’s revelation ultimately led to the suspected suicide of his sweetheart Ophelia and a comprehensive bout of untimely death at the Danish court.
3. Watch out for yes men – and women.
When the elderly King Lear decides to hand his realm over to his three daughters, he unwisely offers to give the biggest chunk to the one who loves him most. Two daughters promptly lavish him with praise; the third, Cordelia, finds the whole spectacle revolting. You know you’ve seen that person: the one rolling her eyes, biting her tongue and refusing to join in with the compliment-fest. Leaders need the awkward, principled people who will say no – or in this case, nothing – even when it’s in their interests to say yes.
Lear: … What can you say to draw A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak. Cordelia: Nothing, my lord. Lear: Nothing? How? Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again. Cordelia: Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty According to my bond, no more nor less.
Naturally, as King Lear is a tragedy, he discovers the worth of his one good daughter too late. You don’t have to end your career wandering heartbroken with weeds in your hair: Just don’t listen to the sycophants.
4. Don’t listen to gossip.
Life was going great for Othello – great job as a general in the Venetian army, happy marriage to his beloved Desdemona – until he started listening to scurrilous gossip-monger, Lago. The scheming traitor falsely convinces him that Desdemona has been unfaithful: Othello smothers her to death, learns that she was innocent all along, then commits suicide. Before you commit career suicide, don’t be rash: check the source and more importantly the motivation behind rumours.
5. Be merciful.
Just because you’re in the right, it doesn’t mean you need to extract your “pound of flesh.” This is just one of the many metaphors that has entered common usage from Shakespeare’s plays; in this case, The Merchant of Venice. Here, Portia (an heiress disguised as a male lawyer) pleads for the Jewish money-lender Shylock to ignore an unusual contract: that if the merchant Antonio cannot pay back his debt, Shylock is entitled to a pound of his flesh.
The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God’s When mercy seasons justice.
There are more lessons, but it’s time to continue with this special event organised by Cosas magazine. I would like to thank the magazine’s director Carla de Cabezas for inviting me and for the opportunity to address you.
Thanks also to the Burberry representatives for sponsoring tonight. It is always good news for us that a British company is active in Bolivia.
And thanks to all of you for being here tonight.
I am always happy to return to Santa Cruz, the first city in Bolivia I arrived in and where I spent some time improving my Spanish. And I love that this the only city in Bolivia where there is a theatre company that specialises in the works of Shakespeare.
We want to expand our presence here, especially to improve business relationships. Those who want to talk more about it can contact me directly.”