Mock Mockers After That

Come let us mock at the great
That had such burdens on the mind
And toiled so hard and late
To leave some monument behind,
Nor thought of the levelling wind.

Come let us mock at the wise;
With all those calendars whereon
They fixed old aching eyes,
They never saw how seasons run,
And now but gape at the sun.

Come let us mock at the good
That fancied goodness might be gay,
And sick of solitude
Might proclaim a holiday:
Wind shrieked - and where are they?

Mock mockers after that
That would not lift a hand maybe
To help good, wise or great
To bar that foul storm out, for we
Traffic in mockery.

The preceeding was part of a poem ('Nineteen Hundred And Nineteen') by William Butler Yeats, and it is a worthy poem to reflect upon when one looks upon the issue of mockery and respect. Why is it that mocking is so popular? The wisest among us, I suppose, have the most to legitimately mock, but if they are wise they will refrain from using that privilege except when it is necessary. It is, after all, all too easy to mock the great, the wise, and the good, who set their standards high and act in ways that are difficult to fathom and understand for common humanity. It is interesting, then, that part of this poem appeared in an essay about one of my favorite plays by Shakespeare, Trolius and Cressida.

'Trollius and Cressida' is an interesting play, combining the elements of mockery (mocking, for example, the epic poetry of Homer's Illiad, as well as Chaucer's own 'Trolius and Cressida'), while also containing within it a genuine respect for the heroism of the characters themselves. Since respect and mockery come from contradictory grounds, and it is difficult to reconcile the two, the play has been (in my opinion unjustly) forgotten by many who read plays. The tension between mockery and respect is with us a lot, and it is not without reason that 'Trolius and Cressida' is widely considered a 'modern' play due to its moral complexity. Sometimes as a writer, I myself feel that pull between demands of hagiography and satire. Surely there are many times that call for both. But all too often, I guess, one ends up with both at the same time. Surely we all deserve to be mocked, but who has the grounds to mock us other than ourselves? After all, every critic will themselves be worthy of criticism in some way. Do all then criticize all? Or do we avoid criticism at all, even though it is necessary at times? If we mock the great, the wise, and the good, and then the mockers. Who is left to mock and be mocked? Perhaps we have not come to that point, and perhaps we never will, but it is something worth considering anyway. Consider the poem, the play, and the spirit of mockery behind them to be food for thought. For if we do not lift a hand to help the great, the wise, and the good, we are surely worthy of being mocked ourselves.