Same Old, Same Old

The story of Baucis and Philemon is one that has been very common in different times and for different purposes, the one I know the best is a story in the Bible.

It's about these two gods who want to test and 'see what people [are] really like'. So they disguse themselves as beggars and knock on 'a thousand doors... and a thousand doors [are] slammed on them'. They get to this shabby looking house just before giving up and are tajen in and fed by an old couple who doesn't have much, but what they do have they use it to help others. Then the gods reveal themselves as who they truly are and the couple is rewarded for their goodness.

This is a touching story, it really is, and it has a very clear message that most everyone can understand, which is probably why it is used and adapted so much and in such different ways. The message that we get is that while everyone else, those who had things to help, rejected these two people in need, these other people, Baucis and Philemon, who had almost nothing, opened their arms wide and welcomed these two stranders into their home and into their lives. This kind of thing can only be described as pure goodness of the heart, and it is admirable.

We also see something that we see in most of the stories in the play: the bond of love. Love is represented towards these two perfect strangers when they are taken in by Baucis and Philemon, and towards each other. When the gods reveal themselves and they offer Baucis and Philemon anything they want, the first thing that comes to their minds and what they both ask for is that they both die at the same moment. Even when they culd have had anything in the world, riches, money, food, they choose a life and a death in love with each other. They cannot imagine the grief of one of them having to live forever without the other one and at the end, when they turn into a tree, blended together, they pass on to eternity with each other, in a loving embrace.

This is a great story, but what depresses me is how unlikely something like that is today. Overuling the obvious flaw thet now-a-days we all live in apartments or would most likely never let a random, and poor, at that, person into our houses, nobody of today's time would be that nice to someone they didn't know. It is horrible to say, but in today's society, class means everything, and you always see people turning away from crippled people in the street, or closing their windows to the people who are begging for change. If we can't even look at peole who are dirty, or people who don't look the same as us, do you really think that we are going to invite them over for dinner at our homes?
Another thing that is probably lost over time is that strong bond of love, or the value of materialistic things. If you asked ten people what they would wish for if they could have one thing, I'm sure at least seven would ask for something related to money or richness. The whole sanctity and integrity of love is gone, replaced by all the fool's promises of greatness achieved by money. It is a sad and horrible idea, but it is probably true.




I really liked this play, and it has started many insightful thoughts inside my head!