海角大神

What do William Shakespeare and The Dude have in common? More than you might think, claims a recent report in the South African Journal of Science.

In an analysis of findings originally unearthed in 2001, Professor Francis Thackeray of the University of Witwatersrand suggests that the Bard may have been fond of marijuana. An investigation of residue found in early 17th-century tobacco pipes excavated in Stratford-upon-Avon, near Shakespeare鈥檚 home, found traces of cannabis and nicotine. Several of these pipes are said to have come from the renowned playwright鈥檚 garden.聽

These findings don鈥檛 prove that Shakespeare used marijuana or even that the pipes found in his garden belonged to him. But the discovery has led Dr. Thackeray to speculate nonetheless.聽

To support this theory, Thackeray points out a line in Shakespeare鈥檚 Sonnet 76, in which the playwright mentions 鈥渋nvention in a noted weed.鈥� This could be interpreted to mean that Shakespeare used marijuana for creative writing, or 鈥渋nvention,鈥� purposes, Dr. Thackeray suggests in an article for The Independent.聽

Other scholars are skeptical.聽

"I suppose it's remotely possible that Shakespeare and his family were getting a buzz from what they were smoking, but I very much doubt that it played any meaningful role in his life,鈥� Stephen Greenblatt, professor of English at Harvard University, told聽Harvard Magazine when the discovery was first announced in 2001. "Alcohol is a much more likely stimulant for Shakespeare's imagination, and even that is probably unimportant.鈥� 聽

James Shapiro, author of the forthcoming Shakespeare biography 鈥淭he Year of Lear,鈥� describes Thackeray鈥檚 interpretation of Sonnet 76 as a 鈥渢wisted and bad misreading鈥� that 鈥渨ould earn a C+ in a college class.鈥澛�

In Sonnet 76, Shakespeare is writing about his struggle to find new ways to praise the woman he loves, Dr. Shapiro explains in a phone interview. The term 鈥渘oted weed鈥� is widely accepted by literary scholars as referring to a style of clothing, and in this context, Shakespeare is using the phrase to talk about 鈥渄ressing up鈥� his language.聽

Furthermore, Dr. Shapiro adds, while Shakespeare would no doubt have been familiar with cannabis from reading John Gerard鈥檚 "Herball," a widely circulated botany encyclopedia, marijuana was known at the time for its value in curing ear aches and helping hens "lay eggs more plentifully鈥� 鈥撀爊ot for giving people a high. 聽

In other words, it鈥檚 unlikely that the Bard actually toked up for inspiration. So why has the idea surfaced time and again over the past decade, making headlines every time? 聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard to explain the nature of genius,鈥� Shapiro offers as an explanation. 鈥淣obody wants to read about Shakespeare working 18 hours a day, day in and day out. That鈥檚 not romantic 鈥� but that鈥檚 the reality.鈥� 聽

鈥淚f you ask me what鈥檚 extraordinary about Shakespeare鈥檚 productivity, it鈥檚 what he didn鈥檛 use,鈥� he adds. 鈥淣either tea nor coffee was available. No double espresso. Forget about the weed.鈥澛�