Lying: I Suppose Sometimes it's Fine...

In Much Ado About Nothing, Don John, Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato all engage in some form of lying. In Don John’s case, lying was not morally justified, considering his malicious motivations. He desperately wants to ruin Claudio’s chances of marrying Hero. Don John even says “Only to despite them, I will endeavor anything” (II.2.25). He pretty much says he will go to any lengths to ruin Claudio’s dream; Claudio, the war hero, who defeated Don John’s army; Claudio, who is about to marry the daughter of a very influential man in Messina.
Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato all lie also, but with different intentions. Theirs was to create love, not destroy it. These men’s lies were meant to help a person, which in turn makes them justified. Loudly, so Benedick will hear, Don Pedro exclaims, “What is it you told me of today, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick?” (II.3.72-73). Leonato and Claudio both go along with the charade, hoping to trick Benedick into falling in love with Beatrice. In truth, Beatrice despises Benedick, but that should soon change.
In real life, the same system of lying applies: if lying was done with ill-intentions, the lies aren’t justified. If lying was done with the best intentions in mind, lying is ok. For instance, if one person lies, telling police they’re not sure who murdered their neighbor, when in fact it was this person, the lying is completely unjustified. But, if a mother were to tell a child that Santa Clause exists, the lying is acceptable. After all, the mom was only trying to make the child’s holiday more special. Clearly, lying has an entire spectrum, ranging from little white lies, to despicable deceit. Only intentions separate the good and the bad.

Cutest Poem EVER

The Little Boy and the Old Man
By Shel Silverstein
Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.

Shel Silverstein effectively uses tone to compare two generations. First, he uses humor to show things that the young and old have in common. Silverstein writes of a little boy and an old man having a conversation about life. They say to each other “‘I wet my pants.’/‘I do that too,’ laughed the old man” (3-4). Later on, Silverstein changes the tone from silly to sympathetic. He changes this tone to show how these two people relate to each other. The boy expresses the lack of attention he receives from adults. The old man consoles him, saying he understands (8-10). Different generations can relate to each other based common experiences. By using different tones, Silverstein shows how even with a massive age gap, people of all kinds can relate on some level.

I love this poem, because not only does it make me chuckle, but it also has some meaning for me. I’ve always liked Shel Silverstein, but this is probably the only one I’ve read so far that has really meant anything to me. Most of his poems are either random tidbits, or a story best understood by four year olds. I like this poem also because of my relationship with my grandma. As some of you may know, my grandma is kind of odd, but she’s also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. We’re really close (she comes over to my house almost everyday!), and we relate on all sorts of crazy levels. Anyway, this poem really stuck with me.