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Chapter – 7
THE ART OF MENTORING IN
CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA
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Teacher commonly known as ‘guru’ in India is regarded as one
of the avatars of God in one’s life. As Jim Rohn, the American
entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker rightly said “If
someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need motivation to
speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around.”138
This is what a teacher does exactly to his/her students to mould them
as good individuals and lead them to a right direction. The maximum
extent the teacher supports his disciple is immeasurable for the right
cause. The splendid universe was once a size of a speck that
transformed into a beautiful altar to every organism in it.
The basic wonder of our existence is inevitable with the tutelage
of the creator. The binding forces of love and hatred among human
race is the sole potent idealism that embarks life on this earth. People
change for a better development and put all their efforts to overcome
the darkness in their life. After dusk there is a new dawn to relish the
possibilities of our horizons. It is evident in the play Caesar and
Cleopatra, where Cleopatra sees the new beginning in her life through
Caesar, who ultimately changes her lifestyle and Cleopatra visualises
Caesar as her God. Shaw’s Caesar is a professional trainer and a
magnificent mentor of Cleopatra. He took liberty in transforming a
sixteen year girl to a decent and courageous woman just like the
Queen of Egypt. Caesar is considered as the teacher to Cleopatra and
with the supreme guidance of Caesar, she learns the art of ‘living’
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rather than ‘surviving’ under the ubiquitous shadow of Caesar’s
supervision.
Caesar and Cleopatra written in 1898 was staged and published
in 1901. The first performance of this play took place on March 15,
1899 at Newcastle upon Tyne. This play resonated with true genial
and outstanding performances year after year to allure the audience
in every age and era. Caesar became the cynosure of the popular
context for the next hundred years and laid the red-carpet to usher
the success for Shaw.
One of the major themes of this play is tutelage along with good
administration and the clemency of Caesar. Tutelage otherwise
guidance is the broad aspect of the play. Caesar rejuvenates the spirit
of Cleopatra for further development of the play. Good politics is
essential and of course clemency for good reason is inevitable, but as
far as my knowledge goes, Shaw’s Caesar has ingrained the genes of
Shaw who is his mentor.
Shaw’s technique is always authorial and discussion type that
provokes thoughts of new dimensions in the minds of the readers.
Shaw
interferes
through
Caesar
in
every
act
and
discusses
mentorship, good political administration and clemency for the good
cause. Shaw strikes his note at modesty with convulsive motifs of
Caesar. He believes in conformity than in complexity. This play is a
huge platform to gauge the essence of spiritualism in a broader
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perspective through Cleopatra’s inclination and devotion as a disciple
to Caesar. Whatever may be the point of discussion, Shaw has
enrolled his deference in the list of giants who have changed the
course of history to the needs of the common man, and here Shaw’s
Caesar has set an example for such creation: either in his authority or
in his pacifism. As for Shaw the story should be natural because if
there is life in the story, it will construct the plot, theme and narration
by itself as the flower blossoms naturally.
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar written in 1599 was a tragedy
about the conspiring assassination of Caesar. This play rebukes
Caesar for his self-grouching levities as a historical ruler. Caesar is
seen taking pleasure in the feast where young naked men drenched
themselves in goat’s blood whip the young women who are infertile
with strips of goat’s skin. Caesar asks Antony to touch Calphurnia
with the whip, wife of Caesar for her to become fertile and bear
children. Meanwhile a soothsayer interferes and warns Caesar about
the Ides of March but Caesar ignores it. This ignorance leads to the
assassination of Caesar just because of his pride as a Roman King
and his power of monarchy.
Casca stabs Caesar first from behind and others follow the suit
ending with Brutus. Caesar was horrified to see Brutus as the
accomplice and finally says ‘Et tu, Brute?’ There falls the legendary
legend to the ground as if the Roman Empire has fallen to the dregs of
history. Brutus takes over Caesar and rules every context of the play
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with his conspirators to kill Caesar. Shakespeare’s whole play is
basically a plot to kill Caesar, and Shakespeare has shed light into the
deeper archives of history to freshen up the smell and stains of
Caesar’s blood and the slaughtering of this giant who essentially
embarked on to unleash the new empire in Rome through his
spectacular leadership. Shaw, on the other hand, has twisted the play
and shown us the real possibilities of widening the borders of
kingdoms, minds and hearts for a new beginning for a good
administrator rather than a mere drudge reeking after the power and
throne. This sort of dramatising the play to explore the new challenges
is best aspired to Shaw alone. Shaw writes for a common man by
putting his mind in the circumstances and the situations around the
creation of his character to dwell deeply into the insights of the
problems.
In his researching the conditions of his characters, he exposes
the real picture in front of us with the problem in one hand and a
solution in the other, and a big question on his face, whether the
problem roused and the solution given are perfect and appropriate.
This insignia of Shaw has outspoken the boldness in Shaw through
his characters in his plays. In Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra, Shaw
shows us the development of humility, the conception of an efficient
mentor and the revival of progression and conjugation. The step by
step
plot
of
Shaw’s
Caesar
in
every
act
acquires
modern
accomplishment. The conspirators’ adulteration condenses the subtle
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chivalric aura of Caesar to sordid delusions of heroic nature.
Shakespeare’s Caesar is remembered because of Brutus but Shaw’s
Caesar is personified as a flawless leader who admonished the cruelty
in
Egypt
to
sustain
relief
and
tranquillity
under
his
reign.
Shakespeare’s Brutus is an abominable artefact manufactured by his
co-counsellors who deceive his mind by invading into his thoughts
and idealisms to a barbaric fraternity. Brutus at any time did not
think to hold discussions with Caesar about the tyranny and
negotiated the ingenuity and thoughtfulness on the subject issue. He
on the other hand deluded his friend Caesar and made the
consignment come to reality by provocation. Though Shakespeare has
shown the reality of history as a mirror image and dug the past, it
could not be matched with Shaw’s play because of its frivolous
dramatisation of characters that ends up in a rut of assassination and
leads to civil war in Rome as well as in Egypt.
Shaw’s play incarnates the idealistic approach in shaping the
culture, reviving the tradition and mentoring for all of mankind. The
idealistic way to lead life and the law of life is to change our attitude
from immature to maturity, narrowness to broadness and pilferage to
civilization. Shaw’s play gives us to ponder over good politics and
humility in the society we live. Its intention is to raise awareness on
collective issues that surround us. It provides a message on fidelity
over good leader, mentor, and mankind that leave a room in the minds
of the audience for an elaborated new perspective.
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Shaw’s Pygmalion written and published in 1912 was first
performed on October 16, 1913 at His Majesty Theatre, London. This
play advocates the similarities of the play Caesar and Cleopatra.
Henry Higgins, the Professor of Phonetics takes the responsibility of
educating a young Cockney girl Eliza Doolittle into Duchess of
England as Caesar takes the accountability in educating immature
Cleopatra to a matured woman of Egypt. Eliza sells flowers who wish
to learn good pronunciation as Cleopatra obeys Caesar in imbibing the
life lessons from him. A challenging task is taken by both the tutors
and hold credulity in moulding in-erudite to finesse. The two tutors
face arduous situations in shaping the girls and teaching them the
aesthetic aura of mannerism, pronunciation and regulation. At last
Shaw succeeds in embellishing the unlearned girls to wise and
respectable women of gallantry through the heroes of Shaw: Caesar
and Higgins. This madness of reviving society in Shaw’s nature led
him to glorify the world through his plays and it is utmost important
for the readers of Shaw to remember that behind every play of Shaw,
there is conscience. In order to lit the lamp of heart of a disciple,
she/he is required a mentor of good knowledge, wisdom and intellect,
and Shaw succeeded in glorifying it. He stresses the need of a mentor
to personify the shadow of a disciple. Indeed, Shaw works out to be a
good teacher of the world who cares to refine society and takes up any
challenges to rectify the clumsy and obnoxious traditions with his
encyclopaedic divinity of the world through his mature plays even
today!
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Shaw’s Caesar appears as a gentle colossus whose clemency,
benevolence and magnanimity overwhelm and overawe the lesser
mortals. Shaw authentically says in his preface: “In Caesar, I have
used another character with which Shakespeare has been beforehand.
But Shakespeare, who knew human weakness so well, never knew
human strength of the Caesarian type.”139 Shaw’s Caesar arrives at
the desert of Syria and discerns exiled Queen Cleopatra, and later, he
becomes instrumental in restoring her position as Queen of Egypt.
After winning the battle of Pharsalia, Caesar enters the desert of Syria
and confronts gigantic Sphinx. Gang says, “The Caesar whom we meet
in the play does indeed have the transcendental virtue of a higher
order of man, but instead of the naiveté and energy of Siegfried, he
has a consciousness of age and alienation.”140
Shaw’s Julius Caesar is a mask used by Shaw with one single
concept of developing Cleopatra and her kingdom of Egypt. He
advocates his ideologies in swift manners rather than a humbug. He
authoritatively merges with the existing systems of Cleopatra’s Egypt
to reinforce clemency and humanity. He is bauxite to every nickel of
Rome and Egypt with his twilight saga of recouping the lost and new
castles into an expanded kingdom of his own; with his might as his
strength and humanity as his supreme power. Shaw’s creation of
Caesar gets the advantage of upbringing under Shaw’s sharp eye on
modifications and dilutions of age old genesis of decentralised
enormities of Shakespeare’s thoughts and ideas. Shaw chisels Caesar
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into a common man with little trifle on Caesar himself where Shaw
explores very well about the strengths and weaknesses of a common
man.
Caesar meets Cleopatra and talks to her as a stranger, without
revealing his identity. Sensing her child like nature he teaches her
royal dignity and assures her to be the queen of Egypt. He begins his
teaching in her palace by ordering her servant to light the lamps. Here
Shaw symbolically shows that before the beginning of the first lesson
by a disciple she/he has to light the lamp of knowledge to balance the
imbibing of wisdom through mentor. Shaw passionately admires the
culture of paying respect to one’s mentor before unleashing the saga
of tutoring for a better cause. This is very much evident in this context
when Caesar says:
Caesar:
Order the slave to light the lamps.
Cleopatra: Do you think I may?
Caesar:
Of course you are the Queen. Go on.141
After learning the first lesson to get the things done by her
servants, her chief nurse Ftatateeta intrudes and tries to take over the
situation in her hands. Caesar stops her and asks her to behave
properly in the presence of the Queen or she will be beheaded.
Cleopatra pleads her to go but she is taught ‘commanding’ by Caesar,
her second lesson. He says:
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You are not commanding her to go away: you are begging
her. You are no Queen. You will be eaten. ... A Roman
does not stay with queens who are afraid of their slaves...
Cleopatra: Be gone. Go away. Give me something to beat
her with. ... I am a real Queen at last-a real, real Queen!
Cleopatra the Queen! ... Oh, I love you for making me a
Queen.
(Act I, P. 32-33)
The plot changes to vengeance and clemency at its best.
Pothinus, Ptolemy’s guard, introduces Lucius Septimius who has
slained Pompey, the enemy of Caesar and brought his head to win the
heart of Caesar. Caesar being agonised by the word vengeance says
movingly:
Vengeance: Vengeance: Oh, if I could stoop to vengeance,
what would I not exact from you as the price of this
murdered man’s blood? Was he not my son-in-law, my
ancient friend, for 20 years the master of great Rome, for
30 years the compeller of victory? Did not I, as a Roman,
share his glory? … And I Julius Caesar, or am I wolf, that
you fling me the grey head of the old soldier, the laurelled
conqueror, the mighty Roman, treacherously struck down
by this callous ruffian and then claim my gratitude for it.
(Act II, P. 47)
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Gang observes, “When the murder or Pompey is referred to, it
becomes simply an occasion for demonstrating Caesar’s moral
sensibility, his superiority to mere vengeance.”142 Vengeance is a
natural bond among humans that shatters peace and harmony. It
catapults arrogance and steers aggressiveness that breeds contempt
and bifurcates brotherhood for squalid purposes. Touched by his
counter argument Caesar says:
.... vengeance at least is human... those severed right
hands, and the brave Vercingetorix basely strangled in a
vault beneath the capital, were a wise severity, a
necessary protection to the common wealth, a duty of
statesmanship – follies and fictions ten times bloodier
than honest vengeance: .... Why should the slayer of
Vercingetorix rebuke the slayer of Pompey? You are free
to go with the rest....
(Act II, P. 47)
Vercingetorix is a rebel against Romans who was captured and
executed in Rome under Caesar’s reign. Theodotus pathetically
expresses his grief over the burning of books and cries before Caesar
to restore the knowledge of the books. Caesar adroitly permits
Theodotus to save the library of Alexandria before his men
maintaining the balance not to wither the sanctity among Romans. He
orders Pothinus to escort Theodotus to the library by showing another
act of clemency. Indeed he understands and saves the lives of these
two Egyptians as they live for the development of a nation.
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Caesar:
I have let Theodotus go to save the library. We
must respect literature, Rufio.
(Act II, P. 57)
When Caesar is in the light house along with his men,
Britannus
shows
a
bunch
of
letters,
which
contains
the
correspondence between Pompey’s party and the army of occupation
in Egypt.
He further adds that foes of Caesar can be known by
reading the letters. Sharply reacting to his secretary’s suggestion says:
….would you have me to waste the next three years of my
life in proscribing and condemning men who will be my
friends when I have proved that my friendship is worth
more than Pompey’s was-than Cato’s is …Am I a bull dog,
to seek quarrels merely to show how stubborn my jaws
are? ..... I do not make sacrifices to my honour...
(Act III, P. 73-74)
Caesar shows his best mercy on his enemies by not knowing
them and gilding the discussion by throwing the sack of letters into
the sea. Shaw’s Caesar is a Utopian pedigree in his artistic streak with
a sublime benevolence on human species that manifests Caesar as
God by Cleopatra. Godliness comes with pure compassion and good
attitude that raises the spirit of god in human heart and soul to an
eternal bliss.
Gang rightly observes “... in her Act IV ...to Cleopatra human
relations, dominated by alienation and hatred, are relieved only
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impulses of sexuality. Caesar is prone to one of these feelings, but he
does not distinguish between particular adults and children and dogs.
This ‘heroic’ benevolence is profoundly attractive in its universality
and almost equally disquieting in its remoteness from the individual
qualities of human creatures….”143
When Caesar and his men attend the party hosted by Cleopatra;
Cleopatra coaxingly says to Caesar, that she cannot satisfy his diet as
he abstains from taking drinks. To this Caesar assures that he will
make laws against such prodigality and get the laws be carried out for
in the streets of Egypt and Rome. Feeling insulted by Pothinus,
Cleopatra, commands her mistress Ftatateeta, to slay him.
At her
behest Ftatateeta kills Pothinus.
As a result a lot of protest begins outside the palace. Sensing
this, Caesar asks Cleopatra about the murderer. Cleopatra justifying
her command says that her action may not be condemned wrong,
since she has been affronted by him.
In reply to her, Caesar
philosophically says:
... These knockers at your gate are also believers in
vengeance and in stabbing. You have slain their leader:
it is right that they shall slay you... And then in the name
of that right shall I not slay them for murdering their
Queen, and be slain in my turn by their countrymen...
And so, to the end of history, murder shall breed murder,
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always in the name of right and honour and peace, until
the Gods are tired of blood and create a race that can
understand...
(Act IV, P. 104)
“Caesar’s early protest against the horror of Pompey’s murder
widens out to a larger perception which is in the spirit of
Shakespeare’s Histories, though it is faintly tinged with brooding
intimations of the Life Force, the single most powerful deadening
influence on later Shavian drama”144 remarks Gamini Salgado. On
being enraged by Pothinus’s death, Egyptians menacingly surround
the palace to avenge their leader’s death. Caesar cryptically explains
the consequences that he has to face for Cleopatra’s action. After the
palace has been relieved from besiegers by the Roman army
reinforced, Caesar decides to leave for Rome by appointing Rufio,
Governor of Egypt. Besides, he tells Apollodorus to take the charge of
Art in Egypt.
Caesar:
charge...
Apollodorus: I have the art of Egypt in your
Rome
loves
art
and
will
encourage
it
ungrudgingly.
Apollodorus:
I understand, Caesar.
Rome will produce
no art itself...
Caesar: What! Rome produce no art! Is peace not an art?
Is war not an art?
Is government not an art?
Is
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civilization not an art? All these we give you in exchange
for a few ornaments...
(Act V, P. 112)
Cleopatra VII Philopator is a complex character who takes the
play to a matured climax with her thoughts and idealisms. She is a
sweet kitten transformed to a matured cat with a tinge of Roman
embellishment. Under the tutelage of Caesar’s gospel she resurrects
herself from castigation to glorification to witness a new dawn. She
brightens her career as the Queen of Egypt with Caesar to beautify
her own inner self and casts aside her sacrilege. Cleopatra acquires
leadership qualities and confidence to rule Egypt. It is quite evident of
the fact that she hurls back her fear and superstitious life and learns
to see the world through the eyes of Caesar. She is a good disciple of
Caesar who learns the lesson of life, administration and a little bit of
clemency.
Her
prosaic
image
gets
metamorphosis
into
an
extraordinary rendezvous with an operculum over her childish
attitude.
Cleopatra’s happiness is soon dissolved by the message that
Caesar is coming to see the Queen of Egypt. She trembles from within
and asks refuge in Caesar’s arms not knowing the fact that he is
Caesar, the Roman King. He orders Ftatateeta to go and bring
Cleopatra’s robes and the crown but she hesitates to follow the
command from a stranger. He wishfully looks at Cleopatra to give
another command to the chief nurse and she blatantly says:
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How dare you ask questions? Go and do as you are told...
Caesar: The Queen must face Caesar alone. Answer so be
it.
(Act I, P. 34-35)
The first act ends with Cleopatra in the arms of Caesar teaching
her to become the real Queen rather than quailing. She too learns
with the same attention as Caesar bestows on her. The second act
takes us to other theme of good administration and the art of
clemency. Above all Caesar’s disbeliefs on Egyptian religious practices
were forbidden as he considers the god of Ra, a seated man with the
head of a hawk, as a mere sceptical prodigy. The throne is the only
chair in the court and Caesar finds no chair to sit on. Rufio the
Roman Officer examines the ambience of the court and notices a three
legged stool with incense sticks on it. Rufio shakes off the incense and
blows away the ash, puts it down near Caesar for him to sit on.
Caesar is a polytheist who believed in Gods like Venus, Jupiter,
Clementia and Ascanius or Lulus. Lulus- the triumph, is the
legendary ancestor of Caesar. Caesar himself is regarded as God for
Romans.
Ptolemy the young king, brother and husband of Cleopatra who
is ten years old, is at the disposal of Pothinus, a eunuch who is the
chief guardian of Ptolemy. Theodotus is Ptolemy’s tutor and Achillas
the General of Ptolemy’s troops. Apollodorus is a Sicilian who does the
business of carpets all over Rome and Egypt becomes an important
character in the play and helps Cleopatra reach Caesar rolled up in
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his carpet. Rufio a Roman Officer becomes the governor of Egypt at
the farewell of Caesar and Britannus the secretary of Caesar befriends
him in Britain on an island entailing his Britain’s behaviour and life
style. Lucius Septimius is also a Roman Officer who killed Caesar’s
enemy Pompey, the great, at the Egyptian seashores partly rivals
Caesar at the end of the play. Caesar is in the court of Ptolemy to
retrieve the taxes from Egypt for a better functioning of the empire.
Britannus, the secretary of Caesar intrudes:
My master would say that there is a lawful debt due to
Rome by Egypt... and that it is Caesar’s duty to his
country to require immediate payment.
Pothinus:
Is it possible that Caesar; the conqueror of
the world has to occupy himself with such a trifle as our
taxes?
Caesar:
My friend: taxes are the chief business of a
conqueror of the world.
(Act II, P. 40)
Taxes symbolise true colour of a nation. It gives additional
potential liberty to the government to develop the nation with accurate
statistics. Taxes should be paid on any grounds irrespective of flaw
and vice in human nature. Caesar proves himself as the best ruler
who ascertains the legality of paying.
He ascribes himself to a free man with free thoughts on life. He
glorifies his tender advocacies of new beginning, pure life and matured
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nation. Sacrifice is the best medicine Caesar used to cure corruption,
treachery and blasphemy in Egypt and Rome. He held his honour and
dignity to the brim of his life and never let it astray from his soul. He
begets tranquillity with auspices of Roman Vision and Egyptian
Mission. When Cleopatra is in her palace, Pothinus comes and tries to
instigate Cleopatra, by telling her that she is Caesar’s prisoner and
slave. Cleopatra refutes Pothinus’ remark. Then Pothinus asks her
whether Caesar is in love with her or she is in love with Caesar,
Cleopatra replies:
.... Pothinus: Caesar loves no one.... He has no hatred in
him; he makes friends with every one as he does with
dogs and children. .. His kindness is not for anything in
me: it is in his own nature... Can one love god? Besides, I
love another Roman: one who can love and hate-one
whom I can hurt and who would hurt me. (Act IV, P. 87)
Caesar debunks the idea of killing as a last resort for a better
society and justifies his vengeance as a mere political outbreak for
nourishing the oppressed in the society. As Salgado notes, “Rebuked
for his past brutalities, Caesar now rejects the duty of statesmanship
that had led him to commit them and, rising above anger, offers
Pompey’s slayer a place in his service.”145 Caesar’s virtue of
munificence receives more dignity to his character, when his
commander Rufio tells about Caesar’s forgiving nature in freeing all
the Egyptians in the court, Rufio says:
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.... But mark this, Caesar. Clemency is very well for you;
but what is it for your soldiers, who have to fight
tomorrow the men you spared yesterday? You may give
what order you please; but I tell you that your next victory
will be a massacre, thanks to your clemency.
(Act II, P. 48-49)
Clemency is in the blood of Caesar who practises it skilfully. He
attributes this nature to the Roman Goddesses Clementia whom
Caesar adores and believes in her. He even builds the temple under
her name and is given more prominence to goddess Clementia. As
Egyptians set fire to some Roman ships; the nearby library of
Alexandria catches fire.
Theodotus who is much worried comes to
Caesar and says:
Slain! Oh, worse than the death of ten thousand men!
Loss irreparable to mankind! .... The first of the seven
wonders of the world perishes. The library of Alexandria
is in flames... Caesar: One in ten generations of men, the
world gains an immortal book.
(Act II, P. 55-56)
In this play, “Through the portrayal of Caesar’s relations with
Apollodorus, the play stretches conventional definitions of art and
creativity, and places in a critical light the idea that civilization can be
measured only in terms of what a society produces in the way of
works of fine art,”146 points out by Gibbs. Shaw seems to din into the
ears of the audience in his Plays for Puritanism is that Humanism
178
should replace Puritanism. This is demonstrated in each play through
the central character who is essentiality an inspired outsider.
It is
these highly unconventional persons rather than the denominational
men of religion who most vividly recall the example of Christ. It is
Dudgeon rather than Anderson who is prepared to sacrifice his life for
the sake of his friend. It is Caesar, who regards the Egyptian religious
and political practices as hocus-pocus and superstition, where he
stands for the enlightened ethical principles rather than the God of
Ra.
As George Bernard Shaw once said “I am not a teacher: only a
fellow traveller of whom you ask the way. I pointed ahead-ahead of
myself as well as you.”147 The manifestation of future lies in one’s
hands and by carving one’s own destination towards enlightenment
fabricates the purpose. Zeena Schreck is a religious leader in America
who said that “... Once you've found your true inner guru you can
never again be divided. Perfect union with the divine, through the
grace of your real teacher, transcends time, space, death and all
worldly limitations...”148 Shaw in his veil of sagaciousness fulfils his
mentoring the world into redemption of human race under the
omnipresent observance of Shaw. He is a pacifist who embarks in
quest of self truth that leads to a juvenile tethering transcending into
a matured salvation of oneself. As this is attained, the incongruous
soul transforms giving rise to a new personified life of thoughtfulness
that showers clemency and stoops vengeance for mankind as Caesar
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did in Shaw’s play of Caesar and Cleopatra. Acquiring a true mentor is
the first step to attain the state of procuring clemency and good
leadership skills, and to maintain the ordeals and contentment of
political as well as domestic lives. Sivananda Saraswati was a Hindu
Spiritual leader who said about teacher, “Let each man take the path
according to his capacity, understanding and temperament. His true
guru will meet him along that path.”149 As Cleopatra drenched herself
in fear of Caesar, she could not reconcile her true virtue as a Queen
till Caesar in guise of a common man met Cleopatra as her mentor.
The mentors of the world from archaic evolution to modern
civilisation have revealed mankind the path of true glorification of
one’s souls. Bhagwan Sri Krishna is considered as the mentor of
Arjuna with whom Arjuna revived and attained salvation through
Krishna. As Ramachandra Prasad puts it through Bhagavad Gita,
“One gradually attains tranquility of mind by keeping the mind fully
absorbed in the Self by means of a well-trained intellect, and thinking
of nothing else.”150 Such intellect and thoughts are possible and
bestowed by the guru like Krishna. He personifies himself as the door
to the knowledge, wisdom, salvation and eternity but the key for such
a door is embedded in one’s heart and to carve the key in such a way
it should fit into the latch to unlock the door. This is possible with a
mentor whose personification of life is endured by his vault of
godliness. The requirement of a guru, teacher or mentor is justifiable
for a student or disciple for a focused purity of the soul. It fetches out
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in us the art of clemency and the wisdom of knowledge to enlighten
the hearts of the humans. For instance, Jesus Christ, Peace Be Upon
Him-(PBUH), the son of God lends his hand to the poor, sacrificed his
life for sinners and was resurrected for mankind. This clearly depicts
the true mentorship for whole of human species. “I am the way and
the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6).”151 Even the disciples of Jesus were helpless without
Jesus. He showed them the righteous path and led them to immerse
in Him as true disciples to acquire salvation. It is clearly evident that
the world needs mentors to purify the souls and humanity, and to
curb the atrocities around the world. In the same way a mentor for
every individual is necessary to reform one’s own world that is the
inner self ultimately achieving salvation through the medium of
mentor as Cleopatra has attained through Caesar.
As Guru Nanak once said “Let no man in the world live in
delusion. Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore”152
Guru Nanak is right in his perception of a guru as the medium and
means to overcome hurdles and make our sinful souls pure and
rejuvenating from the root level of our sins. “… let them forgive and
overlook, do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? For Allah is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Quran 24:22).”153 According to the
Threshold Society, Muhammad, (PBUH), the messenger of God once
said “Forgive him who wrongs you; join him who cuts you off; do good
to him who does evil to you, and speak the truth although it be
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against yourself.”154 This lineage of teaching inspires mankind to lead
life with divinity in human’s heart rather than a devil in guise of
human. Doing good always doubles the spirit of happiness and
unleashes the hidden solace to a fortitude of godliness. Caesar refines
Cleopatra to some extent and could not teach her the pleasure in
clemency. Cleopatra orders her chief nurse to kill Pothinus; the
guardian of Ptolemy and Rufio, under the guidance of Caesar did not
learn the same art finally kills Cleopatra’s chief nurse Ftatateeta
without mercy. But that happened for good for an instance. Rufio
being the Roman Officer and one of the protectors of Caesar avoids
the treachery of Ftatateeta against Caesar who might plot to kill
Caesar. Both Cleopatra and Rufio have to learn more about clemency
and good administration as Caesar has shown them the way to
reconcile salvation, and it is not possible for a mentor to hold hand in
hand with the disciple to the edge of the world. The zeal should be in
the spirit of a disciple to have passion and madness in learning the
gospel of one’s own mentor. As APJ Abdul Kalam said, “When the
student is ready, the teacher will appear.”155 How true! Caesar saw
Cleopatra and analysed that she is ready to take the journey to
become the queen of Egypt. But this fact was unknown to Cleopatra
herself and Caesar being the scholar of know-how of human intellect
recognises it and incepts his lessons to her. Such is the stature of
Shaw’s Caesar in discoursing political as well as domestic lessons to
Cleopatra, the ardent disciple of her erudite teacher in assimilating
the principles of a Roman mentor.