The Shoemaker’s Holiday comedic tone was a breath of fresh air to the audience after almost a decade of tragic events such as outbreaks of a plague, bad harvest and inflation (483). The audience would have definitely been entertained with the comedic jokes and the subliminal sexual comparisons that Dekker writes for most of the characters in the play. In my opinion, I think the character of Ralph is one character the audience member would definitely be able to relate and empathize with the most, as England at the time had been at war with Spain for almost twelve years. One could image that many of the soldiers were returning with battle wounds similar to Ralph.
Ralph is released from war and returns back to the Eyre’s shop in Scene 10 with missing limbs. Although Ralph returned with these wounds, he is encouraged by Hodge to continue to be a shoemaker as he still had his hands and was still capable of making a living for himself. Furthermore, because Ralph continued as a shoemaker he was able to find his wife Jane and finally reunite with her. Ralph’s situation is one that is common when a country is at war. Many find themselves separated from their loved ones and often returned with permanent damages; however the character of Ralph is a representation that war heroes are valuable to society and reminding many that they can continue to live the life they desire to have.
Wendy’s reference to returning war heroes makes Dekker’s play very relevant to us today, with the large numbers of veterans returning alive from Iraq and Afghanistan with wounds that modern medicine can treat but not reverse. It’s a challenge for a society to integrate those who have suffered, a challenge that the United States hasn’t fully risen to.
Well couldn’t help but see this as I was browsing my older posts. I have an uncle who is now actively fighting in Afghanistan and frankly I’m amazed at how he’s doing it. This is because he had already lost a leg during Operation Desert Storm. He’s actually serving his country still with a prosthetic leg and doing so with a smile on his face. When I had asked him if he felt glum about losing it, he just waved it off and said it was a necessary price to pay so I could continue to go to school in a free land.
Peter, this comment reminds us of how timeless much of this material is. Thank you for bringing a contemporary note to the discussion.