Leaving a Proper Inheritance: A Lesson from “As You Like It”

Last updated on: April 3, 2017 at 4:45 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

Leaving a Proper Inheritance: A Lesson from “As You Like It” 2017-04-03T16:45:39-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

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As You Like It Will Be Justice

Commercials still pitch “leaving something” for your family at death to people my age or older. I have yet, however, to meet a student who makes a single career decision in terms of inheritance, except for the few that expect to get one.

We are not raising a generation concerned about what they will leave to family or the people they know. Instead, students tend to have ideas about leaving a cleaner planet or a more just Republic. These are good goals, but ones unlikely to be achieved if we do not do justice and love mercy to the people whose lives we can impact.

You cannot love the entire nation or planet that you cannot know, if you do not love the people you do know. Shakespeare understood this truth and in the midst of his pastoral comedy As You Like It, talks (almost!) as much about proper inheritance as he does about love and romance. The play doesn’t just end with everyone getting the person that should be their mate, but receiving justice when it comes to inheritance. Usurpers are pulled down and brothers get what they should receive from the estate of the their parents.

Even the first line of the play is about injustice in inheritance (and not romance!):

As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion
bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns,
and, as thou sayest, charged my brother, on his
blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my
sadness.

Orlando has not been educated the way a gentleman’s son should be educated. He has been cheated of justice in inheritance. His situation reflects that of the entire political order: the Duke is in the forest and his usurping brother is in charge. All of this is painlessly and absurdly dealt with in the play: justice is done.

Shakespeare has made a point many of us miss amidst all the jolly romance in the play: love needs justice to thrive. Part of justice is doing right by our heirs. How many parents save for college for their child, but have no dowery to get a marriage off to a good start? Do we tell our children we value their education more than their family life when we scrimp to pay for one (which may or may not be worth it) and leave them on their own in the all important building of a family?

We have at the very least lost much of the notion that there is a family. We do not create a new family when we marry, but extend and unite to old families. Our marriage is something newish out of two older things, but loses meaning apart from the old. Part of my duty is to honor the Reynolds name and the names of all my ancestors (Combs! Lanham! Blake! Wines! Radford!). If I cannot leave much money, I can leave a godly heritage, a fund of stories and traditions, and a culture. Instead of living for self or my immediate family, I can leave something for the future of the clan.

Most of us will not leave our kids a fabulous fortune, but we can invest in good deeds that will stand as a heritage for the future. We can create institutions that will outlive us in our schools, churches, and communities. We can leave a good name and favor in the community. I have been blessed to hear: “You are Dayton and Ann’s son.” and see it open doors. At other points in my life, people have referred to the ministry of my great-grandfather and it has been a blessing to me.

How true is the Bible:

A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold.

Let’s live and build something that will last for our children and our children’s children in honor of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.

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My thoughts on inheritance were inspired by getting to see a wonderful version of As You Like It from the St. Genesius Players at The Saint Constantine School led by the luminous Jayne Meyncke.

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