Wisdom and the Arts

  Film            Literature            Scripture            Music            Visual Arts

Film

The older version of the film The Karate Kid contains the interesting character of Mr. Miagi who becomes mentor and karate teacher to the boy Daniel. He says things like, "If picture comes from inside you, is always right."

In the original Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobe is the personification of wisdom.

Literature

King Lear by Shakespeare

Listen to Lear at the end of the play where he has just joined his daughter Cordelia in prison, both captured by the enemy:

"... Come, let's away to prison:
We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage:...
...so we'll live,
And pray, and sing, and tell old tales and laugh
At gilded butterflies...
And take upon 's the mystery of things,
As if we were God's spies." (V, iii)

Life by Emily Dickinson

MUCH madness is divinest sense
To a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
'Tis the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane;
Demur,—you ’re straightway dangerous,
And handled with a chain.

From Scripture

In a dream, God invites King Solomon, the new king, to ask for what he wants. “Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people,” says Solomon. And God says, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart.”

(Hebrew Bible, I Kings 3:5-12.)

See also the Book of Proverbs

From Music

The way Mozart resolves his chords.

The Marshallin in Der Rosenkavalier: she recognizes that young love will prevail.



The lyrics of Bob Dylan, for example, The Times They Are A-’Changin’ or Maggie’s Farm or Blowin’ in the Wind: he gets to the heart of the matter.



From The Visual Arts

In Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” the woman peering our from under God’s left arm is Sophia, goddess of wisdom.