The truth will out. 1 Timothy 5.

SHYLOCK

As I was reading the last two verses of this chapter, the phrase from Shakespeare, in the title of this post, kept ringing in my mind. It's from The Merchant of Venice, and here it is in context:

LAUNCELOT.
Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the
knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his own child. Well,
old man, I will tell you news of your son. Give me your blessing;
truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man's son
may, but in the end truth will out.

The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, explains the phrase in this way: "One way or another, in spite of all efforts to conceal it, the truth will come to be known." Which is pretty obvious from the phrase itself, and doesn't require any understanding of where it came from.

But I do know where the phrase came from, and perhaps you do too. Knowing about this phrase is a byproduct of "cultural literacy," which is the ability to converse using the idioms, allusions, and informal content of a culture. This can be as simple as understanding road signs, to as complex as picking up the novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway, and having a jump start in understanding the book because you're aware of the poem by John Donne from which the phrase was taken by Hemingway.

The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy was written by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. (something I didn't know without looking it up) as a companion to his book, Cultural Literacy. In the book, Hirsch argues for a return to a high level of literacy built on "traditional history, myth, and literature." To me, this means a pre-college education that includes the Greek myths and literature, the Bible, Shakespeare, and other classic literature, and the history of western civilizations. Until recently, this was the norm in English-speaking countries. Most people with a high school education, assuming they payed a moderate amount of attention, would know that the narrator in Moby Dick, Ishmael, had a Biblical name, and that the name was a clue into his character. Those with somewhat less education might still recognize both Ishmael and "Moby Dick" even if they didn't realize that Ishmael was a character in the novel.

Hirsch's main point in his book, and one reason for creating the dictionary, is that by concentrating on literacy, the educational system produces better learners in all fields of endeavor. Cultural literacy as Hirsch envisions it, fosters broad knowledge, shared knowledge, and communication. That's where the "traditional history, myth, and literature" enter into the picture. The American education system has gone away from this in favor of materials that emphasize skills and relevancy. Take a look at the introduction to the dictionary for a complete discussion by Hirsch.

HOMER

Cultural literacy itself, though, is a description of a phenomenon of culture, not a curriculum. If I say, "D'oh" with a certain inflection, a large percentage of the American populace will know the allusion I'm making. Given the pervasive level of communication in our society, anything can quickly become a part of the cultural consciousness and thus contribute to what is considered literacy within the culture. (IMHO, LOL.) Hirsch would say, I think, that a classic education produces a broader range of knowledge and connections, and a richness in communication that is unmatched by a set of rapidly changing elements of cultural raw material. I would agree with that, especially when it comes to the potential diversity of communication made possible by that approach, crossing boundaries of age, sex, location, race, and class. If you're over 50 it's unlikely the word Krumping means anything to you. If you're under 40 and from the west coast, it's unlikely Chappaquiddick means anything to you. But 100 years ago in America, Jonah, Aphrodite, and Shylock were known by everyone with an 8th grade education.

Knowledge of the literary content of the Bible was an essential element of the education of anyone considered "literate" until just few years ago in Western Europe and the U.S. and Canada. In fact, Shakespeare was probably aware of the truth expressed in chapter 5 of Paul's first letter to Timothy, when he penned the words that Launcelot speaks. Which I think is very cool... Shakespeare became a part of the canon of a classic education along with the Bible, which he himself drew from when he wrote. (I also think it's cool that there's a great deal of humor in The Simpsons, that is only funny when you know the Bible characters and stories the humor is based on. This is exactly what Hirsch is referring to when discussing a literate culture.)

So, here's what Paul wrote to Timothy (in King James to make it closer to Shakespeare's language):

Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid. (1 Timothy 5:24-25 KJV)

In other words, the truth about a person's good and bad works will be in the open, either before or after judgment -- the truth will out. In these words of Paul's, we ought to be hearing the whisper of our conscience, "Best to do the right thing, it will all be known some day." And we also hear truth in these words, a correspondence between what Paul wrote and what we experience in everyday life. From the flagrant behavior of Britney Spears, Mel Gibson, and O. J. Simpson, to the quiet accomplishments of Millard and Linda Fuller who founded Habitat for Humanity, the works are on display for all to see.

Some final words on cultural literacy.
Connections. It's all about connections.

• Shakespeare remains popular, and when I finally went to find a picture for The Merchant of Venice, I discovered that Hollywood was busy doing remakes of a number of Shakespeare's plays during the last decade, including this one. Now I'm going to have to rent the movie to see if the lines I quoted at the outset are in the movie.
• Patrick Stewart, Captain Picard in the Star Trek:STNG series, is filming a version of the play that will be located in a Vegas casino.
• There's a restaurant at our own Orenco Station named "The Merchant of Venice." I didn't see a pound of flesh on the menu.
• The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy has a very minor mention of Ishmael, and definitions for both Captain Ahab and Moby Dick. Patrick Stewart starred in a TV production of Moby Dick as Captain Ahab.
• Better luck in the dictionary when it comes to Aphrodite, aka Venus to the Romans. A definition plus a reference to a painting by Botticelli of "The Birth of Venus." (She's nude, folks.) What makes the dictionary extra relevant is a mention that the painting is often referred to as "Venus on the half-shell." Wonder if they're serving that at the "Merchant of Venice Cafe." Or is that the "Merchant of Venus?"
• If you know about "The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," you've experienced cultural literacy.