Gentleman to Bloke

Dearest Harry,

I’ve been pondering what it’s going to be like to be a chap when you are older. Over the years the definition of an ideal man has changed, from strength to vitality to brains to sensuality, societies image of a chap seems to be a constantly shifting. To help define this I have drawn some examples together from the writing and quotes of some of the great thinkers of the last 500 years

In 1528 the book ‘Il Cortegiano’ (The Book of the Courtier)  was published. Written by Baldassare Castiglione the guidelines within, drawn from his experiences at Duke Guidobaldo Montefeltro of Urbino court, redefined the notion of ‘The Gentleman’, from a man of 'battle field chivalry' to one of education and learning. In it Castiglione describes the ideal gentleman as being able;

• To speake alwaies of matters likely, least he be counted
a lyer in reporting of wonders and straunge miracles.
• To have the feate of drawing and peincting.
• To daunce well without over nimble footinges or to
busie trickes.
• To play well at fense upon all kinde of weapons.
• To be nimble and quicke at the play at tenise.
• To hunt and hauke.
• To be seen in tunges, and specially in Italian, French,
and Spanish.

(N.B. the strange spelling is more due to the 16th century translation of the original Italian text than you Godfathers dependency on medication)

Between 1600-1602, William Shakespeare wrote “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”. In act two scene two, he describes man thus;

“What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how
express and admirable! in action how like an angel!
in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the
world! the paragon of animals!”

(You can read the full text here or you see the text in its original form at the British library, )

Other great words-men have been quoted as saying;

• ‘Man is the Only Animal that Blushes. Or needs to.’ (Mark Twin)
• ‘Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.’ (Albert Einstein)
• ‘As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a man a good man upon easier terms than I was formerly.’ (Dr. Samuel Johnson)

But being in the Southern hemisphere I’d though I’d leave the final ideas, for now at least, to Ado Knox and Ben-Wah, creators of ‘Blokesworld’, on Australias Channel 10, which seamlessly blends the nuisances of Australian male culture with the glory days of ‘Live TV’ and the underground film making, of British TV’s, 'Get Stuffed'. In their websites words, being a bloke is all about;

“the joys of a roaring V 8 engine, a good bar-B–Q, a punt on the dogs and a bit of a perve along the way.”

And as you grow up you’ll find out that that is all a lot of chaps think exists.

Warmest Regards,

Charlie