It’s no surprise that Shakespeare’s works stand the test of time, but in the face of the European refugee crisis, his last surviving script might be the most strikingly relevant of all. 

Hundreds of years ago, the bard wrote a compelling speech urging for compassion towards refugees in a little known play called The Book of Sir Thomas More. Set during a period of high tension during the reign of Henry VIII, the script addresses rioters opposed to the number of refugees arriving in England from France at the time. These Protestant refugees –  the French Huguenots – were fleeing religious persecution and violence after thousands were massacred during the French Wars of Religion. Like today, many English citizens were hostile to the arrival of these ‘strangers,’ ready to take to the streets to violently protest against their presence. 

Against this hostility, Shakespeare’s speech is a clarion call for compassion and empathy. Although Shakespeare didn't write the whole play, he was asked to edit the existing script and critics believe his additions gave the play its true force. Written for the part of the Renaissance Humanist Sir Thomas More, the verse presses the listener to imagine herself in a refugee’s shoes, asking what she would do if her king was to banish her from her homeland. 

Here is a powerful performance of this extract: 

Recently unearthed for an online series by The British Library to commemmorate the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death, Shakespeare’s urge to see the world through a refugee’s eyes is more necessary than ever.

On Saturday, the EU and Turkey signed a controversial deal designed to dramatically limit the number of refugees that can enter Europe. Diplomats have spent weeks trying to manoeuvre a settlement that bears the semblance of legality, while sacrificing the humanity Shakespeare calls for in this speech. The outcome of these negotiations has resulted in a morally dubious one-in-one-out policy that is more appropriate for students outside a cramped nightclub than people fleeing war and suffering.

It’s a complicated and precarious agreement, but here’s a breakdown of the main outcomes: 

• People arriving in Greece will be assessed in Greece for their asylum claims.
• If successful, they will be granted asylum in Europe. If not, they will be sent back to Turkey.
• For every one Syrian refugee sent back to Turkey, the EU will resettle a Syrian currently residing in Turkey.
• BUT, the EU will only resettle 72,000 refugees a year. This is inadequate because aid agencies recommend that Europe take in 108,000.
• The EU will also give Turkey 3 billion euros to assist the refugee response. 
• Turkish citizens will soon be able to move freely through the Schengen zone. 

Of course, it's necessary to establish a formal assessment process for resettling refugees, but the EU is effectively playing hot potato with human beings and attempting to minimise its responsibility for a global crisis. This deal falls short of providing a way for refugees to avoid a hazardous journey to Europe, and many fear it will instead push refugees to take the even more dangerous route through North Africa to Italy. Kate Allen, the Director of Amnesty International UK described this as ‘a dark day for the refugee convention, a dark day for Europe, and a dark day for humanity.’  

In this light, it seems that Shakespeare’s words against a ‘mountainish inhumanity’ could sadly have been written yesterday.