Wise Directions is inspired by William Shakespeare’s King Henry IV, Part II, which tells the story of Prince Hal, the Prince of Wales, transforming from a rebellious youth into an astute ruler, the King Henry of Shakespeare’s King Henry V.
The “wise directions” in King Henry IV, Part II occur after King Henry IV dies and Hal is crowned King Henry V (Act 5, Scene 2). His decision to accept the Lord Chief Justice, a senior royal advisor, as his “father” is a key turning point, crucial in expediting his transformation from rebel to ruler:
You shall be as a father to my youth,
My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine ear,
And I will stoop and humble my intents
To your well-practised, wise directions.
The “wise directions” the young King refers to are an embrace of discipline, maturity, responsibility, rules and order. It is also a rejection of the idleness, horseplay, wit, and wordplay of his fun-loving youth, spent mainly in seedy bars.
Often, names are descriptive. In one sense, the Wise Directions name is descriptive. Through quality copyediting, proofreading, and website copywriting, we aim to provide wise counsel for our clients.
In another sense, our name is also transformative, aspirational and constitutive of who we may become. Just as Prince Hal embraces wise counsel to transform himself from a young rebel to a responsible monarch, we want you, our clients, to embrace our services to transform your manuscript from good to great.
Aspiring authors, we invite you to take on our “well-practised wise directions” to unlock your full potential.
If you would like to know more about how Wise Directions Copyediting can benefit you, please contact us today.