Mojo, The Bard, & Me

I do profess

That for your highness’ good I ever labour’d

More than mine own; that am, have, and will be,--

Though all the world should crack their duty to you,

And throw it from their soul: though perils did

Abound, as thick as thought could make ‘em, and

Appear in forms more horrid,--yet my duty,

As doth a rock against the chiding flood,

Should the approach of this wild river break,

And stand unshaken yours.

 -Cardinal Wolsey

 King Henry the Eighth                   Act III, scene ii   Line 193

Check it out. Three days ago we had Henry the Eighth, and it was a line where two guys were talking about Cardinal Wolsey. Now today this same Cardinal is the speaker, and it’s a few scenes later. And yes, I did it to you again. I gave you way more than a line. Okay, I admit it. My infallible die led me to the Though all the world line, and as you can see, that line is part of the sentence that starts in the previous line and ends further on. And the whole thing I gave you today is really one big thought of Cardinal Wolsey trying to impress the king with just how devoted he is to him. And it’s a bit much, don’t you think? It reminds me a little of Goneril and Regan in King Lear. They professed their love for their father Lear in terms somewhat like this. And we know how well that turned out (very poorly for Lear if you don’t know). So even though I don’t know this play, based on today’s Totally Random line and also on Suffolk’s assessment of three days ago, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Wolsey is a Schmoe.

Now let’s face it, I could be wrong about the guy. And that’s the challenge, isn’t it. The problem is that Will doesn’t always make it easy for us. Oh sure, there’s the random Iago here and there that’s just out and out bad. But most of Will’s characters are like us, very grey, in between the black and the white. And just like in real life where we have to figure out who’s more good than bad, so too in reading/watching Will’s plays we have to figure out for ourselves most of the time who the good guy is. And sometimes we’re just left wondering.

Now I’m not going to tell you whether the Cardinal here is good or bad. I’m not going to tell you because I can’t tell you. I don’t know. Are you the least bit curious, or have you passed judgement based on the little that I’ve already given you?

                                                                                                So which do you think it is; He's a weasel, or he's good old Wosley?