Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

And then he (Marc Antony) offer’d it (the crown) the third time; he (Julius Caesar) put it the third time by; and still as he refused it, the rabblement shouted, and clapt their chopt hands, and threw up their sweaty nightcaps, and utter’d such a deal of stinking breath because Caesar refused the crown, that it had almost choked Caesar; for he swounded, and fell down at it: and for my own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips and receiving the bad air.

 

Casca

Julius Caesar         Act I, Scene ii, Line 242

Casca is telling Cassius and Marus Brutus what just happened with Caesar and the crowds. Cassius and Brutus were busy talking and did not witness it.

Apparently, the crowd, at the suggestion of Marc Antony, three times offered to make Caesar king, and three times he declined. Also apparently, Casca has a pretty low opinion of the crowd and the whole spectacle.

Cassius and Brutus had been busy talking about how they were afraid of Caesar becoming the king, and the fact that this would not be a good thing. Casca will be joining these two when the conspiracy to take out Caesar is formed.

Hmmm, someone making rumblings about becoming king in what was up until then a representative republic, and other people discussing the danger of that. It’s too bad that none of Will’s works have any relevance to our modern- day world (in case you missed it, that was sarcasm).

Program note: We will be leaving early tomorrow for four days in Cally before taking off from there for New Zealand for three weeks. We won’t be back in CT for most of January, and consequently, it’s unlikely I’ll be posting again before the end of January. Just so you know.

They're going where?

Until when?!!?! 

Uh-oh.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

  

Come, come, do you think I do not know you by your excellent wit? Can virtue hide itself? Go to, mum, you are he: graces will appear, and there’s an end.

 

Ursula

Much Ado About Nothing   Act II, Scene vi, Line 117

 

This scene is a masked ball. Ursula, one of Hero’s waiting-women, is dancing with Antonio, Hero’s uncle. Ursula knows that the masked man she is dancing with is Antonio, but Antonio is trying to convince Ursula that it’s not him. To this protestation, Ursula gives us Today’s Line.

A line or two further up, she had told Antonio that she knew it was him by his hands,

Here’s his dry hand up and down: you are he, you are he.

Hands always give away age, don’t they?

He’s right; they do.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Ajax hath ta’en Aeneas: shall it be?

No, by the flame of yonder glorious heaven,

He shall not carry him; I’ll be ta’en too,

Or bring him off:--fate, hear me what I say!

I reck (care) not though I end my life to-day.

 

Troilus 

Troilus and Cressida    Act V, Scene vi, Line 24

 

Note that this is scene six. You might have noticed that when Will has battles in his plays, he tends to have a lot of scenes within those acts, as he switches back and forth between spots on the battlefield. Such is the case here. 

This is the final act of the play, taking place on the battlefield below the walls of Troy, and it has ten scenes. Every one of Will’s plays (as far as I know) is made up of five acts. Usually each act is made up of one to five scenes; with exceptions as I just noted.

I didn’t have anything exciting to say about Today’s Lines, so I thought I'd toss out a little tidbit about Will’s play constructions.

That's the best you could do, huh?

Yes, your highness, that's the best I could do. I'll try harder next time.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

I would I were thy bird.

 

Romeo

Romeo and Juliet    Act II, Scene i, Line 226

 

This is Romeo’s response to Juliet. I think it best if we look at the six lines of hers that he is responding to.

‘Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone,--

And yet no further than a wanton’s bird,

Who lets it hop a little from her hand,

Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,

And with a silk thread plucks it back again,

So loving-jealous of his liberty.

Wanton, used as a noun, can be one given to self-indulgent flirtation or trifling, a lewd or lascivious person, a pampered person or animal, or a frolicsome child or animal (all per MW online). You decide what Will considers Juliet to be.

Gyves are fetters or shackles (again, per MW online).

So Romeo is saying that he wants to be the bird held by Juliet on a silk thread leash. There’s a lot to unpack there, between her six lines and his one.

But you know, like much of Will’s work, these seven lines need no unpacking. That is to say, they’re not going to get any better by me analyzing them for you. They are best left alone by me, and read by you, and experienced by you in whatever way it is that you will experience them.

You now know the meaning of the two words that might have given you trouble, so please read it again: first Juliet’s six lines, and then Romeo’s one line response.

And have your own experience with them.

‘Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone,--

And yet no further than a wanton’s bird,

Who lets it hop a little from her hand,

Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,

And with a silk thread plucks it back again,

So loving-jealous of his liberty.

I would I were thy bird.

Beautiful.

 

Agreed: Beautiful.

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Look, what is best, that best I wish in thee:

This wish I have; then ten times happy me!

 

Sonnet  37

 

Yes, it’s sonnet time again! And Today’s Lines are the rhyming couplet that finishes this particular sonnet. Shall we take a look at the first twelve lines? Based on this ending, I’m going to assume that it’s fairly upbeat. Let’s hope it’s understandable as well.

 

As a decrepit father takes delight (okay, maybe it’s a little depressing; let’s not give up hope yet.)

To see his active child do deeds of youth (at the very least, easy to understand what he’s saying so far…)

So I, made lame by Fortune’s dearest spite (Fortune’s dearest spite?)

Take all my comfort of thy worth and truth (hmmmm…).

 

For whether beauty, birth, or wealth, or wit (all good things),

Or any of these all, or all, or more (yes, yes…)

Entitled in their parts do crowned sit (getting a little less clear here)

I make my love engrafted to this store: (getting fuzzier)

 

 

So then I am not lame, poor, nor despised

Whilst that this shadow doth such substance give,

That I in thy abundance am sufficed,

And by a part of all thy glory live.

 

Look, what is best, that best I wish in thee:

This wish I have; then ten times happy me!

 

 

I think he’s saying is:

Q1 I’m happy just watching you, even though I don’t have you.

Q2 I’m happy with whatever good things you/I? have?

Q3 I’m happy living in the shadow of your glory?

Concl.  If you’re happy, I’m happy.

 

Well, if that’s a valid interpretation, then it’s not such an upbeat poem after all, is it?

Here’s the summary of this sonnet from the Katherine Duncan-Jones book.

Extending the notion (from the previous sonnets) that he partakes vicariously of the young man’s good parts, the poet finds consolation, perhaps delusory, for his own unlucky and inferior status in his young friend’s talents and good fortune.

Yeah, that’s pretty much what I said. And yeah, that’s not particularly upbeat, if you ask me. Oh well, what can you do?

 

 What can I do? I can sit here and be a lot happier than that guy, that’s what I can do.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Who calls?

 

Calchas

Troilus and Cressida             Act V, Scene ii, Line 2

 

Simple as that. Who calls? So, who calls? I’ve no idea. 

There’s not much to this line, is there. We could go into the context; it is, after all, just the second line of the scene, so there’s not much has taken place yet. But that would lead us into a need to understand where we are in the play, and since it’s in the fifth act, we could be setting ourselves up for quite a bit of context.

No thank you. Not today.

Who calls? Nina, Jeff, and Sam will be calling on us today. 

There: that’s who calls.

 

I like Jeff. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

You know his nature,

That he’s revengeful; and I know his sword

Hath a sharp edge: it’s long, and, ‘t may be said,

It reaches far; and where ‘twill not extend,

Thither he darts it.  

 

Duke of Norfolk

King Henry the Eighth         Act I, Scene i, Line 110

 

The Duke of Norfolk is talking about Cardinal Wolsey. He is warning the Duke of Buckingham to be wary of the Cardinal. Wolsey has pulled a Grima Wormtongue on the king, and whilst Henry has not been incapacitated the way Theoden was, Wolsey nonetheless has a very strong hold on him. The only difference between the cardinal and Grima Wormtongue is that, unlike Grima, Cardinal Wolsey serves only himself. Unfortunately for Buckingham, it serves Wolsey's interests to have the Duke taken out of the picture.

Be careful Buckingham, Gandalf’s not going to be showing up to save you!

  

Uh oh, batten down the hatches!

 He’s started mixing in his crazy Tolkien references again!