Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

He has made too much plenty with ‘em,

He’s a sworn rioter: he has a sin that often

Drowns him, and takes his valour prisoner:

If there were no foes, that were enough

To overcome him: in that beastly fury

He has been know to commit outrages

And cherish factions: ‘tis inferr’d to us

His days are foul, and his drink dangerous.


Second Senator

Timon of Athens                Act III, Scene v, Line 72

The senator is speaking about a man who they are about to pass sentence on for murder. The murderer is a soldier, and his general, Alcibiades, is here pleading for his life. He’s telling the senators what a great soldier this guy is and how well he has served and defended his country. Apparently though, this fellow can’t handle his drink, and that’s a problem.

Previous to Today’s Line Alcibiades is saying of the soldier,

How full of valour did he bear himself

In the last conflict, and made plenteous wounds.

Apparently, though, according to the senator, he makes too many wounds and much of them are made not in battle but in bar rooms. The senator makes reference to the soldier’s drinking problem

                               …he has a sin that often

Drowns him, and takes his valour prisoner:

Bottom line is that they end up sentencing the guy to death for murder. Alcibiades gets a bit overzealous in his defense of the soldier and in the process manages to really piss off the senators; so they banish Alcibiades just for good measure.

We’re done with the soldier after this scene (in fact, we never actually see the guy), but banished Alcibiades will show up later in the play interacting with the self-banished Timon. So, this scene is merely a set up for Alcibiades to be banished, and the soldier is just collateral damage of the plot line.  Hey, what do you think of that wording: collateral damage of the plot line. I like that, and it carries the battle scene imagery straight through. Not bad, eh?

 

And there he goes again with the ‘how great his writing is’ thing.

Not listening. NOT LISTENING.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

The fee-simple! O simple!

 

Mercutio

Romeo and Juliet                      Act III, Scene i, Line 35

Here’s the deal. First off, a fee-simple is the totality of ownership. A fee-simple title is full, complete, and unencumbered ownership (I had to look it up). Now, Mercutio and Benvolio are talking and drinking. Mercutio has just spent sixteen lines telling Benvolio how moody and quarrelsome he is:

Come, come, thou art as hot as a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy; and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.

Benvolio responds with a sort of “I know you are, but what am I” line:

An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art, any man should buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.

Mercutio then responds with Today’s Line.

The fee-simple! O simple!

So Today’s Line is just Mercutio simply (no pun intended) making a pun on Benvolio’s use of the word simple (in a not so simple line: buy the fee-simple of my life for an hour and a quarter? What the heck is that?)

Anyway, it’s a pun. Yes, a pun. Now I know that puns have been referred to as the lowest form of humor, but that is a subjective pejorative. Will used puns liberally in his works as, in fact, puns are as old as language itself. Don’t believe me? Well, I dare you to prove me wrong.

Really? A pun?

Oh, go back to sleep, 

Mr. Superior-Language-Skills

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

But when he saw my best alarum’d spirits,

Bold in the quarrel’s right, roused to th’encounter,

Or whether gasted [frightened, alarmed] by the noise I made,

Full suddenly he fled.

 

Edmund

King Lear                    Act II, Scene i, Line 55

This is a pretty good line. Of course, Edmund here is lying through his teeth. He’s telling his father, Gloster, that he was just fighting with his brother Edgar, but that Edgar ran off right before Gloster came into the room. He’s saying that he’s not sure whether it was his determination (best alarmun’d spirits) or his yelling (the noise I made), that made Edgar run off (full suddenly he fled). Either way, he’s managed to convince his father that Edgar is out to kill him (Gloster), and he’s convinced Edgar that everyone’s out to get him (Edgar). Edmund is a serious weasel.

Notice the new/old word for the day, gasted. That’s right, it means frightened, alarmed, or scared. It’s a pretty good word. It makes me think of aghast, or perhaps flabbergasted. I believe we could put this word to good use.

I asked Mojo to give me his best gasted look. 

Not bad, Buddy.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Thou (Cloten) bidds’t me to my loss: for, true to thee

Were to prove false, which I will never be,

To him (Posthumus) that is most true.—To Milford go,

And find not her (Imogen) whom thou pursuest.—Flow, flow,

You heavenly blessings, on her!—This fool’s (Cloten’s) speed

Be crost with slowness; labour be his meed!(Reward)

                                                                                     [Exit]

 

Pisanio

Cymbeline                   Act III, Scene iv, Line 159               

This is, admittedly, a little bit confusing. I’ve tried to clarify it a little bit by adding names after a bunch of the pronouns so that you know who Pisanio is referring to. Of course, this assumes you know who Cloten, Imogen, and Posthumus are and have some sense of what’s going on at this point in the play, and you probably don’t know either. Do you? In fact, you’re not even paying attention to any of this, are you?

 

What is she doing over there? Is she getting me a treat? I think she might be getting me a treat.

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Why sir, I pray, are not the streets as free

For me as for you?

             But so is not she.

Tranio and Gremio

The Taming of the Shrew   Act I, Scene ii, Line 49                       

I had to put all of this, though it’s spoken by two different guys, because it’s one line. Here’s a little context to make some sense of it.

I’m pretty sure that, even without having read this blog previously, you should have some knowledge of this play. It’s about Petruchio wooing Katharina, the titular shrew. What you might not know is that she has a younger, sweeter, prettier sister named Bianca who everyone else wants to woo. In this scene Hortensio and Gremio, two of Bianca’s suitors are present when Lucentio and Tranio show up. Lucentio is one more guy who has an interest in Bianca, and Tranio is his servant. When Gremio realizes that Lucentio is another rival for Bianca he tells these two guys to get lost. That’s where Today’s exchange takes place.

Okay, now go back and read Today’s Lines knowing that Gremio had just told Tranio and Lucentio to get you hence (get lost).

Gremio is replying to Tranio's question about the streets being a free place, by saying that whilst the streets are free for anyone, Bianca is not. Got it?

Any questions.

Yes, I have a question: Do you have to talk out loud when you're just talking to yourself?  There's no one else in the room, and I'm trying to sleep in here!

Why sir, I pray, is not this room as free

For me as for you?

                                    But so is not... um... 

Oh could you just put a sock on it?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

What means his grace, that  he hath changed his style?

No more but, plain and bluntly, ‘ To the king?’

Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?

Or doth this churlish superscription

Pretend some alteration in good will?

 

Duke of Gloster

King Henry the Sixth Part I     Act IV, Scene i, Line 51                 

A bit of explanation, and then I think the meaning of Gloster’s words will be very clear.

Henry VI, the King of England, is in Paris. He is being crowned the King of France (in addition to England) as a show of victory of England over France (a victory accomplished by Henry’s father, Henry V). The coronation having been completed, Henry is talking with a bunch of his entourage. He asks Gloster to read a letter sent to the king from the Duke of Burgundy.

Gloster begins, but is surprised that Burgundy has begun his letter to King Henry with the salutation ‘To the king’, as opposed to ‘To his royal Highness’ or something more respectful. Churlish superscription means rude title, as in ‘to the king’. As to whether or not Burgundy’s churlish superscription forebodes some alteration in goodwill towards King Henry, you’re darn tootin’ it does. The letter goes on to tell King Henry that he, Burgundy, has

Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And join’d with Charles, the rightful King of France.

So that’s not particularly good news, and Henry promptly tells Lord Talbot (he’s the General Patton of the group) to go talk with him (Burgundy), and give him chastisement. He also tells Talbot to take the army with him, just in case he needs to do more than just talk to Burgundy. 

Apparently, the word chastisement has a fairly broad meaning here.

 

Well now hold on just a minute there, Mr. Blagys, I'm giving this a little thought. I don’t think I’d be particularly happy if you sent me a letter that began with “To the dog”. 

Mojo, it’s very doubtful that I will ever be sending you a letter, considering that you can’t read.

But if I do, by chance, ever send you a letter, I’ll start it with “Dear Mojo,”. 

Okay?

That works for me.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue:

Hamlet

Hamlet                   Act III, Scene ii, Line 1                  

Yes, that’s Hamlet from the play Hamlet. It’s a very well known line. It’s Hamlet speaking to one of the performers who have come the castle to put on a play. I’m going to give you Hamlet’s full instruction to the player. It’s sixteen lines and I wanted you to know that I was throwing it at you before you took a shot at reading and understanding it.

Why am I insisting on giving you sixteen lines as opposed to two above? Well, you can stick with the two if you like, no one is forcing you to read the next paragraph. I think, however, that it’s a really good speech, and I wanted to give you the opportunity to read it. It’s got some wonderful language in there, and it’s not terribly difficult. So here you go.

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue: but if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief (I would prefer) the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus; but use all gently: for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, the whirlwind of passion, you give it smoothness. O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion (play) to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings (the playgoers in the cheap seats), who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise: I would have such a fellow whipt for o’erdoing Termagant; it out-herods Herod: pray you, avoid it.

In those last two lines, from I would have such a fellow whipt, to the end, Hamlet is talking about avoiding over-acting: Termagant and Herod are classic villains.

So, whaddaya think? That wasn’t so bad, was it? Or perhaps you’re thinking, Shoulda stuck with the “Speak the speech trippingly on the tongue”, and left it at that, Pete. We didn’t need to hear Hamlet rattle on and on about overacting!

Yeah, you’re right: I often don’t know when to shut up and leave well enough alone. Oh well. Perhaps Hamlet and I have that in common.

And there he goes again: comparing himself to Hamlet. Oyyy!