Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?

 

Queen Elizabeth

King Richard the Third          Act IV, Scene iv, Line 419

 

Elizabeth is talking to Richard, and the devil she is referencing is Richard himself. I’ve lost track of who Richard has killed, but I know that right now he is trying to talk Elizabeth into helping him woo her daughter. This is in spite of the fact that he’s already killed one or two of her kids. Elizabeth is understandably reluctant as is evidenced by her words above. I’m pretty sure, at least I hope, that I would be more than reluctant. Here’s the next few lines of the exchange Between Elizabeth and Richard,

Elizabeth-      Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?

Richard-        Ay, if the devil tempt thee to do good.

E-      Shall I forget myself to be myself?

R-      Ay, if your self’s remembrance wrong yourself.

E-      But thou didst kill my children.

R-      But in your daughter’s womb I’ll bury them;

          Where, in that nest of spicery, they shall breed

          Selves of themselves, to your recomforture.

E-     Shall I go win my daughter to thy will?

R-     And be a happy mother by the deed.

E-     I go.-Write to me very shortly,

        And you shall understand from me her mind.

R-    Bear her my true love’s kiss; and so, farewell.

                              [Exit Queen Elizabeth]

R-   Relenting fool, and shallow, changing woman!

Oh my goodness! How about that last line; two seconds after the woman leaves the room.

        Relenting fool, and shallow, changing woman!

I’m sorry, but I’m going to go current on you, just to show you how timeless this behavior (both Queen Elizabeth’s and Richard’s) is, and how relevant Will’s works are to current time. Here goes…

I can’t help but see the parallel here between Elizabeth and the supporters of the Orange Guy, especially, especially those supporters who were so adamant about the absolute lack of any positive aspects (to say the very least) of the Orange Guy a few years ago. Did they ask themselves, in the interim, the question, Shall I forget myself to be myself? Did they decide that it was okay to go ahead because by not doing so their self’s remembrance would wrong themselves? REALLY!?!

I just can’t buy it. I’ve long ago moved past my disgust for Richard, the one in 1590 as well as the one we seem to be stuck with in 2026. But I cannot, I cannot, understand Elizabeth and all the other supporters. I can’t understand them in 1590, and I certainly can’t understand them in 2026. And yet, as improbable as they are in 1590, they’re there. And if you read or see the play and say to yourself that it’s not realistic, just take a look at what we’ve got in 2026. It stretches credulity, and yet, there it is.

I’m not sure if Will gives us any answers to the questions of how this can be; probably not, since he is better at posing questions than he is at providing answers. But I would sure love an answer...if there is one.

The same world that brings us those kind of impossible questions also brings us the beauty of this sunset.

Ain't that a kick in the head.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

‘Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be

But I am pigeon-liver’d, and lack gall

To make oppression bitter; or, ere this,

I should have fatted all the region kites

With this slaves offal:- bloody, bawdy villain!

 

Hamlet 

Hamlet                   Act II, Scene ii, Line 586

 

Today’s Lines are from the middle of the O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! soliloquy. We’ve picked from this speech before, but it was towards the beginning of it. Today we’re right in the middle. Recall that this speech is Hamlet lamenting that he’s not taken action yet against his uncle, the king, for murdering his father. The slave he’s referring to is his Uncle Claudius, the king/murderer.

Further on from here, in this same speech, he decides he needs a little more proof that Claudius is guilty, and he decides to have the players do a scene which reenacts the murder. He believes Claudius’s reaction to seeing this will prove his guilt. He then ends this soliloquy with the famous lines

                                      -the play's the thing

Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.

Well, how about that: we’ve actually and randomly picked a line from a very famous Shakespearean soliloquy. I guess it’s bound to happen occasionally.

Pssst, you know what they say, Mr. Blagys: even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

Thank you for that amazing insight, Mojo.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Straight satisfy yourself:

If she be in her chamber or your house,

Let loose on me the justice of the state

For thus deluding you.

 

Roderigo

Othello                  Act I, Scene i, Line 141

Roderigo and Iago have woken up Brabantio in the middle of the night to tell him that his daughter, Desdemona, has run off with Othello. Brabantio has told them that they are liars, and Roderigo is telling him in Today’s Line to go see for himself if his daughter is at home. As you can see above, this is line 141 of the first scene in the play. Iago is wasting no time in getting around to making trouble for Othello.

A few lines earlier he said to Brabantio

I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor (that’s Othello) are now making the beast with two backs.

That’s an interesting turn of a phrase, making the beast with two backs. It’s one that’s not very much heard in this day and age. Perhaps it was a common expression in 1590; I don’t know. I do know that it’s something that no father is going to want to hear about his daughter.

Iago just loves to stir it up. Oh, how he loves it.

Hold on there...you didn't think we were gonna give you a picture of the beast with two backs, did you? 

 This blog is PG rated, folks.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

What’s thy passion?

 Domitius Enobarbus

Antony and Cleopatra       Act III, Scene x, Line 6

This is a scene where Enobarbus and Scarus are witnessing and discussing a sea battle in which Antony is being routed. Enobarbus started with a description of how Antony’s forces,

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:

Scarus enters, remarking,

                                      Gods and goddesses,

All the whole synod of them!

To which Enobarbus responds with Today’s Line,

                                      What’s thy passion?

Scarus replies,

The greater cantle (segment) of the world is lost

With very ignorance; we have kist away

Kingdoms and provinces.

I’m pretty sure that when Enobarbus asks Scarus about his passion, he’s asking him what’s upsetting him. Apparently Scarus feels that Antony’s losing the battle is the beginning of the end for all of them, and that’s what he’s upset about.

Of course, today if somewhat asks you what their passion is, the answer is usually writing, or football, or something like that. So it’s definitely a little bit funny, or different from us, the way Enobarbus uses the word passion. Yet, it makes sense if you think about it for a minute or two.

Would you be willing to think about it for a minute or two?

We're thinking. 

Can't you tell?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Yea; and you knew me, as you did when you ran away by Gadshill: you knew I was at your back, and spoke it on purpose to try my patience.

Prince Henry

King Henry the Fourth Part II Act II, Scene iv, Line 310

I guess there’s a bit of context needed here, and I’m just not sure I’m up to it. This is Hal talking to Falstaff and they’re at the Boar’s-Head Tavern. Well let’s just talk about Hal for a moment.

A major part of the Henry IV plays revolves around Henry V. To clarify, Henry IV is Bolingbroke, the guy who unseated Richard II. As such Bolingbroke/Henry IV has quite a major role in King Richard the Second. But when we move into the Henry IV plays (there’s two of them), we find ourselves spending more time with Prince Henry (That’s Henry IV’s son, also known as Hal to Falstaff). Conversely, when we get to King Henry the Fifth (there’s only one Henry V play) that play is all about Henry V (formerly Prince Henry/Hal). Then, just to finish this thought off, when we move on to the Henry VI plays (there’s three of them, believe it or not), the only Henry we deal with is Henry VI (Henrys IV and V are dead before the Henry VI plays start). Of course, in those plays there are lots of very major players, but none of them are Henrys other than Henry VI.

I guess the point is that whilst Bolingbroke/Henry IV has a pretty major role in King Richard the Second, he doesn’t have that big a role in King Henry the Fourth Parts One and Two. Those, as well as King Henry the Fifth are dominated by Prince Henry/Hal/Henry V and, to a lesser degree, Falstaff. And a lot of their time together takes place at, you guessed it, the Boar's-Head Tavern.

Is that clear?

More to the point, does anybody care?

 

Honestly, Mr. Blagys, NO. I really don't give a rat's fanny about any of those Henry guys.

 I’m much more concerned about this little princess right here, and  -MORE TO THE POINT, as you would say-  What is she doing, Where is she taking me, and WHY AREN’T YOU STOPPING HER?!?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,

To touch Calphurnia; for our elders say,

The barren, touched in this holy chase,

Shake off their sterile curse.

Caesar

Julius Caesar                 Act I, Scene ii, Line 7

Antonius (that’s Marc Antony) is about to run the Lupercal Race. Superstition says that the touch of a runner in this race will ward off sterility. That’s pretty random, isn’t it? I don’t remember Calphurnia’s (that’s Caesar’s wife) sterility being an issue in this play, but I don’t know the play all that well. I saw it performed at the Shakespeare Theater in Stratford (that’s Stratford, Connecticut) in 1972. I think that’s the only performance of it I’ve ever seen, and that was fifty-four years ago.

Antony’s reply is, I shall remember; When Caesar says ‘Do this,’ it is perform’d, and it just struck me, reading Antony’s line, why they decided to perform this play, a few years back, with Caesar dressed as Orange-Man.

Now, this post could go one of three ways from here: it could spiral down the Orange-Man rabbit hole (that’s a mighty big hole, and nobody wants that), it could pull up and get into some other Shakespearean aspect of the lines, or it could meander off in some other completely random direction. 

Well? 

So, where do you suppose Will came up with this bit about the Lupercal race and sterility? I think this is one more instance that gives credence to the Edward DeVere theory, but that’s a whole ‘nother rabbit hole that I’m not going down. Anyway, I don’t think Caesar even mentions Lupercal, he just refers to this holy chase. Lupercal is mentioned only in the notes (as far as I know), and they’re not Will’s notes. I should look in Asimov’s book on Shakespeare, but that’s not readily available.  Perhaps I should get off my fat ass, because not readily available means that’s what I’d have to do. Oh boy. So now we’re talking about the size of my ass, which isn’t all that large. It’s the belly that’s the problem.

Okay, so I think we’ve successfully steered the discussion away from politics, but at what cost? Hey, I wonder if the touch of these Lupercal runners would do any good shaking off the fat belly curse? But, where would I come up with a Lupercal Race runner anyway?

Well it just so happens, Mr. Blagys... 

No way, Mojo!

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Since death of my dear’st mother

It did not speak before. All solemn things

Should answer solemn accidents.

Guiderius

Cymbeline               Act IV, Scene ii, Line 191

I’ll give you Guiderius’s full speech in a minute, it’s only six lines, but first I’ll give you some context.

Without going into the full story, Guiderius is talking to his father Belarius. These two, and Guiderius’s brother Arviragus, live in a cave. The two young men are actually sons of the king, and they ended up being raised by this guy Belarius in a cave. Don’t ask me how, I don’t remember the full story; just go with it. Anyway, as I said, Guiderius and his father are standing outside the cave, and they begin to hear solemn music being played in the cave where Arviragus is. When Guiderius says It did not speak before, he’s talking about the musical instrument (no, I don’t know what kind of instrument). Now, here’s the full six lines. 

What does he mean? Since death of my dear’st mother

It did not speak before. All solemn things

Should answer solemn accidents. The matter?

Triumphs for nothing, and lamenting toys,

Is jollity for apes, and grief for boys.

Is Caldwell mad?

Oh, one other thing: Guiderius and Arviragus are their original, real names. Belarius renamed then Polydore and Cadwal, and that’s the names these two guys know themselves as. Yeah, it’s a little confusing. Again, just go with it.

So, does it make sense now? Obviously Guiderius is saying he hasn’t heard solemn music since his mother died (Apparently these two guys weren’t infants when Belarius stole them and brought them to the cave; but that’s a separate issue). Then he says that there shouldn’t be solemn music without a solemn occasion (accident). What he doesn’t know is that his brother has discovered the dead body of Imogen in the cave (also a separate issue). Why should there not be solemn music? Only monkeys celebrate triumphs without a victory, and lamenting toys are grief for boys. The monkey part I understand; the lamenting toys not so much.

Boy, we’re spending a lot of time on these few lines. I'm not sure I'm getting anything out of this. How about you?

Boy, there are some days where this Shakespeare stuff just doesn't work for me.

And I think this is one of them.