Mojo, The Bard, & Me

Well, see to live; I will not touch thine eye

For all the treasure that thine uncle owes:

 

-Hubert De Burgh

 

King John            Act IV, scene i    Line 122

We talked about this scene (even though we didn’t actually have a line from it) back on August 21st. I said at the time that I found it to be a touching scene, and I still do. This is Hubert De Burgh, who young Arthur considers a friend, finally relenting and telling the lad that he’s not going to be burning his eyes out. Up to this point in the scene he had been determined to do it, because he’s been told that he has to, and here he finally says that he won’t. Arthurs’ reply is that now Hubert looks like Hubert, and that before he relented he appeared to be disguised.

That’s an interesting observation on the part of young Arthur, and one that we might be able to appreciate. Can you imagine someone you care about and trust all of a sudden threatening you. I don’t suppose you would recognize them as themselves either. And yet, they wouldn’t be wearing a disguise, or actually have a different appearance. But maybe it would be something in their eyes that told you that this person is not the person you think it is. That’s a scary thought, isn’t it? I can’t think of any instance in my life where this rings true. But I can imagine it, and I think it would scare the heck out of me. And it must have been a very good thing for Arthur in the end when he recognized that his good friend Hubert was back. I hope for Arthur’s sake that Hubert doesn’t go away again any time soon.

Hold on there now, this person really is disguised! Hey, wait a minute. That's my wife!