I had thought, my lord, to have learn’d his health of you.

-Henry Percy

King Richard II                        Act II, Scene iii, Line 24

Well this is a bit strange. The Totally Random line from 6/27 that I wrote yesterday’s post on was from the play Henry IV Part I. It was the last line spoken by Henry Percy, aka Hotspur before he dies.

Today we are in the play Richard II. Like many of the characters in Will’s history plays, Henry Percy’s character spans two or more of the plays. Henry shows up first in Richard II, and as we found out yesterday, he dies in Henry IV Part I. Well today’s Totally Random line (and I assure you it is absolutely, positively, Totally Random) is Henry Percy’s first line spoken in any of Will’s plays. So we’ve managed to pick his first and last lines, and from two different plays. Well, actually it’s his last and first lines, but still.

Oddly enough both lines are concerned with well-being. Yesterday we were discussing Henry’s health; his imminent death and becoming worm food. Today we’re discussing the health of Worcester, or rather the lack of knowledge of Worcester’s health.

The last and the first.

Definite knowledge of death, lack of knowledge of life.

I think that’s just really interesting, and more than just a bit ironic.

Comments? Oh come on now, someone’s got to have a comment on this.

This is a Mobius band. If you cut it down the middle to try to make two bands you'll still end up with one band. So does it have a beginning? or an end? Or, much unlike Henry Percy, does it have neither?

  

                                     O, I could prophesy,

But that the earthy and cold hand of death

Lies on my tongue: no, Percy, thou art dust

And food for--

-Hotspur

King Henry IV, Part I                        Act V, Scene iv, Line 86

Okay, this is Hotspur’s last line. Hotspur is Henry Percy, cousin to Prince Hal, and he’s referring to himself when he says ‘no, Percy’. Hal, of course, is the fellow who’s going to be Henry V in the next play, and he’s also the one who has just slain Hotspur/Percy in battle. The next word in the text is ‘[Dies]’. That’s a pretty common stage direction in Will’s plays. I’d love to know how many times that particular stage direction appears in his plays. And it’s interesting that it’s always just ‘dies’, and nothing else (actually, I'm not sure about that. I'll have to go on a little search sometime and see how many times that one-word stage direction shows up). And yet each death is so different. Was there a bunch of oral stage direction given regarding how to die? I dunno.

The next line in the play is Hal’s. Now keep in mind that Hal is King Henry IV’s son, and he’s heir to the throne. Hal has spent a lot of time in this play hanging out in the bar with Falstaff, and his father’s not really pleased about this. In fact, at one point earlier in the play Henry the IV is wishing he had Hotspur as a son instead of Hal. But now that there’s a faction that’s trying to overthrow Henry IV (and Hotspur is part of that faction), Hal has risen to the occasion. As I said, he’s the one who has slain Hotspur in battle, and now he’s going to finish Hotspur’s sentence.

For worms, brave Percy: fare thee well, great heart!

So he’s singing the praises of the guy he just killed, but just the same he’s noting that Hotspur is nothing more than food for the worms now. I’m guessing that Hotspur may have had ‘worms’ in mind anyway. What else would he have been thinking to end the sentence with? Can you think of anything?

Maybe a vulture? Food for a vulture? Wait, do they even have vultures in England?

Octavius, I have seen more days than you:

And though we lay these honours on this man, To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,

He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,

To groan and sweat under the business,

Either led or driven, as we point the way;

And having brought our treasure where we will,

Then take we down his load, and turn him off,

Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,

And graze in commons.

-Antony

Julius Caesar                                     Act IV, Scene i, Line 26

Without his roe, like a dried herring: flesh, flesh, how art thou fishified!

-Mercutio

Romeo And Juliet                                Act II, Scene iv, Line 34

Well we have two interesting lines from two days in a row, and I’m going to try to spend a little time on both of them. They have the common thread of both comparing someone to an animal. The first is Antony talking about Lepidus, comparing him to a donkey, and the second is Mercutio comparing Romeo to a dried herring. Let’s go in order.

Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus make up the triumvirate, the group of three that is ruling Rome. In fact though, Lepidus is a bit older and pretty much just a nominal member of the triumvirate. I’m not sure why he’s part of it all, and Antony is making it clear to Octavius that he doesn’t think much of Lepidus either. And his comparison of him to an ass is pretty clear. It’s a few lines long, but worth reading.

Mercutio’s line is not quite so clear. Without his roe? Like a dried herring? Mercutio seems to be spending a lot of time in this scene flapping away and not saying much. I’m not sure if he’s not supposed to be comic relief in this play, or at least this scene, but that’s what it seems like. Romeo and Juliet is one of the plays for which I have a book that gives a “modern” line for line “translation.” Yes, that’s right: a “modern translation”. Just to be clear, Shakespeare wrote in modern English. It wasn’t Middle English like Chaucer, or Old English like Beowulf. It was modern English. Okay, just so we’ve got that clear. Anyway, “without his roe” is supposedly “thin and spent.” And the rest reads the same as what Will wrote. So “Thin and spent, like a dried herring. Flesh, oh flesh, how thou are fishified.”

Now let’s face it, fishified is a funny word. And I’m not exactly sure what you’re saying about someone if you’re comparing them to a fish. Saying that someone is like a donkey who does the work, takes orders, and then looks for something to eat, well that’s pretty clear. But what’s being said about Romeo if we say he’s like a fish? Smelly? Or just a continuation of ‘thin and spent’? I dunno. What do you think?

If I was going to be compared to an animal I wouldn't mind being compared to a Chihuahua, like Nutsy here. She's cute and pretty adventurous. Those are two good qualities. 

That’s most certain, and with you; next month with us.

-Regan

King Lear                                           Act I, Scene i, Line 309

Well, just a few lines previous we had the good sisters Goneril and Regan telling their father Lear just how much they loved him. And now that Lear, Cordelia, and everyone else has left the room they have already begun plotting on how they will take advantage of the old man. Today’s line is Regan responding to Goneril. Here’s the whole conversations between the two now that they’re alone.

GONERIL  Sister, it is not a little I have to say of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think our father will hence to-night.

REGAN  That's most certain, and with you; next month with us.

GONERIL  You see how full of changes his age is; the observation we have made of it hath not been little: he always loved our sister most; and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off appears too grossly.

REGAN  'Tis the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself.

GONERIL  The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash; then must we look to receive from his age, not alone the imperfections of long-engraffed condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them.

REGAN  Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him as this of Kent's banishment.

GONERIL There is further compliment of leavetaking between France and him. Pray you, let's hit together: if our father carry authority with such dispositions as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us.

REGAN  We shall further think on't.

GONERIL  We must do something, and i' the heat.

So they’re really not very nice people, these sisters. But having said that, I also have to say that Regan’s comment which is today’s Totally Random line does seem somewhat innocent, taken by itself. In fact, I can see myself saying something like this when referring to my mother-in-law. But of course the difference is that I would just be complaining about having her stay at our house, I wouldn’t be gouging someone’s eyes out with a shoe later on.

And speaking of that ray of sunshine,  here she is. I knew it was only a matter of time before she made it into my blog. But I have to say that I don't think my mother-in-laws unruly waywardness can be blamed on infirm and choleric years. I'm pretty sure she was always possessed of unruly waywardness, and more.

What should we say, my lord?

-Guildenstern

Hamlet                                                 Act II, Scene ii, Line 281

Well, we missed pretty much a whole week of posting. I'm afraid I was away and not in a position to post. But, I'm back. So lets have at it.

I believe we have mention of Guildenstern in a previous post, but that was regarding his untimely demise. If I’m not mistaken, in this scene we're at an earlier point in the play and he has been sent, along with his friend Rosencrantz, by Claudius to find out what’s going on with Hamlet. And Hamlet knows this and wants them to admit as such.

But let’s talk about the names for a minute. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They’re pretty interesting names. There was a modern play that was written about these two guys called Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, which is exactly what they are by the end of this play. But I just like the names. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They are names that would work well in a Seuss tri-syllabic metered line. 

Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, aren’t they the clever guys.

Sent by the king and queen, Hamlet knows they’re just spies.

Okay, that was my attempt at tri-syllabic meter. Pretty bad. I guess that shows you that Seuss's stuff was not as easy as it looks.

In any event, I don’t see their names being spoken anywhere in this scene, so we’re not sure (at least from this scene) how well those two names would work in an iambic pentameter line. That’s something to think about, isn't it?

Here's something else to think about: it's a tiny little mug with my name on it. Now what am I going to be able to drink out of that? Think about it.

…or ever

Have to you, but with thanks to God for such A royal lady, spake one the least word that might

Be to the prejudice of her present state,

Or touch of her good person.

-Cardinal Wolsey

King Henry The Eighth                    Act II, Scene iv, Line 152

There are a number of things we could talk about in today’s line: spake, context, the king’s long speech to follow, Lincoln, Wolsey hall, Henry II. Henry II? Wait, there’s no Henry II involved in today’s line. Okay, maybe we’ll get back to Hank II, but let’s take the easy ones first.

Past tense of speak is spake. Well, not anymore it’s not. Now, of course, it’s spoke. Apparently back then it was spake. The online dictionaries still have it, but call it the ‘archaic’ past tense of speak. So it’s archaic. Sometimes I think I might be archaic. Wait, what’s that mean. Just something old and not used much anymore? Okay, looked it. I pretty much nailed that one. Woot woot. Wait, I’m old and not used anymore?

Well speaking of old and not used, let’s skip to Lincoln. There’s a character in this scene named Lincoln. Did you know that Shakespeare had a Lincoln in any of his plays? I didn’t. But I did know that Lincoln (Abe) was quite the Shakespeare-o-phile himself.  

And finally Henry II. Okay, you’re right; there’s no Henry II in this play. But I was watching a movie with Heny II last night. The movie was Becket with Richard Burton as Becket and Peter O’Toole as Henry II. And they portrayed Henry II as a bit loopy and decidedly not fond of his wife. So that reminds me of today's Henry. Henry VIII was not so fond of his wife (wives) either. He had two of them beheaded (definitely not fond of them) and in all, divorced, or annulled the marriage of five of them. So maybe they should have had Peter O’Toole do a Henry VIII movie. Except for the fact that O’Toole was a beanpole and Henry VIII, well, not so much.

Now these are definitely spokes. They are neither spakes nor speaks.

Didst thou not mark the king, what words he spake,

‘Have I no friend will rid me of this living fear?’

Was it not so?

 -Exton

King Richard The Second                  Act V, Scene iv, Line 1

Well this is bordering on spooky.

Thursday’s Totally Random line (I didn’t have time to do a post yesterday, so today’s post is on yesterday’s line):

‘Have I no friend will rid me of this living fear?’

Thursday, James Comey during testimony:

‘It rings in my ears as, “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”’

Wow. And yes, these are totally random lines. No, really, they are.

So then, Will’s line is Exton referring to what he believes is Henry IV’s desire to be rid of Richard II. Exton is talking to a servant. A little later Exton’s going to take action and go kill Richard because that’s what he thinks Henry IV wants.

James Comey is quoting Henry II (not the subject of a Shakespeare play) who was referring to Thomas Becket. Shortly after Henry II made his comment a bunch of his buddies went and killed Thomas Becket. Mr. Comey said he felt like the guys listening to Henry II when he, Comey was listening to President Trump talk about Michael Flynn and/or the Russian investigation. But of course, unlike Henry II’s buddies and Henry IV’s Exton, we all know that Mr. Comey clearly misunderstood President Trump, or else Mr. Comey is just flat out lying 😉.

And finally, Pete’s quote (barely audible) when the principal at last night’s eighth grade awards ceremony decided it would be a good idea to read a letter, ostensibly, from President Trump about the Presidential Acheivement Awards for Physical Fitness being handed out:

‘Urrrggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!’

My little buddy didn't get the Presidential Achievement Award. He got these two awards: one for band and one for theater. Good for him!

Know of your youth, examine well your blood,

Whether, if you yield not to your father’s choice,

You can endure the livery of a nun,

For aye to be in shady cloister mew’d,

To live a barren sister all your life,

Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.

-Theseus

A Midsummer Night’s Dream                        Act I, Scene i, Line 69

This is Thesus’s answer to Hermia when she asks what her fate will be if she disobeys her father by not marrying Demetrius. She’ll be sent to the convent. Well that’s a real boot in the seat of the pants, isn’t it?

But just for the record, ‘ol Thesus here is painting a pretty glum picture of the convent with phrases like ‘barren sister’ and ‘cold fruitless moon.’ I don’t know about you, but there are definitely times when I’ve daydreamed about the life of a cloistered monk where I’d be removed from all the worries of the world and just have to worry about my meditations and my little string bean garden. Sometimes that doesn’t seem half bad. I would probably use phrases like ‘restful life’, ‘beautiful, beckoning moon’, and ‘wonderful little string beans’. But that’s just me. 

 

And maybe I’d have friends like this little guy who was in our garden last year. Yeah, I can definitely see an upside to this.