Mojo, The Bard, & Me

How now, noble Pompey! What, at the wheels of Caesar? art thou led in triumph? What, is none of Pygmalion’s images, newly made woman, to be had now, for putting the hand in the pocket and extracting it clutch’d? What reply, ha? What say’st thou to this tune, matter, and method? Is’t not drown’d i’the last rain, ha? What say’st thou, Trot? Is the world as it was, man? Which is the way? Is it sad, and few words? or how? The trick of it?

-Lucio

                                   

Measure For Measure                   Act III, Scene ii, Line 50

I decided to give you the whole paragraph that Lucio speaks when he comes on the scene and sees Pompey being led away to get whipped. Pompey has been arrested for being a pimp. When he sees his friend Lucio approaching he calls out to him thinking that Lucio will help him and bail him out. And these are Lucio’s first words when seeing Pompey (supposedly his friend, but I’m not so sure of that).

At first read it can seem a bit confusing. Okay, on second and third read too. There’s a few words that will be unfamiliar, and there’s lots of references in here, which makes it a little difficult. Will was constantly referencing stuff from all over. Some stuff old (to him that is, it’s all old to us!). I imagine he had a lot of references to current things that maybe none of us will ever get. But this one’s really not that tough. 

How now, noble Pompey! What, at the wheels of Caesar? art thou led in triumph?

Pompey, you look like the vanquished captive being led by the victorious roman emperors into Rome.

What, is none of Pygmalion’s images, newly made woman, to be had now, for putting the hand in the pocket and extracting it clutch’d?

Where are your girls, Pompey, (remember, he’s a pimp) so that you could get some of their hard earned money.

What reply, ha? What say’st thou to this tune, matter, and method? Is’t not drown’d i’the last rain, ha?

So, what do you have to say about what’s going on now? (I can’t figure out what this bit about ‘drowned in the last rain’ is)

What say’st thou, Trot? Is the world as it was, man? Which is the way? Is it sad, and few words? or how? The trick of it? 

What do you say, you old hag. Do things look different now? How do you feel, sad? Cat got your tongue.

There, that’s your Pete take on today’s lines. It doesn’t paint a very good picture of the speaker, Lucio, does it. He’s just taunting Pompey, who is supposedly his friend.

What say’st thou to that?

I don't have any pictures of Caesar's wheel, but I have a pic of this one that's just as old. Maybe older?