You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear,
The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on
floor,
May now perchance both quake and tremble here,
When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.
Then know that I one Snug the joiner am,
No lion fell, nor else no lion’s dam;
For, if I should as lion come in strife
Into this place, ‘twere pity on my life.
-Lion (Snug the joiner)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act V, scene i, line 216
Well, a few things have occurred to me this morning:
One: I enjoy reading a random piece of Shakespeare, and usually a bit of what precedes and follows it and reflecting on it every morning. In fact, I look forward to it.
Two: I like writing about it because writing is always good. Writing is reflective. Also, if I don’t do it first thing in the day I probably won’t do it. And double-also, the writing doesn’t necessarily have to be about the line because sometimes the line (or just the mood I’m in) sends my reflections far afield.
Three: too often I don’t write, or don’t write enough.
Four: I’ve not published in my Blog post much of what I’ve written because I can’t find a pic to go with it, and I’ve insisted on pics because I’ve felt that a Blog without a pic will not be looked at or read.
Five: (and this is VERY important) almost no one looks at my Blog anyway, so why should I worry about the pic. Shall I repeat that?
Conclusion: I should write more in the morning, and if what I write is interesting and even slightly relevant to the random line (or even not very relevant, like this) I should publish it. If I can find a pic, good, and if I can’t, oh well.
Now, re today’s line: It’s Midsummer Night’s Dream which I’ve gone on record as saying I really don’t like. Well I’m starting to come around, and this line is one that I really know what the deal is. How about that? I know what the deal is! Ack, maybe I’m smarter than I think I am.
Anyway, this is the play within the play. Snug the joiner is coming on stage as the lion but he wants to make sure that he doesn’t scare anyone, so he’s letting everyone know that it’s him, and not a real lion. Remember, this is a comedy so that this is a piece that can really be funny. Oh, and he uses the word ‘fell’ as an adjective, meaning bad or evil, or something like that. Remember ‘one fell swoop’ from Macbeth?
This is not Snug the joiner playing the lion; this is Nutsy the pup playing the lion. I think she does a pretty convincing job.
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