Mojo, The Bard, & Me

I have already deliver’d him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much, that joy could not show itself modest enough without a badge of bitterness.

-Messenger

Much Ado About Nothing                 Act I, scene i, line 20

Act one, scene one, line twenty. I feel like I should give you the whole first twenty lines so then you would know as much as I about this play so far. But no, I probably won’t do that.

The messenger is talking about a father that he had delivered a message to from his son. The son had been away at war, and the father was so happy to hear from him, and know that the son was alive, that he cried: joy could not show itself modest enough without a badge of bitterness. At least I think that’s what the badge of bitterness is.  

It’s funny, isn’t it, that crying is the default show of extreme emotion. I can laugh so hard that I cry. And I can be so happy about something that I will cry. And of course I can be sad enough or upset enough about something that I cry. 

People cry all the time at weddings, don't they? I think it's out of happiness. Or maybe bittersweet happiness?

 I'm crying with laughter right now looking at those goggles Dave is wearing.

 But mostly I'm crying looking at how skinny we all no longer are.