Good work, you and your cry!—Shall’s to the
Capitol?
-Menenius
Agrippa
This is not
the ‘good work,’ that you say when someone has actually done a good job.
This is the sarcastic ‘Oh good job, bonehead,’ when someone has really
screwed something up. Menenius is saying this to the common people who banished
Coriolanus, because now Coriolanus is coming back with the Volscians to sack
Rome. If ever someone deserved a ‘good work, boneheads,’ it’s these
boneheads. The ‘Shall’s to the Capitol?’ Menenius is saying to his bud
Cominius who replies ‘O, ay, what else?’ and then these two bounce.
It’s nice to know that Will’s capable of a nice sarcastic ‘Good
work, bonehead!’ now and then, isn’t it? That would have been really great
if he actually put in the ‘bonehead’ part.
Here's the perfect picture to illustrate the 'Good work, bonehead' line. Imagine, if you will, that you left your buddy to watch the goats, and you gave him specific instructions to make sure that the goats didn't eat any figs off the fig trees. You come back and, wouldn't you know it, the goats are up in the fig tree eating all the fruit. It would be the perfect time for a 'Good work, bonehead.'
2 comments:
Is it easy to detect sarcasm in Shakespeare...?
That's a good question. I guess if you immerse yourself in it, you can see it. I think in that way it's just like real life. You have to be informed, and on your toes to detect sarcasm any time or place, right?
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