His foes are so enrooted with his friends
That, plucking to unfix an enemy,
He doth unfasten so and shake a friend:
-Archbishop of York
The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth
Act IV, Scene i, Line 209
Okay, a lot going on. Let us give you a little bit of context.
The archbishop here is among the group that has rebelled against the crown. They are discussing amongst themselves whether or not it is worthwhile to go into battle against the king’s forces, or whether they should bother to parley with, and try to come to terms with, the king. Hastings says that any peace made will stand, and Mowbray says that’s not true and that the king will lash out at them again at the slightest provocation. The archbishop, agreeing with Hastings, has this to say to Mowbray:
No, no, my lord. Note this; the king is weary
Of dainty and such pricking grievances:
For he hath found to end one doubt by death
Revives two greater in the heirs of life,
Ant therefore will he wipe his tables clean
And keep no tell-tale to his memory
That may repeat and history his loss
To new remembrance; for full well he knows
He cannot so precisely weed this land
As his misdoubts present occasion:
His foes are so enrooted with his friends
That, plucking to unfix an enemy,
He doth unfasten so and shake a friend:
So that this land, like an offensive wife
That hath enraged him on to offer strokes,
As he is striking, holds his infant up
And hangs resolved correction in the arm
That was uprear’d to execution.
I particularly like the five lines that follow todays Totally Random lines and end the passage. …this land, like an offensive wife,/ that hath enraged him on to offer strokes,/ as he is striking, holds his infant up/ and hangs resolved correction in the arm/ that was uprear’d to execution.
I like the imagery- a wife, having poked the bear, is holding the baby up to protect herself. And I like the phraseology combined with imagery- hangs resolved correction in the arm.
It’s marvelous language, it’s timeless and timely, and it’s a part of the reason people fall in love with Shakespeare.
No pic today. The passage is too good. Spend the time you would have spent looking at the pic, by re-reading the passage. You can do it!
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