As for the mercy

Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,-

The battle done, and they within our power,

Shall never see his pardon; for my state

Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

 

-Edmund

King Lear                Act V, Scene i, Line 69

 

End of scene with a nice rhyming couplet.

So, Edmund is the consummate schemer. I’ve been reading (actually re-reading) a book recently with a character that reminds me a quite a bit of Edmund. It’s Steerpike in The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake. Both Steerpike and Edmund share the characteristic of appearing to be constantly scheming. In both cases they don’t waste time with anything that’s not going to further their agenda. In both cases that agenda is advancement of themselves.

I always wonder, when I see these parallels to Shakespeare’s works in other literature, whether these later authors drew from Will.

I suppose we’ll never know.

 

The roses in thy lips and cheeks shall fade

To paly ashes; thy eyes’ windows fall,

Like death, when he shuts up the day of life;

 

-Friar Laurence

Romeo and Juliet                            Act IV, Scene i, Line 100

 

Paly simply means pale; pale ashes. It’s a pretty good description, eh? At least from my point of view it is. How about death shutting the windows when the day is over? I love that.

Anyway, this is Friar Laurence explaining to Juliet how the potion he’s given her will make her look dead. And the potion will work well, albeit perhaps a little too well. It will fool the Capulets, but it will also fool Romeo when the Friar fails to get the message out to him about the plot.

Good ol’ Friar Laurence.

Lawrence Voytek

Here's a link to the only Lawrence I ever knew, though we called him Larry back in the day. He was a little flaky too, so I can see him screwing up the message to Romeo thing just like his namesake does in the play. He seems to have made a name for himself as an artist, though. Way to go Larry!

 

 

The age is grown so pickt’ that the toe of the peasant comes so near the heel of the courtier, he gaffs his kibe.

-Hamlet

Hamlet                            Act V Scene i, Line 145

 

Oh boy, he gaffs his kibe? What language did you say this was? See, now this is why people think that Shakespeare’s works were not written in modern English. To be clear, and just in case you didn’t know, Shakespeare’s works were written in modern (albeit, sometimes referred to as early modern) English. So, let’s take a look at this line.

First of all, this is the gravedigger scene, made famous by the ‘Alas poor Yorick’ line. Right here, Hamlet is having a back and forth with one of the gravediggers. The gravedigger is being a bit of a wise ass with Hamlet, and that’s the reason for the line. You’re still not sure what he’s saying, are you? Okay, well pick’t just means refined, and the bit about the toe to his kibe? I’ll give you another GB Harrison footnote on that one:

The peasant follows the courtier so closely that he rubs the courtier’s heel into a blister. From about 1598 onward, writers, especially dramatists, often satirized the practice of yeoman farmers grown rich from war profits in sending their awkward sons to London to learn gentlemanly manners.

So after reading that footnote I have no idea exactly how to put that in my own words, even though I feel as though I understand it. Hmmm.

How about this: try not to gaff your kibe, with or without the help of a gravedigger. Okay?

 

I tell thee, Kate, ‘twas burnt and dried away,

And I expressly am forbid to touch it,

For it engenders choler, planteth anger,

And better ‘twere that both of us did fast,

Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric,

Than feed it with such overroasted flesh.

 

-Petruchio

The Taming of the Shrew         Act IV Scene i, Line 167

Okay, what have we got here. Well, today’s Totally Random line is Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric, and I thought it might add a little clarity if I gave the whole sentence. In retrospect, I’m not so sure it helped.

I believe Petruchio is telling Kate that burnt and dried meat causes hot temperedness, and since both of them are already hot tempered, Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric, they’re better off not eating it. As we know, this is all a ruse to starve Kate into

submission.

This is me sitting on Dave's lap with Jean on the right. I remember that right before this pic was taken  I had been listening to Dave reading this very passage. Dave went through a very early Shakespeare stage, but regrettably moved out of it pretty early as well. Anyway, I remember that I was still musing intently on this line while the picture was being taken, and had just repeated Since, of ourselves, ourselves are choleric. Well, Jean hadn't been there when Dave had been reading the passage to me, so she had no idea what I was talking about. I think the confusion is pretty evident on her face. Don't you?

 

Indeed! Ay, indeed:--discern’st thou aught in that?

Is he not honest?

 -Othello

Othello, The Moor of Venice     Act III Scene iii, Line 102

Little rat-fink Iago is just getting started here in his game of making Othello mad with jealousy. He’ll spend the rest of the play ratcheting it up before Othello ends up killing his own wife in the end. And the first thing he says to get it going? Indeed! Yes, that’s right, Indeed! That’s all it takes to get Othello’s interest: Iago’s response of Indeed! This Iago is a very subtle and very clever little rat-fink. Yes, indeed,  he is.

 Act III, scene iii

The scene goes on for another 380 lines, and by the end of it Othello is fully convinced that Cassio and his wife are having an affair. It’s a very interesting progression that Iago works Othello through. Here’s the link. Do yourself a favor and read it. What? You don’t have time right now, you say? Indeed!

 

More  matter for a May morning.

-Fabian

Twelfth Night; Or, What You Will     Act III Scene iv, Line 142

A bit of an alliterative response from Fabian to Sir Toby Belch when the latter explains his idea for playing a trick on Malvolio. It’s surprising that Fabian didn’t work Malvolio’s name into the response. More matter for Malvolio’s May morning. Or, to fit the meter a little better, More matter for Malvolio’s May morn’.

Look at me: editing Will’s writing to make it better. Ha, that's a hot one!

The working desk of Will's editor on this March morn'. Ha!

 

 

Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven!

Wind, rain, and thunder, remember, earthly man

Is but a substance that must yield to you.  

 

-Pericles

Pericles, Prince of Tyre                 Act II Scene i, Line 3

 

These are the first three lines of the scene. Pericles is standing alone on the shore all wet because he has just swum ashore from being in a storm and a shipwreck. Earthly man is but a substance that must yield to you, he says. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

I had thought that I would be able to find a pic in my archives of me, or someone I knew, standing on a shore somewhere being contemplative. But rather than show someone being contemplative in the face of nature, I give you this one. It's one of my favourite pictures, and I'm pretty sure she's not thinking about being just an earthly substance. And I guess most of us don't think about that such an awful lot either. I suppose that's about right. 

 

 

A grandam’s name is little less in love

Than is the doting title of mother;

They are as children but one step below,

Even of your mettle, of your very blood;

Of all one pain, save for a night of groans

Endured of her for whom you bid like sorrow.

Your children were vexation to your youth,

But mine shall be a comfort to your age.

 

-Richard

Richard III                      Act IV Scene iv, Line 303

 

Richard is talking to Elizabeth about how he wants to marry her daughter (also named Elizabeth) and give Elizabeth grandchildren. He’s telling her how fabulous it will be for her to have grandchildren. Sounds kind of nice, eh? Except I didn’t give you the beginning part. In that part Richard and Elizabeth are talking about all the people Richard has killed on his way to becoming King; people that include Elizabeth’s sons (the other Elizabeth’s brothers) uncles, you name it.

Here are the lines that precede today’s Totally Random lines, spoken by Richard

       

        Look, what is done cannot be now amended:

        Men shall deal unadvisedly sometimes,

        Which after hours give leisure to repent.

        If I did take the kingdom from your sons,

        To make amends, I’ll give it to your daughter.

        If I have kill’d the issue of your womb,

        To quicken your increase, I will beget

        Mine issue of your blood upon your daughter

        A grandam’s name…..

 

So, yeah, he’s quite the charmer.

I was thinking of giving you a pic of one of my grandparents or grandkids, but I thought something more reminiscent of Richard might be better. This guy here looks like he'd turn on you in a New York (or in our case simply York) Minute.

 

I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this.

These things being bought and orderly bestowed,

Return in haste, for I do feast tonight

My best-esteem’d acquaintance. Hie thee, go.

-Bassanio

The Merchant of Venice         Act II Scene ii, Line 171

 

Good Leonardo. I did a post on good; it was good Michael. Here’s the link to that post Totally Random Daily Shakespeare .

So I guess since I’ve given you the link, I don’t need to go into the good thing again, do I, good reader?

Anyway, I gave you four lines today because this is the sum of what Bassanio has to say to Leonardo. What he wants him to think on and exactly what things need to be bestowed, well I guess that’s not very important, but as long as Leonardo knows, then things should work out.

 

What’s he that speaks for Edmund Earl of Gloucester?

 -Edgar

King Lear                        Act V Scene iii, Line 125

 

We’re near to the end of the play, and Edgar has come forward to challenge Edmund. This is the part in the play where people start dying left and right. Edgar will be taking care of Edmund directly. Then we’ll get to Goneril, and then Cordelia, and then Lear. 

Did I mention that this is a tragedy?

 

The cod-piece that will house

Before the head has any,

The head and he shall louse;-

So beggars marry many.

The man that makes his toe

What he his heart should make

Shall of a corn cry woe,

And turn his sleep to wake.

 

-Fool

King Lear                        Act III Scene ii, Line 32

 

Lear and the Fool are out on the heath at night alone in a storm. Lear is raging at the storm whilst at the same time yelling about his two daughters. He’s telling the storm to let him have it, but still complaining about the two daughters he’s been given. And this is the poem that the fool says in response to Lear’s ranting. Much like most of the fool’s lines, the meaning of what he’s saying is a bit clouded. Now, I found a really good note on this poem in my auxiliary Shakespeare compilation, the one edited by G.B. Harrison. I’m going to give you the note in full.

The man who goes wenching before he has a roof over his head will become a lousy beggar. The man who is kinder to his toe than to his heart will be kept awake by his corns- i.e., Lear has been kinder to his feet (his daughters) than to his heart (himself). The fool’s remarks, especially when cryptic, and indecent, are not easy to paraphrase.

 

That should help a little, but Harrison’s last sentence is still very true. Like I said above, the meaning of the fool’s lines can be a bit clouded, even when you know what they mean (if you get what I mean).

What have I given you today? Well, Lear and the fool are wandering around in a storm, so I'm giving you a picture of a Storm Petrel (under a cloudy sky). It's plate 14 from my Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio, and it's a Leach's Storm Petrel, not Lear's Storm Petrel, though you have to admit that's pretty close. Also, I think it's a really nice pic, and I especially like the waves in the background. 

 

Do you call me fool?

 -Cloten

Cymbeline               Act II Scene iii, Line 104

 

Yah, she (Imogen) pretty much did. And even though Cloten is kind of a dirtbag, well, I don’t know of anyone who likes to be called a fool. Do you?

And what do we have here? I guess we could suppose that this is Imogene, on the left, calling Cloten, on the right, a fool. He does look a little taken aback, doesn't he? But, actually, the reason I'm giving you this particular pic, is because these guys are Thin-billed Murres; also known as... wait for it... Foolish Guillemots! How about that; plate 213, straight from The Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio to you.

 

Come when the king doth to my lady come;

Then, if I have much love, I’ll give you some.

-Katharine

Love’s Labour’s Lost             Act V Scene ii, Line 823

 

Yes, that’s right, line 823. This is a long scene, and it’s not over yet. It ends with line 918. It’s also an odd line, don’t you agree? It doesn’t seem to matter that I give you more context, because my knowing the context doesn’t really change for me what the line seems to say when taken in isolation.

So there you have it. A Totally Random line. It’s yours to do with as you will. I suppose if you’re trying to put someone off until a later date, or until some other thing happens, you could use this line. You’ll probably have to alter the first of the two lines (and please try to keep the iambic pentameter intact), but I’m sure you can do it. Something like this.

Come when you’ve learned how not to be so dumb,

Then, if I have much love, I’ll give you some.

Now that’s a bit non-specific, but you get the idea. 

 

Dive, thoughts, down to my soul:-- here Clarence comes.

-Richard

Richard III                     Act I Scene 1, Line 41

 

So, it’s the second day in a row that we’re in the first scene of the play. Today we’re in the first speech of the play, albeit at the end of the speech. It’s Richard’s well known Now is the winter of our discontent/Made glorious summer by this sun of York; soliloquy. We’ve spent some time here before. So much so that I considered picking an alternate line today. But I didn’t. However, since I didn’t, let’s just stick to today’s line.

Richard has spent the speech talking about how lowly he is and some of the rotten things he’s going to be doing, and now he’s ending with today’s line: Dive, thoughts, down to my soul:-- here Clarence comes. It seems to me that the thoughts he’s just finished expressing are pretty low. So, is he saying that his soul is even lower, or what? Clarence, by the way, is his brother whom he is already plotting against. You don’t see too many people named Clarence these days, do you?

 

I thought of a Clarence: Clarence the cross-eyed Lion. Remember him? Well I was recently on a trip to Clarence country. I saw plenty of Clarence's relatives, but I din't get a pic of any. However, I did get a pic of this fellow. He might have been familiar with Clarence, but I forgot to ask him.

 

Shall I strike at it with my partisan?

-Marcellus

Hamlet                   Act I Scene 1, Line 140

 

For starters, a partisan is one of those spear type things like what the guards at the Tower of London carry. So in this context it’s a weapon, not a person who’s leaning in a particular political direction.

That said, well, act one, scene one of Hamlet. Not a whole lot of too much going on here. It’s the ramparts of the castle at night, and the guys up there are doing a little bit of intro stuff for the play, and talking about the ghost they’ve been seeing. The ghost shows up and Marcellus throws out today’s line. Considering that the ghost is dead, I’m not sure what striking him with a partisan is going to do. Marcellus probably didn’t think that one all the way through. On the other hand, a few lines down here’s Marcellus again,

         We do it wrong, being so majestical,

        To offer it the show of violence;

        For it is, as the air, invulnerable,  

        And our vain blows malicious mockery

So I guess I didn’t initially give our buddy Marcellus enough credit, did I? And I guess that just shows that you shouldn’t rush to judge people. Or better said, I shouldn’t rush to judge people; leastways, not Marcellus.

 

What say’st thou, my lady?

-Hotspur

King Henry the Fourth  Part I      Act II Scene 111, Line 77

 

This is Hotspur addressing his wife. Most of this scene is the dialogue of Hotspur with his wife, and it’s a good one. So you know what? Instead of talking about it, why don’t you just read it? I'll give you a link. If you page down to the end of the scene there’s a few lines telling you exactly what’s going on in the scene. Read that first, then read the scene. Its’ only 122 lines. It’ll do you good.

 Go ahead, take the link and read the scene.

Henry IV, I Act II, scene iii

 

Lord mayor,--

-Duke of Buckingham

King Richard the Third         Act III Scene v, Line 14

 

Yup, Lord mayor. That’s it. Actually, there’s a beginning to the line. It gets interrupted by a little stage direction, and it actually looks like this: 

Let me entertain him

                   Enter the MAYOR and CATESBY

                                                Lord mayor,--

And then Buckingham gets interrupted by Richard. It’s not a particularly inspiring line. It’s part of a scene where Richard and Buckingham are up to a bit of political intrigue as they work on getting Richard the crown.

There’s just a ton of political intrigue in Will’s history plays. And so much of it is so similar to all the political intrigue that continues today. None of it’s changed much. They say it’s all about the Benjamins, but I think that to a lot of these characters (I’m speaking of Will’s characters and of the real-life ones that fill our media coverage today) it’s all about the power. Will that ever change? Let me answer my own question: I think it’s part of the human condition, so no, it will never change.

Will would have a field day writing a play about some of the idiots (and worse) populating today's political landscape. Or perhaps you can say he already has?

 

 I’ll be so bold to break the seal for once.

-Duke of Milan

The Two Gentlemen of Verona     Act III Scene i, Line 139

 

The Duke has found a letter in the pocket of Valentine’s coat, and he’s decided to read it. The funny thing is that the Duke asked Valentine if he could try on Valentine’s coat, and consequently Valentine is standing right there. I guess if you’re the Duke you can read other peoples letters or do whatever else  you want without being questioned? I suppose it should be noted that the sealed letter is addressed to Sylvia and that the Duke is Sylvia’s father. So maybe that counts for something? I dunno.

So does this mean that if I borrow this rascal's coat and find a letter in it addressed to Nina, then I get to read that letter? Well that could be interesting. Perhaps the most interesting part of the whole thing  would be that he's writing a letter to Nina in the first place; forget about what's in it.

 

...but, sweet heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no fable:

-Armado

Love’s Labour’s Lost             Act V Scene i, Line 100

 

Hmmm, what to say about this line? Okay, this scene is a lot of bluster and wordplay. I listened to it whilst reading it this morning and that was certainly helpful. I also read the summary before that, so I had a general sense of what was going on. Given all of that, can I explain this line to you? No, not really. I think it’s best explained by saying that it’s part of the bluster and wordplay of the scene. How’s that.

So, why did I pick this picture for today? I'll tell you why. The diversity of personalities in this picture is significant. I daresay, very, very significant. Whilst I do not remember the conversations that took place that day, or if there actually was much interchange between the members of this group, I would have to assume that if there were any conversations, they would have included some bluster and wordplay. There, how's that?

 

It is enough you know; and it is fit,

What being more known grows worse, to smother it.

-Pericles

Pericles, Prince of Tyre         Act I Scene i, Line 105

 

Oh boy. Well, if you didn’t know, we’re dealing with incest in this play. Yup.

Long story, short: Pericles must answer a riddle to win the daughter of King Antiochus. If he can’t figure out the riddle they will kill him. Pericles has figured out that the answer to the riddle is that Antiochus and his daughter are in an incestuous relationship. He’s has decided that he’s no longer interested in the girl, and more importantly that it will be in his best interest not to reveal the answer to the riddle. He’s speaking here to the king, trying to get out of giving the answer without losing his head.

So, given that, today’s Totally Random lines should be pretty clear. I can see why they don’t teach this play in schools. Oof.

Pic? No pic.

 

 

--I see their knavery: tis is to make an ass of me: to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.            [Sings]

-Bottom

A Midsummer Night’s Dream       Act III Scene i, Line 121

 

Bottom’s head has just been transformed into a donkey’s head (I don’t think he realizes this yet), and his friends have all run away from him.

And so, he begins to sing, and it’s a song about birds: ousel-cocks, throstles, wren, finch, sparrow, lark, and cuckoo. Don’t ask me what an ousel-cock is.

        The ousel-cock so black of hue,

        With orange-tawny bill,

        The throstle with his note so true,

        The wren with little quill,

        The finch, the sparrow and the lark,

        The plain-song cuckoo gray,

        Whose note full many a man doth mark,

        And dares not answer nay;

 Birds; it’s for the birds, eh?

Okay, these are purple finch. This is a pic I took of plate 402 from my Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio. It's a reproduction, of sorts, of Audubon's original Birds of America. No need to thank me.

 

--He could be contented,--why is he not, then?

-Hotspur

King Henry the Fourth Part I       Act II Scene iii, Line 4

 

He’s not exactly saying what you might be thinking that he’s saying. This is the opening lines of the scene. Hotspur is alone and reading a letter from some rando (we never actually get the name of the letter writer) who’s writing to tell Hotspur that he’s not going to join the rebellion. Hotspur is reading and reacting to the letter. Here’s the beginning of scene three. This opening soliloquy is written in prose:

 

Warkworth Castle.

Enter HOTSPUR solus, reading a letter,

HOTSPUR

‘—But, for mine own part, my lord, I could be well contented to be there, in respect of the love I bear your house.’ He could be contented,--why is he not, then? In respect of the love he bears our house:--he shows in this, he loves his own barn better than he loves our house. Let me see more.

Hotspur goes on to read the whole letter and react to it, line by line. Right after he finishes, his wife shows up and tries to get out of him why he’s been so out of sorts lately. Of course, it’s because he’s been working up this rebellion, but he doesn’t want to tell her about it.

I think he should have just told her what’s going on. What do you think?

 

 

Go, Biodello, bid your mistress come to me.

-Lucentio

The Taming of the Shrew              Act V, Scene ii, Line 77

 

Well, we have another interesting play here and one that could be one of the first to be singled out for book burning if we’re not careful. Do you want to hear about it? Well, I guess you’re going to whether you want it or not. Let’s see; where do we start?

I suppose the name tells a lot of the story. By the story, I mean the story of the play (a shrewish woman being tamed into a 'good' wife), and the story of why the book’s gonna get burned (because it's about a woman being tamed into a 'good' wife). So then, what’s to say? Well, let’s attack this burnability issue from a very general perspective, and that is this: 

WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS STUFF, PEOPLE!!

There, simple as that.

Okay, just in case it wasn't clear what I was talking about: this is a pic of my associate graduating from high school last year and posing with the superintendent of schools here in Cheshire (who by the way is the paragon of superintendents in my opinion). Now, what are we teaching in our schools, and in our universities? A lot. What are we not teaching? Apparently, anything that we might offend someone by talking about it. And that, my friend, is the problem. I can understand respecting peoples' feelings, but we gotta be able to find some middle ground here. Just throwing some stuff out is not the answer. Okay? Good. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.