The very mercy of the law cries out

Most audible, even from his proper tongue,

‘An Angelo for Claudio, death for death!’

 

-Duke

Measure For Measure                    Act V, Scene i, Line 406

 

Yup, the Duke is saying that the Angelo put Claudio to death for the same crime that Angelo himself committed. Ergo…

And he continues,

 

        Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure:

        Like doth quit like, and Measure still for measure.

 

How about that? It’s the title of the play weaved into the dialogue. I don’t remember having seen that before in any of Will’s stuff. Of course, with the tragedies and the Histories the name of the title character comes up. But Comedy of Errors? A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Any of the other comedies? Well, I can’t think of any where the title of the play comes up in the dialogue of the play. Perhaps you can.

 

This is one of those days where I have absolutely no ideas about a picture to post with this post. 

So I guess it's going to be no pic today. 

Sorry.

But let's face it; a lot of my pics aren't all that great anyway.

 

It were a tedious difficulty, I think,

To bring them to that prospect: damn them, then,

If ever mortal eyes do see them bolster

More than their own!

 

-Iago

Othello                            Act III, Scene iii, Line 398

 

Good ol’ honest Iago. He’s busy here stoking Othello’s jealousy. Othello talks about being satisfied; that is to say, given irrefutable proof of Desdemona’s infidelity.

 

Iago-        You would be satisfied?

Othello-   Would! Nay, I will.

Iago-        And may: but, how? How satisfied, my lord?

                Would you, the supervisor, grossly gape on,--

                Behold her topt?

Othello-                           Death and damnation! O!

Iago-        It were a tedious difficulty, I think,

To bring them to that prospect: damn them, then,

If ever mortal eyes do see them bolster

More than their own!

 

Good ol’ honest Iago, indeed!

There’s one of those Shakespearean words for you, topt, or topped. I think you should be able to glean the meaning from the context. Austin Powers might say shagged, but I’ve never heard topt before. Well, you learn something new every day.

Given the nature of today's subject matter, I thought it might be best to forego a pic for today.

 

 

 

        Go, and say

We purpose her no shame: give her what comforts

The quality of her passion shall require,

Lest, in her greatness, by some mortal stroke

She do defeat us:

 

-Octavius Caesar

Antony and Cleopatra                    Act V, Scene i, Line 62

 

I guess you could say that Cleopatra does, in a way, defeat them by a mortal stroke; the mortal stroke being dealt to herself. I think they had hoped to parade her through Rome. That's not gonna happen.

BTW, I like the purpose her no shame. I'm sure we would say mean her no shame, but purpose her sounds so much cooler. Don't you agree?

Here you go. Today's pic is in no way relevant to Today's Totally Random Line. It is relevant, however, in that it is a pic of me (on the right) with my big sister Jean. Yesterday was Jeannie's birthday. I had meant to post this pic yesterday, but never got the post done. There you go Jean. I hope you had a great birthday!

 

You cannot call it love; for at your age

The hey-day in the blood is tame, it's humble,

And waits upon the judgment: and what judgment

Would step from this to this?

-Hamlet

Hamlet                            Act III, Scene iv, Line 70

 

Well hopefully you’re all familiar enough with the play to know that Hamlet is talking to his mother about her marriage to the brother of Hamlet’s dead father. There are pictures of the two men in Gertrude’s room where they are, and Hamlet is pointing to the pictures when he says from this to this. 

I like the line at your age the hey-day in the blood is tame. That’s a wonderful line. Nowadays we use hey-day by itself. When I was in my hey-day…. Like that. 

I guess we could get into a bit of a discussion about how it feels to get old and whether or not older people have tame hey-day in the blood, or not. How much about this did Will really understand, because he wasn't all that old when he wrote this. It would be an interesting thing to discuss, but best left to older people. So I'll pass on that for now. 

I had thought to give you a pic of me in my hey-day, but looking through my pics I came across this one. It's a pic from my hey-day all right, but not of me. These are my two best buds from my hey-day, and they're both gone now.

Hey-day. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

 

One way I like this well;

 

-Goneril

 King        Lear       Act IV, Scene ii, Line 84

 

Goneril [aside]

One way I like this well;

But being widow and my Gloster with her,

May all the building in my fancy pluck

Upon my hateful life: another way

The news is not so tart. –I’ll read and answer.    

                                                        [Exits]

 

Goneril has just learned that Gloster had his eyes gouged out by her sister and her sister’s husband, Cornwall, but that Cornwall has been killed in the process. This is what she’s saying to herself:

On the one hand this may be good news, but now my sister is a widow and she’s going to be alone with Edmund. This could ruin my plans. On the other hand, this news is not bad.

She’s a schemer, and she wants Edmund for herself. I'm not sure exactly what she's thinking is the good news here, but she’s definitely hatching some plan. And you can bet she's up to no good.

Two Cordelias: No Goneril. No Regan.

One way I like this well. Actually, I don't see a downside, so no matter which way I look at it, I like this well. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

 

I’ll bring my action on the proudest he

That stops my way in Padua.

 

-Petruchio

 The Taming of the Shrew                Act III, Scene ii, Line 231

 

This is, of course, our friend Petruchio telling everyone to stand back. He’s just married Kate and now he’s decided that he and Kate are leaving. No, they won’t be staying for the wedding feast even though they are the bride and groom. Most of the group, including Kate, are protesting, but Petruchio is insisting. He is a very insistent fellow. In the end, the two of them leave, and no one tries to stop them.

 

Perhaps we should call this guy Petruchio. I'm pretty sure no one's going to try to stop him, whether he's leaving or staying. He's like Petruchio: he pretty much does what he wants. 

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

Be not acknown on’t; I have use for it.

Go, leave me.

 

-Iago

Othello                            Act III, Scene iii, Line 319

 

Now, knowing what we know about this play, what do you suppose is the it that Iago is referring to as he talks to Emelia here? Well? Of course: it’s that stupid handkerchief! Yes, that’s right, the hanky that Othello originally gave to Desdemona, and the hanky that Iago is going to get into the hands of Michael Cassio in order to prove to Othello that his wife is having an affair. Yes, that hanky!

Jeez, how did you not know that?

Here's a pic of what has pretty much replaced hankies in today's world. But it would be pretty hard to imagine Othello giving a special box of kleenex to Desdemona. And can you imagine that scene yet to come, where Othello keeps repeating The handkerchief! I think it would lose a little cache if he were yelling The box of kleenex damnit, the box of kleenex! It's just not the same.

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

 

Here’s Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.

 

-Julius Caesar

 Julius Caesar                      Act II, Scene ii, Line 56

 

Tell what to whom? Tell the senate that I’m not coming today. Decius Brutus will tell the senate that Caesar is staying home today. But why? Because his wife says so. Well, not exactly, but sort of. Calpurnia’s had all sorts of bad dreams about Caesar meeting his end today. And now the priests are also advising Caesar to stay home. And so, he’s decided that is what he will do: stay home.

But wait! Decius Brutus has other ideas and convinces Caesar to go. Well, I guess this is one time that Caesar should have listened to his wife. Ain’t that a real boot in the shorts.

Okay then, here's my Calpurnia, and my young associate's mother. Do we always listen to her? Well, I pretty much do. Do we always do what she says? Actually, on vacation, like here, we usually do, because she does all the planning and she's a pretty good planner. At home, on a day-to-day basis, do we do what she tells us to do? Um....let's just say, not always. Et tu Brute?

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

  

His father and I were soldiers together; to whom I have often been bound for no less than my life.

-Philario

Cymbeline                       Act I, Scene iv, Line 25

 

Okay, there’s a bunch of guys here, and they’re talking about Posthumus, who’s not there. The scene setting is

Rome.      PHILARIO’S house.

Enter   PHILARIO, IACHIMO, a  FRENCHMAN, a  DUTCHMAN, and a  SPANIARD.

Sort of sounds like the setup for an old joke. You know, the kind of joke you could tell before you had to worry that someone was going to be offended. Oh, I know – this woke thing has its place, and we should be worrying about how people feel. It does seem to me, though, that there has to be a way to find a better balance between caring about people and, well, caring about people so much that whatever we say has to take into the accounts the feeling of every human on earth. Wait, does that make sense? I don’t know. I just know it’s complicated. Something to think about, I guess.

So I’m not sure how I got on to that subject when I started with His father and I were soldiers… Oh well, moving on to the day.

I'm not sure what exactly my day is today, so no pic for now. Sorry

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

Y’are welcome, gentlemen.

 

-Countess

All’s Well That Ends Well              Act III, Scene ii, Line 93

 

Will loves his contractions, doesn’t he? As soon as I read this one, I immediately thought of Y’all are welcome. That there would be a Tennessee Y’are welcome. But today’s line is not a Tennessee welcome, it’s just Will combining you and are into y’are. I guess it’s for the metric flow? Whilst it’s not five feet, it is iambic, which it wouldn’t be with You are welcome gentlemen. Right?

Perhaps I’ll see if I can’t use y’are sometime today. I’ll let y’all know how I make out.

 

 Nah, no pic today. Sorry y'all, but I hope y'are not too disappointed.

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

 

 I’the mire.

-Earl of Kent

King Lear                         Act II, Scene ii, Line 4

 

This is Kent’s answer to Oswald’s question Where may we set our horses? Obviously, it’s not a very gracious reply. No, not at all. This begins Kent’s tirade against Oswald. He has reason for it, though Oswald is completely unaware of what that reason is or even who Kent is. But I’ll tell you who he is.

Kent, who is the most loyal follower of Lear, was with the King a few scenes back when Oswald disrespected Lear. Kent came to Lear’s side and gave Oswald a smack and sent him on his way. However, in the scene we’re looking at today Oswald does not remember or recognize Kent, and he has no idea why Kent is verbally abusing him; and Kent’s just getting warmed up. A few lines further on he goes into an unbroken eleven line slamfest of Oswald. The latter gives him an opening when he asks What dost thou know me for? And Kent lets loose

        A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy worsted-stocking knave;

And it goes on and on – lily-livered…son and heir of a mongrel bitch… You get the idea. It’s a really good rant, but I’m not going to type the whole thing out here. Instead, I’ll make it easier on me and you, and give you a more current, clearly Shakespearean inspired version of Kent's rave.

 (186) Clark Griswold's Holiday Rant - YouTube

 

 

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

  

Ay, but the feet were lame, and could not bear themselves without the verse, and therefore stood lamely in the verse.

 -Rosalind

 As You Like It                         Act III, Scene ii, Line 172

 

This section of the scene began with Celia coming in reading from a piece of paper that she found on a tree. The poem she's reading is twenty-eight lines long; more lines than I feel like typing or than you feel like reading. It appears, though, that they’re talking here about feet in a line of poetry. Take a look at the lines preceding.

         Cel-        Didst thou hear these verses?

Ros-         O, yes, I heard them all, and more too; for some of them had in them more feet than the verses would bear.

Cel-         That’s no matter: the feet might bear the verses.

Ros-         Ay, but the feet were lame, and could not bear themselves without the verse, and therefore stood lamely in the verse.

Got any thoughts on the discussion of the feet in the verse?

Now I’m not quite sure that you can weigh in on what they’re saying without looking at the verses that they’re talking about. Did you want me to type out the twenty-eight lines?

I didn’t think so.

Not sure you can see it., but I'm wearing the cyber-boot here because I had a lame foot. Well, it was actually the ankle. But you get the idea.

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

  

I had rather walk here, I thank you. I bruised my shin th’ other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence; three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes, and , by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat since. Why do your dogs bark so? Be there bears i’ the town?

 

-Master Slender

 

The Merry Wives of Windsor                  Act I, Scene i, Line 273

 

Act I, scene i. I was able to take my time and listen to the whole scene this morning, since it is Sunday. So that's nice.

Justice Shallow, his cousin Master Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans have been discussing the viability of Anne Page as a wife for Master Slender. Now, a bit later in the scene, Slender finds himself alone with Anne outside her father’s house. She’s trying to get Slender to come in and join them all for dinner. Slender is nervous about trying to impress Anne and basically talks nonsense in his nervousness.

 Anne says, I pray you sir, walk in, trying to get Slender to come in to the house. Today’s Totally Random Line is his reply. For clarification, a master of fence is a master swordsman, and a veney is a bout. Basically, he’s telling Anne that he hurt himself fencing with a master swordsman, and that he bested the master swordsman winning a dish of stewed prunes. Now, apparently after eating the prunes, he doesn’t like the smell of meat. Then he quickly changes the topic to barking dogs and bears.

Quite the Don Juan, this fellow. Eh?

And here's a pic of me in my prime. You can tell just by looking how smooth this guy must have been. No talk of stewed prunes for him. No siree, it was pure creamed onions banter all the way.

 

I cannot help it now,

Unless, by using means, I lame the foot

Of our design.

-Tullus Aufidius

Coriolanus                      Act IV, Scene vii, Line 6

This is the short scene where Tullus Aufidius and one of his lieutenants are discussing the fact that Coriolanus is doing a really good job of leading the Volscians in battle; maybe a little too good. The lieutenant has remarked that

  Your soldiers use him as the grace ‘fore meat,

  Their talk at table, and their thanks at end.

And that’s what Tullus is referencing in Today’s Totally Random Line.

BTW, I’ve blogged on the Your soldiers use him lines earlier. If you want, you can see that post here

Totally Random Daily Shakespeare

Meantime, let’s just say that lame the foot of our design is a good phrase. And, as I’ve noted regarding previous lines, one that we can easily adopt. 

        Well sure Hank, I could easily trash my opponent in tomorrow night’s debate, but if we’re trying to run on a platform of a kinder, gentler campaign, wouldn’t that just lame the foot of our design?

There, how about that?

And, here's a pic of...wait a minute, that's not a foot! Well, there are some feet of the legs of the table. Maybe? 

Anyway, earlier this morning I was noticing the way the early sun was highlighting some of the wood in the kitchen table and chairs, and I thought it was somewhat striking, so I took a picture of it. Then, just now I took a picture of my foot for this post. Trust me, this is a much nicer picture. And if my goal is to get readers for this blog, posting that pic of my foot would just lame the foot of my design.

Oooh, good one!

 

I’ll bear him no more sticks, I’ll follow thee,

Thou wondrous man.

 

-Caliban

The Tempest                            Act II, Scene ii, Line 169

Caliban has just met Trinculo and Stefano. He’s feeling the effects of some liquor that he’s just drank, the first that he has ever tasted, and he’s decided that he'll bear no more sticks for Prospero. He has chosen the wondrous man Stefano as his new master.

This, of course, is a page from The Rarer Action, our retelling of the The Tempest. Every time I pull this book out and look at it I'm greatly pleased with how well it came out, and quite displeased with how poorly we worked at selling it. Perhaps I need to follow a new master if I want to get anywhere with the second book? On the other hand, how well did following a new master work out for Caliban? No, really: how well did it work out? It's a fair question. Think about it. 

 

Proportionable to the enemy

-Bushy

King Richard II                       Act II, Scene ii, Line 124

Proportionable gets the red underline from Word, but if you look it up, it’s there. It’s the archaic term for proportional, which doesn’t get the red underline.

Now, today’s line is part of a longer sentence, but I thought it an odd little line, so I wanted to present it alone. And note, it’s perfect iambic pentameter:

pro POR, tion A, ble TO, the EN, e MY.

Perfect.

Anyway, here’s the full thought from Bushy.

        The wind rains fair for news to go to Ireland,

But none returns. For us to levy power

Proportionable to the enemy

Is all unpossible.

Bushy, Bagot, and Green are Richard’s boys. He left them in London whilst he went to Ireland to quell the rebellion. Now Bolingbroke – the future Henry IV – has returned from exile and it looks like mostly everyone is going over to his side. Consequently, these three fellows are trying to decide what to do. Bushy’s observations are quite accurate: they have no news from Richard in Ireland, and there’s no way they’re going to be able to raise a power to hold back Bolingbroke.

What to do? What to do?   

Bushy, Bagot, and Green: sounds like names you'd find being used by another English writer, eh? 

Perhaps one who claimed to not care much for Shakespeare.

 

 

                                                     At this time
We sweat and bleed: the friend hath lost his

 friend;

And the best quarrels, in the heat, are cursed

By those that feel their sharpness:--

 

-Edmund

King Lear                        Act V, Scene iii, Line 56

 

Edmund is talking about the situation that exists after a battle is done, and a battle has indeed just been fought. It really is a very fine couple of lines, and it is an apt description, except for the fact that Edmund has no friends and is probably not experiencing any of this sharpness that he speaks of. He’s just saying this to put off Albany when the latter tells Edmund to present the prisoners, Lear and Cordelia. Edmund doesn’t want to present them, because he’s just sent them off to be surreptitiously murdered.