Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

  

Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!

-Iachimo

Cymbeline                      Act I, Scene vi, Line 19

 

Here’s Iachimo’s full seven lines.

All of her that is out of door most rich!

If she be furnish with a mind so rare,

She is alone the Arabian bird; and I

Have lost the wager. Boldness be my friend!

Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!

Or, like the Parthian, I shall flying fight;

Rather, directly fly.

 

So, a little context: This is Iachamo talking to himself when he first sets eyes on Imogen. A bit earlier in the play Iachamo was talking to Imogen’s husband, Posthumus Leonatus, in Italy. Posthumus was bragging about the beauty and the fidelity of his wife back home in Britain. Iachimo, having never met Imogen, claimed that on his upcoming travels to Britain he would easily be able to sleep with Imogen. So, being the sensible husband (sarcasm), Posthumus made a wager out of it.

Now Iachimo is in Britain meeting Imogen for the first time. He’s remarking to himself what a beauty Imogen is and realizing that bedding her is not going to be easy.

I think when he say’s out of door, he’s talking about her outsides, her appearance. The Arabian bird is a reference to the Phoenix, a rare and precious bird. And the Parthian were a cavalry famous for turning in the saddle as they retreated, shooting arrows at their enemy (Asimov’s Guide To Shakespeare, of course).

There, now you know as much about these lines as I do; which, let’s face it, isn’t all that much.

But how about we go back to Today’s Totally Random Line, 

Arm me, audacity, from head to foot! 

Not bad. And eminently useful if, like me, you tend to talk to yourself as Iachimo is doing here. In his case he’s being quite audacious in that his intent is to bed this married woman. But audacious behavior can be good behavior too. Showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks - that’s MW’s online definition, and it talks about bold risks, not the intent behind taking them.

There are lots of times when audacity can be our friend: when we’re afraid to ask that girl out, when we’re nervous about asking for that raise. There are a million examples like that, when saying to yourself Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!  can be a good thing to say to yourself.

Of course, if you’re going to say this to yourself, well then you’ve got to listen yourself too!

 

Arm me, audacity, from head to foot!

As is often the case, I was about to give up on finding a pic for today. Then, like mana from heaven...well, here you go. If that's not an audacious choice of sport coat I'm wearing on the right, then I don't know what is. 

Thanks Jim!