Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

 

 He is a man, setting his faults aside,

Of comely virtue.

  

-Alcibiades

Timon of Athens                    Act III, Scene v, Line 15

 

Unfortunately, the fault that needs to be set aside is murder. The man, whose name we never learn, killed someone, apparently in a drunken brawl. He is a soldier and Alcibiades, his captain, has come to plead his case in front of the senate. Ultimately, the senate banishes Alcibiades for his efforts.

This scene reminds me of The Merchant of Venice and of Coriolanus; the former for its talk of pity (mercy), and the latter for the way Alcibiades gets banished and immediately begins plans to revenge his banishment by coming back to attack the city.

It’s a good scene and, whilst it fits in perfectly with the play (of course it does), it also stands on its own. It’s worth a read, in that there are some really meaty propositions put forth in it that are food for thought and prime for further discussion (I think I just made myself hungry). The meatiest one is the idea of the acceptance of murder in war vs the unacceptability of murder in peacetime. Perhaps that’s an oversimplification, but there is a valid question buried in there. If nothing else, Will’s gonna make you think. And thinking is a good thing. We should all spend a little more time thinking and a little less time just being entertained.

What do you think of that?

'And what,' I can hear you saying, 'do we have here? It looks like a slightly blurry, poorly taken picture of your IPhone, Pete. Surely this must be a mistake?'

No, my friend, it is not. It is indeed a slightly blurry, poorly taken picture of my IPhone. Why?

 BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE YOU ALL TO GET OFF YOUR DAMNED PHONES AND DO SOME THINKING!!!!