Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

‘Had I no eyes but ears, my ears would love

That inward beauty and invisible;

Or were I deaf, thy outward parts would move

Each part in me that were but sensible:

Though neither eyes nor ears to hear or see,

Yet should I be in love by touching thee.'

 

 

Venus

Venus and Adonis                  Line 433 - 438

This is a stanza in the middle of this long poem about Venus and Adonis. The poem is 1,194 lines long, so this is about a third of the way through.

Venus it telling Adonis how enraptured she is with him. Unfortunately for her, he doesn’t seem to be the least bit interested.

This is an interesting dichotomy, isn’t it: the woman in love with the man, and the man being completely not in love with her. In fact, it’s an interesting dichotomy irrespective of whether it’s the man or woman who is the disinterested one. I suppose we’ve seen tons of this in literature, in media, and in real life. And it can be a very problematic situation.

In the case of Venus and Adonis, Adonis gets killed in an unrelated situation before the love/no-love problem can run its full course. Unfortunately (it’s odd to use the word unfortunately when speaking about not dying), in most cases of the love/no-love problem, a completely unrelated cause of death is not the resolution. More unfortunately, a related cause of death is in some cases also the resolution.

Whilst the ideal is, of course, love/love, there’s also the many in-between cases of love/not-the-same-amount-of-love. In fact, arguably, this might be the most prevalent situation. Oh, I suppose there are plenty of love/love’s out there, but being the realist that I am, I think the love/not-the-same-amount-of-loves are the majority.

I’m not sure how I got going down this road today. I think it’s partly because yesterday I ran into a case of love/no-love-but-just-going-along-with-it-for-now. This is a serious in-betweener, leaning dangerously in the direction of love/no-love. I can’t help but wonder how this one's going to turn out. I’ll keep you posted.

A group shot. This famous group got together yesterday for Big Bro's 70th, the first one of us to reach that milestone.

Happy Birthday Dave!

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

I accuse them not.

 

Marina

Pericles                   Act IV, Scene ii, Line 70

For the second day in a row we’re in a spot that we’ve covered in a previous post, but since we didn’t touch on this particular line, we’ll carry on today.

So, Marina’s just been sold into a whorehouse. First, she laments, wishing that the pirates had thrown her overboard instead of saving her. Then she’s wishing that she wasn’t pretty, with the woman in charge of the bordello agreeing she is, saying, the gods have done their part in you. That’s where Marina replies with today’s line. She’s not blaming the gods for anything, and that’s probably a smart thing to do.

It's interesting that this scene is made up of a bunch of different bordello characters and Marina. All the bordello people's lines are written in prose, but Marina's are written in blank verse. 

Well, it's a little bit interesting. 

I think that's all I can come up with today.

Would you care to guess what this is a picture of?

It's the inside of a birdhouse. 

Nope, it has nothing to do with nothing. And you know what will come of nothing. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

You are right, justice, and you weigh this well;

Therefore still bear the balance and the sword:

And I do wish your honours may increase,

Till you do live to see a son of m ine

Offend you, and obey you, as I did.

 

 

Henry the Fifth

 

King Henry the Fourth Part II       Act V, Scene ii, Line 106

Well, we covered this part of this scene fairly well in September 2019. Here’s the link where you can take a look at that post.  Totally Random Daily Shakespeare   

In fact, I just read that post and it explains everything quite well. So I’ll suggest that you read that post, and I’ll take the rest of the day off.

Cheers!

No pic. Didn't you hear? I'm taking the rest of the day off.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

So great a weight in his lightness. If he fill’d

 

 

Octavius Caesar

Antony and Cleopatra       Act I, Scene iv, Line 25

Okay, so what the heck is this? This, my friend is the 37^th line of print on page 929 of my book. It is line 25, of scene four in the first act of Antony and Cleopatra.

Now, this is a perfect example of what I deal with in this Totally Random Daily Line nonsense. Today’s line has the end of one sentence and the beginning of another. The sentence ending with So great… begins on the 27^th line of print. The sentence beginning with If he filled ends on 45^th line of print. There are 18 lines in this response of Octavius to Lepidus. Those 18 lines are comprised of 3 sentences. The first is You are too indulgent. The other 2 make up the rest of the response. They are peppered with semi-colons and dashes, and they intersect on the 37^th line of print.

So, what to do? Well, first I’m going to give you background and context, and then I’m going to summarize. Then I'll give you the full passage. Finally, I’ll give you a picture that will hopefully wake you up, because you’ll definitely be asleep by the time you finish reading this.

Rome is being ruled by a triumvirate: Octavius (Caesar’s pick), Lepidus (some old dude), and Antony (smooth talker). Antony has been in Egypt for a while having a good time with Cleopatra (that’s what smooth talking can get you). Octavius and Lepidus are in Rome in this scene discussing Antony. Octavius begins by pointing out that Antony is in Alexandria whooping it up, giving no thought to these two guys back in Rome doing all the work. Lepidus points out that Antony’s got good qualities too, and Octavius responds with today’s three sentence speech. 1. You, Lepidus, give him too much credit. 2. There’s nothing wrong with having a good time, if that’s what he enjoys doing, but we can’t excuse these excesses when we’re stuck here doing all the work in his absence. 3. If he did something (I can’t figure out what) we’d call him out on it, but to do something else (I can’t figure out what), well then he deserves to be scolded as we would scold boys who act poorly when they should know better.

Yes, that’s right, I can’t figure out exactly what Octavius is saying. Get over it. 

Now, I had originally thought to give you the whole speech by Octavius here. Yes, I can hear you from here – “Don’t bother!” But now that I’ve given you (mostly) the Pete Version, well, here goes anyway. Since you know the meaning (or most of it), read the passage and see if it doesn’t make some sense for you. Go ahead, it won’t kill you.

You are too indulgent. Let us grant, it is not

Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy;

To give a kingdom for a mirth; to sit

And keep the turn of tippling with a slave;

To reel the streets and noon, and stand the buffet

With knaves that smell of sweat: say this becomes him,-

As his composure must be rare indeed

Whom these things cannot blemish,- yet must Antony

No way excuse his soils, when we do bear

So great weight in his lightness. If he fill’d

His vacancy with his voluptuousness,

Full surfeits, and the dryness of his bones,

Call on him for’t: but to confound such time,

That drums him from his sport, and speaks as loud

As his own state and ours, - ‘tis to be chid

As we rate boys, who, being mature in knowledge,

Pawn their experience to their present pleasure,

And so rebel to judgement.

 

There: three periods - three sentences. I guess it’s fair to say that the second and third sentences would qualify as run-on sentences, but who am I to question Will.

So then, anyone care to take a crack at If he fill’d….his own state and ours? No? I can’t say I blame you.

Okay, here's your wake up picture.

Awake?

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

A withered hermit, five-score winters worn,

      Might shake off fifty, looking in her eye:

Beauty doth varnish age, as if new-born,

      And gives the crutch the cradle’s infancy:

O, ‘tis the sun that makes all things shine.

 

 

Berowne

Love’s Labour’s Lost       Act IV, Scene iii, Line 239

This is the scene where the four guys all confess to breaking their oath to stay away from women. Berowne is describing the beauty of Rosaline in today’s lines. I like these lines. A hermit one hundred years old would turn fifty just by looking at her beauty. Beauty gives old age the look of youth
Beauty doth varnish age, as if new-born,
  And gives the crutch the cradles infancy.

Perhaps a little too much credit give to beauty? Something to think about.

Certainly, some very good lines for today, no matter how you choose to take them.

Beauty

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

What is the matter,

That being past for consul with full voice,

I am so dishonour’d, that the very hour

You take it off again?

 

Caius Marcius Coriolanus

Coriolanus       Act III, Scene iii, Line 99

Ahhh, Coriolanus. What a great play.

This is the scene where the people are going to banish Coriolanus from Rome. Today’s lines are a little hard to understand, but basically he’s asking what is the matter? Why, he says, on the same day that you voted no (you passed me up) to me being  consul (consul is the head of state), and now you’re dishonoring me as you take it off again. I’m not exactly sure what those last words mean, but it’s something to do with the fact that hours ago he was good enough to be voted on for consul, and now he’s good for nothing.

Ain’t that the truth. Zero to hero in minutes, and then right back to where you started faster than you can say Bob’s your uncle.

Anyway, it goes from bad to worse after this. They accuse him of being a traitor and Coriolanus completely loses it. The fires in the lowest hell fold-in the people, he seethes. And he’s just getting warmed up.

So, as noted, by the end of the scene Coriolanus is banished. And that’s not going to work out well for anyone, is it?

 

Well, I couldn't find a picture of Uncle Bob (the fact that I don't know any Uncle Bobs probably had something to do with that), but here's the next best thing. It's a pic of Caleb (aka Karl), with his Uncle Pete. Yes, that's me. Yes, it's a very old picture. Yes, I'm now grayer and fatter, but I'm still Uncle Pete. And for the record, I haven't been banished yet. Unless you count...nah, let's not count that. 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Are you not Signior Benedick?

 

Don Juan

Much Ado About Nothing                  Act II, Scene i, Line 153

 

And the answer?

You know me well, I am.

And there you have it: question answered. Isn't it nice when we get nice simple questions that have nice simple answers. Life would be grand with more of these.

Is this me standing in front of a tower made up of naked people? 

Why, yes, it is actually. 

Simple question. 

Simple answer.

Life is grand.

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

True; who bears hard

His brother’s death at Bristol, the Lord Scroop.
I speak not this in estimation,
As what I think might be, but what I know
Is ruminated, plotted, and set down,

And only stays but to behold the face

Of that ovation that shall bring it on

 

Worcester

King Henry the Fourth Part I       Act I, Scene iii, Line 282

Before I forget - Lord Scroop, what a great name! But let’s not spend time on that.

So, Worcester, Northumberland, and the latter’s son, Hotspur are discussing rebellion against Henry IV. In Today’s Totally Random Lines Worcester is talking about the Archbishop of York who, he says, is just waiting for the right opportunity to rebel against Henry as well.

If you recall, on Monday we had a line from later in this saga (actually, Monday’s line was from Henry IV Part Two, but it's just a continuation of the same story). At that point these rebels had lost a battle and were talking about getting the Archbishop to join them. So apparently, regardless of what’s being said here, they started the rebellion without the archbishop and came up with this idea of getting him in on it again in Part Two.
I wonder what happened. Based on today’s lines it looks like they were ready to get this guy in on it. Well, this is Act I of Henry IV Part One. That line from Monday is Act I of Henry IV Part Two. So basically, a whole play happened, that’s what.

I did some perusing through Part One, and I can’t seem to find any mention of them deciding that they didn’t need the archbishop in order to get the rebellion started. Well, that’s going to turn out to be a miscalculation for them.

It’s interesting to note that the crew talking about getting the help of the archbishop in Part Two is a different set of guys, except for Northumberland, from the crew talking about it here, in Part One. I don’t know about Worcester, but Hotspur was killed in the battle at the end of Part One, so that’s why he’s not there in Part Two.

That’s a pretty fool-proof excuse for not showing up at a meeting.

“Where the heck is Jenkins! He’s supposed to be presenting on the new sales initiative.”

“He’s dead sir.”

“Oh. Well who’s going to present then!?”

And the show goes on; with or without Hotspur, with or without Jenkins.

A sticker that my wife got me.

 No, it's got nothing to do with Hotspur, or the archbishop, or Scroop, or Jenkins. But it's a good sticker, and I think it was made specifically for me. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Mustard-seed

 

Mustard-seed

A Midsummer Night’s Dream       Act III, Scene i, Line 91

Mustard-seed is answering when Bottom asks him his name. Bottom is meeting the four fairies of Titania right here. He’s met Cobweb and Peas-blossom. I’m not sure if we get to know the name of the fourth one. In any event, here is Bottom’s reply to Mustard-seed.

Good Master Mustard-seed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devour’d many a gentleman of your house: I promise you your kindred hath made my eyes water ere now. I desire you more acquaintance, good Master Mustard-seed.

He has something quirky like that to say to Cobweb and Peas-blossom, and of all of them he desires more acquaintance. And the fourth fairy - what happened to him? I guess that’s a mystery for the ages.

Wait, I just looked ahead. It’s Moth; but he doesn’t get to talk in this scene. Well, so much about the mystery. Moth is the name of the fourth fairy. I guess we’ll have to find something else to wonder about. That shouldn’t be hard.

Well, here's yesterday's mystery solved. The missing muffins. Actually, these aren't exactly the same muffins, and now there's three instead of two. But this is exactly what yesterday's muffins looked like (if there had been three of them).

And also, more relevant to today's line: That bag of chips there - do you know what they are? I'll bet you don't. Those are mustard flavored Doritos. I kid you not: made, presumably, from mustard-seed. So there you go. 

Mustard-seed. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

His absence, sir,

Lays blame upon his promise. Please’t your highness

To grace us with your royal company.

 

Ross

Macbeth                  Act III, Scene iv, Line 80

Macbeth has just made note that Banquo hasn’t shown up for the banquet, even though he promised to. Of course, Macbeth knows why Banquo’s not there. He, Macbeth, sent out two guys to murder Banquo.

Today’s lines are Ross’s reply to Macbeth.

Lays blame upon his promise. That’s interesting phraseology, isn’t. The words are simple, and I believe the 1590 meaning of each of them is the same as it is today. But even though you might hear each of these words today, you probably wouldn’t hear them put together like this. You’d probably hear 2023 Ross say, ‘So much for his promise to show up, eh?’

Lays blame upon his promise. I wonder if that was common phraseology for the day, or if our buddy Will was practicing his usual linguistic gymnastics? His failure to show up laid blame on his promise. I’m not sure I exactly understand how that works, or exactly what it’s saying. Ah wait; if I lay blame on someone, then they did it. So if we lay blame on the promise, then the promise is the culprit. Does that make sense. How is the promise the culprit. Isn’t Banquo the culprit for not showing up (never mind Macbeth being the culprit for having him killed). What is it saying if the promise is the culprit. Still thinking. Banquo shouldn’t have made the promise. It turned out to be an empty promise. And I guess an empty promise is something to be considered the culprit. And perhaps, since Will knows that it’s really not Banquo’s fault anyway (since he’s been murdered), he’s extending that lack of fault to Ross’s comment. Does that make any sense? It’s hard to tell, isn’t it. Nonetheless, it’s a nice phrase.

See, now this is a line, or a part of a line, that would make a good discussion in a class. Wouldn’t it? You could personalize it.

“Okay, let’s just say that Wally here promised to bring in donuts for everybody today. But Wally, you didn’t bring in any donuts. I guess we could say that the lack of donuts lays blame on your promise. So are we saying that the promise is at fault, and not Wally? How does that make sense?”

And that would quickly devolve into a discussion of Wally and donuts. Who knew that Will wrote about a twenty-first century kid named Wally and his donuts, or lack thereof. Amazing!

Naturally, I wanted to give you a pic of donuts, since of a pic of Wally would be impossible. However, today I had muffins not donuts. To further complicate the situation, I've eaten the muffins. But that's where they were a little while ago, right in the empty spot there on my desk. So perhaps you can just imagine two home baked bran muffins sitting right there. 

Amazing!

 

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

I will, and so will she, I know, my lord.

 

Boyet

Love’s Labour’s Lost             Act V, Scene ii, Line 314

Lotta commas there. You’ll what, so she’ll what? Let’s see, two lines up Boyet told the king to command him to do anything regarding the princess. Then the king said,

That she vouchsafe me audience for one word.

There’s that word vouchsafe again. I’m always forgetting what it means and it’s not always easy figure it out from context. It means allow, permit, or grant to. He wants the princess to grant him an audience, and Boyet says no problem.

And that’s that. Short and sweet for today.

Not even a pic; that's how short and sweet it is.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

But now the bishop

Turns insurrection to religion:

Supposed sincere and holy in his thoughts,

He’s follow’d both with body and with mind;

And doth enlarge his rising with the blood

Of fair King Richard, scraped from Pomfret stones;

Derives from heaven his quarrel and his cause;

Tells them he doth bestride a bleeding land,

Gasping for life under great Bolingbroke;

And more and less do flock to him.

 

Morton

King Henry the Fourth Part II      Act I, Scene i, Line 202

Morton and Northumberland are discussing the rebellion against Henry IV that they are leading and that they appear to be losing. In today’s lines Morton brings up the Archbishop of York who is inspiring people to rebellion through his religion. I believe Northumberland’s going to make plans to join forces with the bishop.

What, you didn’t get that the archbishop was inspiring people to rebellion through his religion when you read today’s Totally Random Daily Lines? Oh come on! Okay then, you want the Pete Version? Fine.

Morton starts off his speech, preceding Today’s Totally Random Lines, by saying that the people under their command in this rebellion are torn: they want to fight, but their consciouses tell them that rebellion is wrong.

But the bishop turns rebellion into being a part of religion.

He shows sincerity and holiness in his thoughts,

And the people follow him with body and mind.

He grows the ranks of his followers by talking about how King Richard (the guy that Henry IV stole the throne from) was murdered by Henry at Pomfret Castle.

He tells the people that God is on the side of a rebellion.

He tells the people that the land is bleeding and gasping for life under the leadership of Henry IV (Henry IV was known as Bolingbroke before he became Henry IV).

And in this way the bishop has drawn many people to his side.

 

Got it now? Good.

No religion needed to draw this little guy to your side;

just a nice cool melona popsicle.

Ahhhhhh.

 

 

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

So I have. Farewell

The hopes of court! My hopes in heaven do dwell.

 

Cardinal Wolsey

King Henry the Eighth          Act III, Scene ii, Line 459

Good sir, have patience. That’s the preceding line by Cromwell that the Cardinal is responding to. He’s had patience, he says, but apparently he’s out of hope.

Okay, I listened to the latter part of this scene. As you can see by the line number, it’s not a very short scene. The first part of the scene is the king losing favour with Wolsey and the realization by Wolsey and everyone else that his days in the court are numbered. Then he’s left alone to muse about his downfall until his protégé Cromwell shows up. The scene ends with these two talking and the Cardinal pretty much saying goodbye to Cromwell. Today’s Totally Random Line is the rhyming couplet that is the end of this long scene.

Question: why didn't he use heav'n in that last line to take out a syllable and make it a perfect line of iambic pentameter? Yup, there I go again, questioning the art of Will. Atta boy, Pete. Atta boy.

I'm pretty sure I've used my Henry the Eighth pencil for a pic previously, but I couldn't think of anything better for today, so here you go.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Give me your hand, and let me feel your pulse.

 

Pinch

The Comedy of Errors           Act IV, Scene iv, Line 52

Okay, I’m not familiar with this Pinch fellow, but I’d like to say that anyone who has any trouble understanding today’s line, well then they don’t speak English very well. The response is even better though. It’s from Antipholus of Ephesus.

There is my hand, and let it feel your ear.
                                             [striking him]

Slapstick. It’s as old as the hills. Or at least, apparently, as old as Shakespeare. 

(17) The Three Stooges 2023 - Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise | Best Comedy TV Show from 1934 - YouTube

Here you go. You can't get more classic slapstick than this. Just like Shakespeare!

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

A peace is of the nature of a conquest:

For then both parties nobly are subdued,

And neither party loser.

 

Archbishop of York

King Henry the Fourth Part II   Act IV, Scene ii, Line 89

What is the Padre smoking? How, in a conquest, are both parties subdued – nobly or otherwise? Isn’t just one subdued, and, as well, isn’t one the loser?

I don’t know what this hoser is talking about. The two opposing sides have decided here to have a peace instead of fighting, and the soldiers are already celebrating. Why shouldn’t they? In a battle a whole bunch of them would get killed, win or lose.

One of the leaders here remarks that this celebrating would be cheerful after a victory. In other words, they should have fought, not brokered a peace. And that’s what the Archbishop is responding to with Today’s Totally Random Line.

But I still don’t think the line makes much sense. Maybe I’m missing something.

Buster Mojo is guarding the backyard. With those ears, you can bet that he's not going to miss anything.