Friday, August 18, 2023

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines


 

At the good queen’s entreaty.

 

Camillo

The Winter’s Tale             Act I, Scene ii, Line 219

 

This is Camillo’s answer to King Leontes when the latter asks why has his friend Polixenes, the King of Bohemia, decided to extend his visit to Sicilia. We are at the beginning of Leontes thinking that his wife and Polixenes are having an affair. Check out Leontes’s ramblings in response to Camilo.

At the queen’s be’t: ‘good’ should be pertinent; But, so it is, it is not. Was this taken By any understanding pate but thine? For thy conceit is soaking, will draw in More than the common blocks:- not noted, is’t, But of the finer natures? By some severals
Of head-piece extraordinary? Lower messes Perchance are to this business purblind? Say.
Let’s take a shot at Pete’s Version of Leontes’s response. Polixenes is staying because the good queen asked him to? “Good” should be the operative word here. But though it is, in this case she is not good. Do you think anyone but yourself picked up on this? Because your thoughts can influence people other than the common folk, Camillo.  I suppose it’s just noted by the finer folk, the upper crust of society. The common folk are still blind to this, right? Well?

Yup, Leontes is bonkers. Jealousy, righteous or misplaced, can do that to a guy.


How about this? Is this a head-piece extraordinary? 
It's got camo, and a pink pom pom. 
You just can't get much more extraordinary than that. 

2 comments:

Squeaks said...

I wouldn't have dissected that without the Pete translation.
I hope you bought that hat. It very much suits you.

Pete Blagys said...

Regrettably, I did not make this purchase. That hat had PETE written all over it.
And it was on sale! Urgghh!

  Today’s Totally Random Lines   I’ll wait upon them: I am ready.   Leonato Much Ado About Nothing      Act III, Scene v, Line 53...