Monday, September 18, 2023

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

                                 Tend me to-night;

May be it is the period of your duty:

Haply you shall not see me more; or if,

A mangled shadow: perchance to-morrow

You'll serve another master. I look on you

As one that takes his leave.

 

Antony


Antony and Cleopatra                    Act IV, Scene ii, Line 28

 

Two vocabulary notes:

Period = End

Haply = Perhaps (NOT Happily)


Antony is convinced that he’s going to be defeated tomorrow in battle, so he’s saying goodbye to his servants.

If you’re as old as me, or if you have a good sense of American 1970’s history, this scene might make you think of Richard Nixon saying goodbye to the White House staff. This latter scene was immortalized in song.

Both Antony’s and Nixon’s scene are pretty sad. It’s a rainy day today, haply reflecting the mood of today’s line.



The aforementioned song

1 comment:

Squeaks said...

OOOOOOO Before I even got to the end I was thinking of that song!

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