Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

 How, how, Cordelia! Mend your speech a little,

Lest it may mar your fortunes.

Lear

King Lear                        Act I, Scene i, Line 94

 

This is line ninety-four in the play, and it’s all downhill from here.

Just previous to Today’s Line is one of my favorite Shakespearean lines, and one that I tend to speak whenever I get the reply ‘nothing’ from someone.

Lear is divvying up his kingdom in thirds twixt his three daughters and has just received lavish statements of love from the first two. Now he turns to his youngest, Cordelia, ready to give her a third of his kingdom. 

And he asks her,                                                                                   What can you say to draw a third, more opulent than your sisters?

 Cordelia replies,
    Nothing, my lord.

Lear responds,
    Nothing!

And Cordelia repeats,
    Nothing.

To which Lear declares,
    Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.

Nothing will come of nothing. Ask Walker or Patrice how many times they’ve heard me respond Nothing will come of Nothing when they have replied to a question with the answer Nothing. They will simply roll their eyes and say Too many times!

Pete: Walks, what do you want to do after dinner?

Walker: Nothing.

Pete: Nothing will come of Nothing!

Walker: Urgggh.