Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

  

Thy love! Out, tawny Tartar, out!                              

 

Lysander

A Midsummer Night’s Dream         Act III, Scene ii, Line 263

  

This is Lysander reacting to Hermia when she says, 

Why have you grown so rude? What change is this,
Sweet love?

Lysander is acting under a spell whereby he now only has eyes for Helena, even though Hermia is his girlfriend. Tawny Tartar is a bit redundant and refers to one of a dark complexion. So, I guess, without using any really objectionable words, Will is being a bit…umm what’s the word I’m looking for…racist? Well, that might be a bit strong, but if you were looking to take that track the course is clear. I, for one, will not be going down that road today.

In fact, and for what it’s worth, Lysander seems to be an equal opportunity slanderer, as a few lines farther down he continues, calling Hermia,

                                       You dwarf;

You minimus, of hind'ring knot-grass made;

You bead, you acorn.

Ahhh, acorn! Now we're getting down to it!

And here you go: a picture of my associate with his Acorn. 

I doubt he ever realized just how Shakespearean he was being by calling his mother an Acorn.