Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Methought that I had broken from the Tower,

And was embark to cross to Burgundy;

And, in my company, my brother Gloster;

Who from my cabin tempted me to walk

Upon the hatches: thence we lookt toward England,

And cited up a thousand heavy times,

During the wars of York and Lancaster,

That had befaln us.

 

Duke of Clarence

King Richard the Third                 Act I, Scene iv,  Line 13

 

I was wont to give you the rest of this speech, and if I was a better and faster typist I well may have. But alas, no. Rather, let me tell you about it. In his dream his brother accidently pushes him overboard, and Clarence describes, in wonderful detail, seeing amazing things underwater before drowning. Then he tells about his experience of crossing into hell and dealing first with his father-in-law Warwick, who accuses Clarence of getting him killed at the battle at Tewksbury, and then furies and fiends, who come and overwhelm Clarence before he finally wakens.

It’s quite a vividly, terrifying dream. I took the opportunity to listen to this exchange on my Arkangel Shakespeare this morning. It’s about a half page long, if you’re interested in reading it. Here it is.

Shakespeare's Richard III Act 1 Scene 4 The Murder of Clarence (shakespeare-online.com)

You have to read from the beginning of the scene up to line 60 or so to get the whole dream. Sixty lines. You can do it.

So, a few personal thoughts. One is that I, coincidentally had a very vivid dream last night that stayed with me. It was nonsensical, mostly with unknown people and places, but it stuck with me after waking. Because it was so nonsensical I won’t try to describe it. I only bring it up because it seems so coincidental that today’s line would be about a vivid dream.

The other thing that struck me in today’s line was Clarence’s lines about looking back toward England and thinking about the thousand heavy times,/ During the wars of York and Lancaster,/ That had befaln us. The thousand heavy times. Exactly. And what good came of it. I’m waiting. What good became of those thousand heavy times of war. Exactly: Nothing.

So what’s changed since Will wrote these lines. We’re still experiencing vivid dreams, and we’re still experiencing the heavy times of war. Oh sure, when I talk about the latter I’m talking about the world at large, not Cheshire Connecticut. But it’s all the same.

I guess this is one of the reasons I read Shakespeare and one of the reasons I find it so relevant.

But enough about dreams. 

Doesn't someone have a birthday today?