Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

The obligation of our blood forbids

A gory emulation ‘twixt us twain:

 

Hector

Troilus and Cressida                      Act IV, Scene v, Line 22

Let’s see; what’s going on here.
Hector, the Greek, is fighting Ajax, a Trojan. They stop fighting for a moment to talk, and Hector decides that they can’t fight anymore because they’re related; first cousins no less - my father’s sister’s son.
I didn’t see that coming.

I did, however, learn that the number one definition of emulation in the MW online dictionary is an ambition or endeavor to equal or excel others. I thought it just meant copying something or someone, didn’t you? The Shakespeare glossary says it can mean conflict. So Hector is saying that because they’re related they can’t have a bloody conflict between the two of them. I guess that makes sense.

First cousins? Again, where’d that come from?

Did you know they were first cousins, Mojo?

First what?