Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

                    I have heard

Your grace hath ta’en great pains to qualify

His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate,

And that no lawful means can carry me

Out of his envy’s reach, I do oppose

My patience to his fury; and am arm’d

To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,

The very tyranny and rage of his.

 

Antonio

The Merchant of Venice   Act IV, Scene i, Line 7

This is the very beginning of the courtroom scene of The Merchant of Venice. The Duke of Venice (who is the judge here) has addressed Antonio

I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer

A stony adversary (Shylock), an inhuman wretch

Uncapable of pity, void and empty

From any dram of mercy.

Today’s Totally Random Lines are Antonio’s response to this.

I think by now, though the lines look a little bit difficult, you should be able to understand pretty well what each of these guys is saying. Obdurate is a word that you can still run into today. It just means stubborn, or unwilling to change. Antonio is, of course, referring to the fact that Shylock is insisting on his pound of flesh. He’s also saying that he’s accepted his fate: he’s arm’d to suffer with a quietness of spirit. In fact, Antonio will prove to be the calmest one in the courtroom, even though he’s the one with the most to lose. It’s interesting that Will’s made him the calmest, and it’s interesting why. It’s because he’s arm’d to suffer with a quietness of spirit.

Given Antonio’s grave situation, it’s curious how calm he is. I can’t help but wonder where he got that quietness of spirit. This is the guy who had the very first lines of the play.

In sooth, I know now why I am so sad:

It wearies me; you say it wearies you;

But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,

What stuff ‘tis made of, whereof it is born,

I am to learn;

And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,

That I have much ado to know myself.

Well that doesn’t sound at all like a guy at peace with himself. I wonder what changed between then and now. In fact, the play deals very little with Antonio, even though he is the titular Merchant, between that opening speech and the courtroom scene. Well, something changed.

And that gives us something to think about.

I'll tell you something that hasn't changed, and that's this guy.

I wish I had just a little of his quietness of spirit.