Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Very well; and could be content to give him good report for’t, but that he pays himself with being proud.

 

First Citizen

Coriolanus            Act I Scene i, Line 28

So, what’s going on here? It’s the very first scene of the play, and the citizens are talking about revolt. There’s a famine and they believe that the people in charge of the city are sitting on a storehouse of grain. They start talking about Caius Marius (That’s Coriolanus, but he hasn’t received the name Coriolanus yet, so he’s just Caius Marcius), because he’s in charge of the military and the one they’ll have to through to get the grain

One citizen calls Caius a dog to the commonality, but another counters with consider what services he has done for his country. That’s when First Citizen replies with Today’s Totally Random Line. "We’d give him credit for his services if he wasn’t paying himself with being proud."

That’s some interesting phraseology, don’t you think? He pays himself with being proud. It’s a sort of odd way of putting it. But no matter how you put it, it’s kind of hard not to be proud of one’s accomplishments, isn’t it? Heck, I’m proud of myself for pretty much anything I manage to get done, and trust me, it’s not much. Caius Marcius/Coriolanus has led an army protecting Rome. I say let the guy be proud, and you weasels should be proud of him! Then maybe he'd give you some of the grain.

I'm proud of my ears, Mr. Blagys.

Damn straight, Mr. Mojo! And well you should be!