Today’s Totally Random
Lines
Good
counsel, marry; -- learn it, learn it, marquess.
Duke of Gloster
King Richard the Third Act I, Scene iii, Line
262
Okay, for starters, marry does not mean to wed. The good counsel is not to get married. Marry was a word used for emphasis. I think it was short for by Mary, like by God. Example: Well that’s a good idea by God! Marry, that’s a good idea! Got it?
So this leads to the question
of what counsel? What is the good counsel that the marquess should learn? Well, let’s open this up.
There's a bunch of people here and Margaret is ranting against all of them. She has reason to be ranting because her husband (Henry VI) was deposed
and killed by this whole crew in front of her. She goes off on all of them, one
by one and finally Marquess of Dorset (no relation to Tony) says
Dispute not with her, -- she is lunatic.
Which is not altogether wrong because Margaret is pretty off-balance if you know what I mean. Margaret replies to Dorset – and this is the counsel that Gloster says is good counsel, so pay attention.
Peace, master marquess, you are malapert (disrespectful to a person of higher standing)
Your fire-new stamp of hounour is scarce
current: (marquess only got to be
a marquess lately because his sister married royalty)
O, that your young nobility could judge
What ‘twere to lose it, and be
miserable!
They that stand high have many blasts to shake them;
And if they fall, they dash themselves
to pieces.
And that’s the part, those
last few lines, that Gloster says is good counsel. Let me repeat it,
They that stand high have many blasts to
shake them;
And if they fall, they dash themselves
to pieces.
What do you think? Good
counsel? I mean, it doesn’t really apply too much to folk like you and I, but
it is very relevant to the people at the top, and Will’s history plays are all
about people at the top. No, I’m not going to get political. I could, but I’m
not. In fact, I guess I’ll end it right there.
Phew, that was close! I was sure he was going to launch into one of his Orange Guy tirades. Again, PHEW!
No comments:
Post a Comment