Today’s Totally Random
Lines
First,
methought
I stood not in the smile of heaven; who
had
Commanded nature, that my lady’s womb,
If it conceived a male child by me, should
Do no more offices of life to’t than
The grave does to the dead; for her male
issue
Or died where they were made, or shortly
after
This world had air’d them: hence I took a
thought,
This was a judgement on me; that my
kingdom,
Well worthy the best heir o’the world,
should not
Be gladded in’t by me: then follows, that
I weigh’d the danger which my realms stood
in
By this my issues fail; and that gave to
me
Many a groaning throe.
King Henry
King Henry the Eighth Act II, Scene iv, Line 189
I thought it
was God’s plan that all my male sons born of this queen should not survive infancy,
and realizing what a bad thing for the kingdom this was, and that gave to me many
a groaning throe.
There, that’s Pete’s very abbreviated version of Today’s Lines. You’ll notice that I left the end in Will’s words, assuming that you could figure out many a groaning throe.
So, what do you think? Yes, it’s a bit long. But if you read it once or twice I think you’ll agree that it’s pretty understandable.
Henry it talking
to the council that’s been convened to oversee the divorce of his wife,
Katherine, and he’s explaining why he’s come to this decision. Basically he’s
saying that he needs to divorce Katherine because God has decreed that she is
not to give him a male heir, and that would be very bad for the kingdom. Is
this what he really believes, or is he just hot to trot for Anne Bolyn? Or is
it a little of both. Well, of course we don’t really know that answer to that
do we?
More to the point, I suppose you're asking, why did I give you thirteen lines of Totally Random Lines? Well, I can answer that question. For one thing, I didn’t want to break up the sentence, and for another thing, I thought these lines were really good. Well of course they’re good: they’re written by William Shakespeare! But not all of his stuff strikes me, as these lines did. The wordplay is wonderful.
I stood not in the smile of heaven: beautiful!
Should do no more office of life to’t than the grave does to the dead: what can I say about that?
Shortly after this world had air’d them. Really? air’d them? Ahhh.
That my kingdom…should not be gladded in’t by me. That’s right, gladded in’t.
And of course, finally, many a groaning throe.
I suppose all I
can say is you’re welcome, as I’m sure that you can now appreciate what a wonderful
thirteen lines this is, and how you’ve gotten to have your day brightened by
Will’s words.
Yes indeed: you’re welcome!
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