Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

                                 [Enter Diomedes and Troilus]

Troilus

Fly not: for shouldst thou take the river Styx,
I would swim after.

Diomedes

Thou dost miscall retire:
I do not fly; but advantageous care
Withdrew me from the odds of multitude:
Have at thee.

            [Exeunt Diomedes and Troilus, fighting]

Troilus/Diomedes

Troilus and Cressida         Act V, Scene iv, Line 32                                   

This brief exchange takes place on the battlefield.

I’m pretty sure that when Diomedes says that Troilus miscalled retire he was referring to the latter’s word fly. It seems odd that he wouldn’t have said Thou dost miscall fly. I mean, he’s talking about the other guy using the wrong word, but then he uses a different word to refer to the word that he thinks Diomedes is misusing. Do you follow?

No wonder people think Shakespeare is hard to read.

Frankly, I don’t follow, and nor do I care. I just wish you'd get me out of this little black bag. This big guy keeps getting his beard in my face and it’s itchy as heck!