Wednesday, November 26, 2025

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Oui, vraiment, sauf votre grace, ainsi dit-il.

 

Alice

King Henry the Fifth           Act V, Scene ii, Line 112

Alice is the waiting woman of Katherine, the daughter of the King of France. The fighting in France is over, the English have won, and now Henry wants to take Katherine as his bride, as part of the peace settlement. He’s trying to tell her that he will love her, but Henry’s French is not good, and Katherine’s English is no better. Alice is acting as a bit of an interpreter.

Henry has just told Katherine that she is like an angel. Katherine says to Alice, Did he just call me an Angel?, and Alice replies in French with Today’s Line. It translates as, Yes, truly, save your grace, that’s what he said.

And that is Today’s Totally Random Line. Yes, it’s in French. Yes, it’s Shakespeare’s original text. Did Will speak good enough French to write this, or did he have some Frenchman help him write this scene? 

Je ne sais pas. 

I do not know.



Very clever Frenchie, How about this:  

Ou est mon treat?

Where is my treat?

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  Today’s Totally Random Lines   Oui, vraiment, sauf votre grace, ainsi dit-il.   Alice King Henry the Fifth            Act V, Sce...