Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man’s heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say, ‘Let him roar again, let him roar again.’

 

Bottom

A Midsummer Night’s Dream  Act I, Scene ii, Line 66

I’m still not crazy about this play, but it’s starting to grow on me a little, and definitely my favorite part of it is the worker guys practicing and performing the play within the play. Today’s Line is near the beginning of the play where Peter Quince is assigning parts to everyone. Bottom, of course, wants all the parts. He’s pretty funny. 

Bottom is a good part in this play. If I was going to be in A Midsummer Night’s Dream I think I would want to play the part of Bottom. 

Look at me: eight lines in Twelfth Night and now I’m talking like an actor. Oh my.

Did somebody down there say something about a lion? 

I could play a lion.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

I’ll be at charges for a looking-glass;

And entertain a score or two of tailors

To study fashions to adorn my body:

Since I am crept in favor with myself,

I will maintain it with some little cost.

 

Duke of Gloster (Richard III)

King Richard the Third       Act I, Scene ii, Line 258

Richard (at this point he’s not the king yet, so he’s the Duke of Gloster) has just successfully wooed Lady Anne, whose husband Richard killed in the battle at Tewksbury. Yes, somehow or another he wins her over: Go figure. She then leaves, and Richard is left alone to congratulate himself on how clever he is.

He talks about the feat of getting her to agree to be his wife, and he then concludes that she must see him as something better than he sees himself. From the beginning of the play, he has referred to himself as misshapen and beggarly,

Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;

but here he concludes that this will no longer be the case.

Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot,

Myself to be a marvelous proper man.

I’ll be at charges for a looking-glass;

And entertain …

That’s right, he decides that he’s as good, and as good looking, as the next guy; if not better. I suppose winning the heart of a woman can do that to a guy?

Of course not, Mojo. Why on earth would I, or anyone else, ever refer to you as 'misshapen or beggarly'? For goodness sakes, you are as fine a looking specimen as ever walked on two, or four, feet; furry though those feet are. 

And yes, that shaved-shins look is fabulous. It almost looks like you're wearing capris; very European indeed! 

You didn't use my razor, did you?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Well, go to, go to.

Paris

Troilus and Cressida      Act II, Scene i, Line 96

Oh my. I chuckled to myself as I read that. I’d been sitting here this morning, drinking my morning coffee, waiting for my morning coffee to do its job of waking me up, and feeling  a bit down: sleepy or down? Or maybe a bit of both. Hard to say sometimes. Anyway, I decided to do a Daily Random Line. For two reasons: one is that I like doing Lines and it’s easy to do Lines (that’s one reason), and two is that so, so many times the Daily Line gives me something relevant to my day. Today is no exception. Well, go to, go to. It’s just five words; five short and completely understandable words. There’s no early modern English issues here; no need to translate anything (I really hate the use of the word translate when we’re talking about Will’s stuff; I’m using it sarcastically here). And the fact that it’s repeated, go to, go to, is perfect. It needs to be emphasized. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or down, then just get at it. Get started. Do something! Go to, go to!

Going to is so often precisely my problem. I seem to be almost always (yes, almost) inclined to not go to. I’ve really no idea about the context of this line. It would seem that Paris is telling someone to go ahead and do something. Who he is telling, and what they are going to do, well, who knows. No, literally, who knows; but I don’t. And I don’t need to know. But there's no doubt about the fact that now and almost always I just need to GO TO!

I'm ready to GO TO, Mr. Blagys

 Go to where, Mojo?

I don't know. But I'm ready.

I can always count on you, can't I, Mojo.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Now, how  dost thou look now? O ill-starr’d wench!

Pale as thy smock! When we shall meet at compt,

This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,

And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl!

Even like thy chastity.

 

Othello

Othello                 Act V, Scene ii, Line 275

First off, the word compt at the end of the second line refers to reckoning, or the day of judgement. I know, it seems like an odd little word to have that meaning, but it’s what my on-line Shakespeare glossary says, and it makes sense.

So, what we have here is Othello, alone with the dead body of Desdemona. He killed her earlier in this scene and shortly after he did, he was brought to the realization by Iago’s wife Emilia that Desdemona had been faithful to him. Iago then killed Emilia and ran off. Now Othello is left alone to think about what he did.

In Today’s Lines he’s talking to the dead body of his wife. This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, and fiends will snatch at it. That’s a great line that creates a vivid image of him falling. I can picture the fiends grabbing at him. I can’t quite decide, though, what the look on her face is that causes his fall. Is it some sort of look of contempt. No, now that I think about it, it’s probably the look of complete innocence, and the look that her dead face is now showing. Othello (or should I say Will) does not attempt to describe that look, does he? How dost thou look now? O ill-starr’d wench! Pale as thy smock! That’s all he gives us. She’s ill-starr’d and she’s pale. Ill-starr’d is just saying that she’s unlucky, but that doesn’t really give us an idea of how she dost look now. I guess it’s just the look of innocence on a dead face, but I suppose you’ll have to decide that for yourself, won’t you.

I wanted to find a look on a face that might represent Desdemona's,  but I decided that was a lost cause. 

So I'm giving you this picture of Antonio and his arresting officer: a couple of good looks that fall somewhere between a snarl and a sneer.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

What storm is this that blows so contrary?

Is Romeo slaughter’d, and is Tybalt dead?

My dear-loved cousin, and my dearer lord?-

Then, dreadful trumpet, sound the general doom!

For who is living if those two are gone.

 

Juliet

Romeo and Juliet       Act III, Scene ii, Line 65

Romeo has killed Juliet’s cousin Tybalt in a fight and has consequently been banished. This is what Nurse has come to tell Juliet, but it’s going to take her a while to get the full message out. At the point that she’s speaking Today’s Lines, Juliet thinks that both of the guys are dead. This will be clarified momentarily, but Romeo’s banishment does not make her much happier than the thought of his death, and she’ll go on for another half page of moaning.

Funnily (at least I found it a little funny), a few lines up when Nurse is talking about Romeo she says O Romeo, Romeo. Whilst it’s not Romeo, O Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo, it’s still close enough to Juliet’s famous words to give pause. At least, it was enough to give me pause; I don’t know about you. But let’s face it, there are lots of things that give me pause.

Well, what on earth is giving me pause here?

Oh, that's right; it was these shoes that I saw when I was out and about yesterday. Thems is some stylin' wheels, eh? In fact, it looks like something that Romeo might wear!

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

That Julius Caesar was a famous man;

With what his valour did enrich his wit,

His wit set down to make his valour live:

Death makes no conquest of this conqueror;

For now he lives in fame, though not in life.

 

Prince

King Richard the Third     Act III, Scene i, Line 86

Richard has suggested that the prince reside in the Tower of London until his coronation, and so begins a discussion of the tower and Julius Caesar who, ostensibly, began the construction of it. Of course, at this point the prince, who is just a boy, has no inkling of Richard’s plans to eliminate him. The prince’s mother, on the other hand, has lots of inkling, and has taken herself and the prince’s brother into sanctuary somewhere outside London. It’s an interesting scene. Will paints a picture of an evil man who was able to fool a lot of people, not just young princes. It might be considered a cautionary tale. You should read it. Here, I’ll make it easy on you.

 

Richard the Third (Modern) :: Internet Shakespeare Editions

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Now is my turn to speak. Behold this child,--

[Pointing to the CHILD in the

arms of an ATTENDANT]

Of this was Tamora delivered;

The issue of an irreligious Moor,

Chief architect and plotter of these woes:

The villain is alive in Titus’s house,

Damn’d as he is, to witness this is true.

 

Marcus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus             Act V, Scene iii, Line 121

Well, it’s a fairly long sentence, that’s for sure; nothing new about that. This is from the last page of the play. It’s line 159 with this final scene ending on line 204.

They decide that Titus’s son (Marcus’s nephew) Lucius will be the new emperor. Pretty much everyone else who wasn’t already dead got killed earlier in this scene: Titus, Saturninus, Tamora, Lavinia…who did I miss? They will also decide, momentarily, to bury Aaron up to his neck so that he can starve, and to throw Tamora’s body to the carrion fowl. And then the play ends with a rhyming couplet,

Then, afterwards, to order well the state,

That like events may ne’er it ruinate.

Try as I might to not think about (and I do try very hard), these last two lines got me to considering our current political situation. Do you think we’ll ever get to the end of this nightmare that our state now endures? And if we do, will we put in place safeguards That like events may ne’er it ruinate?

God, I hope so.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

I write good creature; wheresoe’er she is,

Her heart weighs sadly: this young maid might do  her

A shrewd turn, if she pleased.

 

How do you mean?

Widow/Helena

All’s Well That Ends Well      Act III, Scene v, Line 69

The first three and a half lines are the Widow’s and the last half line is Helena’s. They’re talking about Helena’s predicament with Bertram, though the widow doesn’t realize that it’s Helena she is speaking with. As such, she’s being blunt, forthright, straight, and plain-spoken, because she has no reason to be otherwise. In other words, she’s being round with Helena.

I hope you realize the I used yesterday’s word today.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Pray you, be round with him.

Polonius

Hamlet                       Act III, Scene iv, Line 5

Blunt, forthright, straight, and plain-spoken: those are the meanings given for round in my on-line Shakespeare Glossary. This is Polonius talking to Gertrude. She’s called Hamlet to her room to question him about his odd behavior, and Polonius is about to hide behind the curtain to listen in on the conversation. But first he’s got to give Gertrude some advice, of course. I say of course because giving advice is Polonius’s main occupation.

Sometimes I feel like I’m married to Polonius, because I’m constantly getting advice on what to do and how to do it, especially when I’m driving. Oh well.

It's a good thing I don't do that to you, isn't  it, Mr. Blagys. 

Now, can you come over here and sit with me and rub my belly?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Base slave, thy words are blunt, and so art thou.

Duke of Suffolk

King Henry the Sixth Part II     Act IV, Scene i, Line 69

 

Today is Labor Day, 2026, and since that is a celebration of the worker, I think that I will take off on the word slave in Today’s Line. After all, who is a harder worker than a slave?

Nowadays, here in the United States, in the world of 2026, the word slave has been under attack. I use the phrase under attack very purposefully. Words are important, and the proper use of words is important. In the case of the word slave, this word has been used historically to refer to pretty much any human being who has been enslaved by another human being. By enslaved, we mean that they have been subjugated and controlled by another human being and forced to do whatever this subjugator wanted them too. This has usually meant work, and lots of it. By historically, I mean to say the word slave has been used to refer to enslaved people for thousands of years.

Now, sometime in recent years, someone decided that the word slave was demeaning. Well, it is. They decided that slaves were people and should be recognized as such, and so they decreed that it would be good if we referred to them as enslaved people. In fact, they decided that it was so important that we do this, that we should not ever use the word slave; we should use the words enslaved person.

So, what do we gain by this. Well, on the one hand we give the folks in this country who are the descendants of slaves/enslaved people some consideration, or so they say (I am reminded of the time several years ago when I asked my daughter-in-law, who was born and bred in China if she found the word Oriental offensive; she asked me what I was talking about). On another hand we give many people, like myself, pause: the pause that comes when we stop to think about something to try to figure out what it means, and if it makes sense or not. Finally, on another hand we give some folks on the far-right of the political spectrum more fodder for their rants against the woke left, and that's the last thing they need.

Make no mistake, replacing the word slave with the words enslaved person is well intentioned. I can understand and sympathize with the intent. I think, though, that when we go so far as to trying to eradicate the word slave, and by extension the word master, well, I’m not sure we’re doing much good. If in conversation I say “I’ve always been a slave to my emotions”, do I need to be apologetic? If I refer to my bedroom as the master bedroom, am I wrong?

I don’t think I ever said to an apparent descendant of an American slave or ex-slave, “Hey Michelle, were your descendants slaves?” Why would I ever say that? Conversely, if for whatever strange reason I were to bring it up to Michelle, I probably would use the words enslaved people. But by the same token, I am not going to be eradicating any words from my vocabulary any time soon.

Well, I guess this has become a rant, and that’s the last thing I wanted it to be. I think I simply wanted to say that that sometimes when we attempt to show consideration for people by policing our language, we end up weaponizing that language more. And that’s not a good thing.

Yeah, I think that’s all I wanted to say; that, and Happy Labor Day.

Speaking of eradicating words: I'm pretty sure this guy eradicated the word labor from his vocabulary a long time ago (as if it was ever there to begin with). 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

ACT I.     SCENE I. 

A ship at sea: a tempestuous noise of thunder and                                         lightning heard.

Enter a SHIP-MASTER and a BOATSWAIN.

 

SHIP-MASTER

BOATSWAIN!

 

This is a little bit different setup for this morning’s post since it’s the first line of The Tempest. Well, it’s not just the first line of speech, it’s the first lines at the beginning of the script. We know it’s the beginning by noting that it’s the first scene of the first act, and it then tells us what’s going on before the Ship-master gives us the first actual spoken line of the play: BOATSWAIN! Yes, it’s all in caps.

We have to wonder just how they managed to stage the ship at sea, and the tempestuous noise of thunder and lightning, but apparently they did. This is not one of those things that took place off-stage and was then related to the audience by one of the actors. This is a ship, at sea, in a storm, on the stage, in the year 1610, or thereabouts. Interesting to think about, isn’t it?

Here is a pic of the relatively calm South Pacific Ocean a few hundred miles south of New Zealand, from a ship, in the sea. No tempestuous noise of lightning and thunder on this trip. Thank God!

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

                                 I will hear that play;

For never anything can be amiss,

When simpleness and duty tender it.

 

Theseus

A Midsummer Night’s Dream  Act V, Scene i, Line 35

 

Well, do we think that this is a truism?

For never anything can be amiss,

When simpleness and duty tender it?

My online Shakespeare glossary doesn’t have anything unusual for the word tender: it just means look after, or care for. Simpleness and duty; that’s all you need. Interesting. Simpleness and duty. Nowadays we would probably use the word simplicity; but it’s all the same.

To add a little context, Thesus is reacting to being told that a play has been prepared for him by

Hard-handed men, that work in Athens here,

Which never labour’d in their minds till now;

And now have toil’d their unbreathed memories

With this same play…

Well this is interesting too, isn’t it? They’ve never before labour’d in their minds (that squares with the simpleness), but now have toil’d their unbreathed memories. Again, toil’d their unbreathed memories? I gotta think about that one. Never labour’d in their minds is easy, but toil’d their unbreathed memories? That’s one of the things I love about Will: sometimes he comes up with this stuff that I really have to think about.

Toil’d their unbreathed memories. They’ve used memories that they’ve never used, or had, before? Does that make sense? If so, what is he saying. Okay, this just got more interesting. He’s talking about laborers, bricklayers and the such (there’s the duty part) who will be putting on this play. These are guys who’ve never acted before; like me.

That’s right, this past weekend I was part of the production Twelfth Night presented here in Cheshire. I’d never acted in a play before (there are those who would argue that I still haven’t acted, but we’ll leave that alone for now). So, did I use memories that I never used before? Maybe? Utilized memories that I’ve never used before. Hmmm. I might have to spend the day thinking about this. Or perhaps I could get my new group of friends in the Cheshire Town Players to respond to this. Perhaps it means something to them.

Toil’d their unbreathed memories.

Anyone?

You know what they say: 

"If you didn't get a picture, it didn't happen." 

Well, here's the picture: It's me presenting my prisoner, Antonio the noble pirate (with no sea cap on his head), to Duke Orsino and Cesario/Viola.

So, am I toiling my unbreathed memories? You tell me.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer:

Th’Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral,

With all their sixty, fly and turn rudder:

To see’t mine eyes are blasted

Domitius Enobarbus

Antony and Cleopatra           Act III, Scene x, Line 1

There are a lot of battles in this play, many (if not most) of them are sea battles. Whilst Christopher Nolan, if he were to take on this story, could stage (well, not on a stage, but on a screen) all the battles in all their glory, sixteenth century theater production companies could not. The alternative is to have people talk about and describe the battles. And that’s what we have here.

Need I say more?

Speaking of battles, it's always a bit of a battle grooming this guy; and he manages to ham it up quite well. You'd think he was having his ear cut off, or perhaps that he were having his eyes blasted by seeing 

Th'Antonoid, the Egyptian admiral,

With all their sixty, fly and turn rudder: 

Trust me: neither of these is the case. 

This guy definitely belongs in pictures.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

God grant that some, less noble and less loyal,

Nearer in bloody thoughts, but not in blood,

Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,

And yet go current from suspicion!

Duke of Gloster 

King Richard the Third     Act II, Scene i, Line 94

For starters, Duke of Gloster is Richard III; he just hasn’t become king yet. And we all know that, in this play, Richard is the bad guy.

So, what the heck is he saying? Well, there are no difficult or outdated words in the four lines. Perhaps a bit of context will help.

Richard is the brother of King Edward. Clarence, another brother, has been arrested under suspicion of treason and sent to the Tower of London to await execution. Edward reconsidered and reversed the order, but before Clarence could be released, Richard saw to it that he was murdered in the tower. Now everyone is just finding out that Clarence is dead, and they are sort of looking at Richard.

King

Is Clarence dead? The order was reversed.

Richard/Duke of Gloster

But he, poor soul, by your order first died,

And that a winged Mercury did bear;

Some tardy cripple bore the countermand,

That came too lag to see him buried.

God grant that some, less noble and less loyal,

Nearer in bloody thoughts, but not in blood,

Deserve not worse than wretched Clarence did,

And yet go current from suspicion!

If I’m not mistaken, in the first four lines Richard is saying that he, a tardy cripple, was too late bearing the countermand and that Clarence was already dead when he got there (not true). So then, what is he saying in the next four lines.

Okay, I think I got it. Try this:

God knows that there are some who are not as good a man as Clarence, and who deserve death, and yet we don’t even realize who these baddies are.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s it, though I’m not sure who Richard is referring to. Maybe he’s just floating this idea out there to make it easier to throw suspicion on the next guy that he wants to get killed.

Okay, Shakespeare understood for today. Go in peace.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Nor more willingly leaves winter; such summer-birds are men.

Timon 

Timon of Athens     Act III, Scene vi, Line 30

 

Timon is speaking this as an aside, in other words to himself. Let’s give you the whole exchange.

Timon

And how fare you?

Second Lord

The swallow follows not the summer more willing than we your lordship.

Timon (speaking to himself)

Nor more willingly leaves winter; such summer-birds are men.

This scene is taking place after Timon realizes that his friends are no friends at all. He’s fallen on tough times and every one of his friends has refused to help him. So he has invited them all to dinner where he’s going to tell them all off whilst serving them a bowl of warm water for dinner. They, of course, don’t know that yet, and Timon is pretending to still be the same old welcoming Timon.

So what does Timon’s comment mean? It’s not too hard.

Second Lord

We follow you like the swallows follow summer.

Timon

You also leave winter quickly, like a summer-bird.

I believe he’s using winter to mean tough times. In other words, you guys are fair-weather friends; not to be counted on in tough times.

I think it’s as simple as that.

And here is the polar opposite of fair weather friends:

Two of my favorite people in the world that I could count on ever and always.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Be opposite all planets of good luck

To my proceeding! if, with pure heart’s love,

Immaculate devotion, holy thoughts,

I tender not thy beauteous princely daughter!

 

King Richard

King Richard the Third  Act IV, Scene iv, Line 405

 

Richard is talking to Elizabeth about her daughter, and trying to convince her how noble his intentions are. He wants to marry her daughter, and he’s trying to talk Elizabeth into helping him woo her. Only problem: he’s already killed Elizabeth’s husband and two young sons. Oh, is that all?

Shakespeare’s Richard is a really rotten dude. How historically accurate this picture is, might be questioned, but nonetheless, the fellow in this play is the pits: a ratfink extraordinaire. He’s responsible for the death of the woman’s husbands and sons, and now he wants to marry her daughter. Does the sheer absence of empathy, and overwhelming presence of gall remind you of anyone?

Hmmmm… I could swear there’s someone this reminds me of.. who could it be?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

But which are the offenders that are to be examined? Let them come before master constable.

 

Sexton

Much Ado About Nothing    Act IV, Scene ii, Line 7

 

Sexton doesn’t have a name; he’s just sexton. So, we know that he’s someone that works at the church. Sort of like the guy I’m playing in Twelfth Night. I’m just an officer; no name. So, you know that I’m a member of the police force. And I guess that’s all you really need to know.

But here’s something you didn't know. Today is August Fourth. I started blogging this blog on August 1, 2016. Yes, ten years ago. I am now four days into year number eleven of doing this blog. This is blog post number 1,511. It’s personal post number 3,115. You see, I write my posts in Word before copying them to my blog. Often, about half the time, my Word post, for one reason or another, does not make it to my online blog. Obviously I miss days, for many reasons, but I’ve average almost six days a week writing about Will’s works in my personal log, and almost three days a week average of posting to this online blog. That’s not bad. Or maybe it represents a colossal waste of time? Who knows. Sometimes I like to think of this blog as my personal Watts Towers. You’re not familiar with the Watts Towers? I’m going to let you google that one.

Meantime, You can call me Sabato, and I’ll just keep blogging.

 

Okay, I’ll make it easy on you.

Watts Towers - Wikipedia

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.

Benedick

Much Ado About Nothing         Act I, Scene i, Line 130

Chatterer, blabber, or empty talker: that’s what my Shakespeare glossary says parrot-teacher means. So, I guess this parrot-teacher word belongs in one of those Shakespeare Insults lists.

I never liked those lists. With all the fabulous writing that Will did, why on earth would we want to concentrate on some silly insult words? It’s an absolute travesty; nothing short of a travesty. 

And just so you know, yes, Benedick is addressing Beatrice with this line. Did you have any doubts about that?

I ran into this whilst surfing the web. It's Ian Flemings daily schedule; I would love to have this schedule. I wonder what a pink gin is, and what kind of powerful drinks he had at 5pm. I generally have a beer around 5pm, but that's neither here nor there. 

Now I'm just rambling, so I suppose you could call me a parrot-teacher!

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

For I have given here my soul’s consent

T’undeck the pompous body of a king;

 

Richard

King Richard the Second  Act IV, Scene i, Line 249

 

I didn’t want to overpower you with too many lines, but this is a pretty good speech by Richard. He’s been overthrown by Bolingbroke who’s going to unthrone him to become Henry IV. Now Richard has been brought out to tell everyone that he’s surrendering his crown to Bolingbroke.

Mine eyes are full of tears, I cannot see:

And yet salt water blinds them not so much

But they can see a sort of traitors here.

Nay, if I turn mine eyes upon myself,

I find myself a traitor with the rest;

For I have given here my soul’s consent

T’undeck the pompous body of a king;

Made glory base, and sovereignty a slave,

Proud majesty a subject, state a peasant.

There, that’s the whole thing. He’s giving up everything to Bolingbroke, and he’ not too happy about it.

I think the two lines that are Today’s Totally Random Lines may be the best of the bunch.

For I have given here my soul’s consent

T’undeck the pompous body of a king;

Though the next two lines aren’t bad either,

Made glory base, and sovereignty a slave,

Proud majesty a subject, state a peasant.

I guess he’s decided that he’s pretty much screwed it all up. Perhaps he has.

That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it, Mr. Blagys?

Well Mojo, I guess that's a matter of opinion, isn't it?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

O Helicanus, strike me, honour’d sir;

Give me a gash, put me to present pain;

Lest this great sea of joys rushing upon me

O’erbear the shores of my mortality,

And drown me with their sweetness.

  

Pericles

Pericles               Act V, Scene i, Line 193

These five lines can be summed up with four words: pinch me, I’m dreaming.

Pericles has just come to the realization that the young woman he is talking to is his daughter, who he thought was dead. He tells his friend Helicanus to hit him; not because he thinks he might be dreaming, but because if he doesn’t get some pain right now, he might die of happiness. 

Well, not exactly the same as “pinch me I'm dreaming,” but the same idea. Will takes three lines to say “Lest I die of happiness.” Here’s where he proves himself the Poet Playwright.

Lest this great sea of joys rushing upon me

O’erbear the shores of my mortality,

And drown me with their sweetness.

Well, actually, the meter’s a bit questionable here, but oh well.

Forget about the meter, Mr. Blagys; 

just keep scratching.