More can
I bear than you dare execute.
-Duke of Suffolk
King Henry VI Part II Act
IV, scene i Line 130
Great line! Okay, I’m not going to do any contextualizing or
real analysis of this one. I’m just going to sit back and enjoy it.
More can I bear than you can execute. My goodness. Them’s
fightin’ words! I don’t know who the Duke of Suffolk is or who he’s talking to,
but he’s clearly not afraid of whoever it is. More can I bear! You can’t do
nothin’ to me buddy! I guess it could also be used for one of those guys who
think they’re the tough guy and don’t realize that the guy they’re talking to
is gonna kick their butt. Yeah, it could be that. But I’d rather think of it
being said by the guy who really is the tough guy. Or just the guy who’s not
afraid and can’t be intimidated; the old fashioned hero like Rambo, or the Rock,
or somebody like that.
So it’s a really good line today. One that I guess you can
use. It’s got just enough juxtaposition of wording to make it a little
confusing if the person you say it to isn’t used to this type of language (or just plain not that bright). And
that might be a good thing if the person you say it to is about ready to kick
your butt and they’re a lot bigger than you. It might freeze them in confusion
just long enough for you to get away (in which case this probably isn’t the
line for you anyway). On the other hand if you really are not afraid of what
the other person can do then it’s a fabulous line. In fact, it’s made me want
to see what the Duke of Suffolk is talking about and to whom he’s saying it. So
I’ll be looking at that today, but just for fun. Meantime I’ll just be enjoying
the line for what it is; a bit of Hollywood bravado.
Okay, little bit of a postscript here. I did a little
reading of the part that leads up to this line and it appears that the Duke of
Suffolk is saying this right before he gets led away to be executed. So I guess
that changes the meaning of the line in this context a little, but then again,
not all that much. I think this Duke is still pretty bad ass.
