Look, the unfolding star calls up the shepherd. Put not yourself into amazement how these things should be: all difficulties are easy when they are known.

-Duke

Measure For Measure                        Act IV scene ii line 196

Okay, we have a good one today. I guess this line takes a little bit of explaining, but once done I hope that you will agree with me that it’s a fabulous line and quite quotable/usable.

First, the context: The Duke, disguised as a friar, is giving instructions to the Provost regarding Claudio. These instructions go against what Angelo (the guy that the Duke left in charge) has told the Provost to do. The Duke is telling the Provost about what’s going to be happening in the next few days. He, the Duke, knows because he’s the one calling the shots behind the scenes. And the Provost is getting a bit befuddled by all this. The lines above are said to the Provost to settle him down.

Next, a little help with the meaning: the unfolding star is the morning star that appears and lets the shepherd know that morning is imminent so that he can let the sheep out of the fold. He has gathered them close together for safety for the night, and now they can begin to wander about again to graze or do whatever sheep do. So the star that he sees is the unfolding (letting them out of the fold) star. If you need help imagining that, take a look at this illustration of this line.

https://shakespeareillustration.org/2016/06/28/look-the-unfolding-star-calls-up-the-shepherd/

So the Duke is telling the provost, Listen, don’t be amazed. The shepherd has a star for an alarm clock, and we don’t understand how that works. So just accept that it is what it is.

Now read the lines again.

Makes sense? I think it does. And it’s a great line; great to be used anytime you’re trying to tell someone not to worry because, well, it is what it is. In fact, you can get away with just the first line about the shepherd and the unfolding star. It’s saying ‘it is what it is’ but with style and beauty; because, of course, it’s Shakespeare.

This is me and the girls at the ruins of some ancient Roman baths in Paris. Nina had just finished saying that she wondered how it was possible that something built so long ago was still here. Naturally, I seized on the opportunity and replied, "Look, the unfolding star calls up the shepherd." In retrospect, I'm not quite sure they understood what I was saying. What do you think?

What a Herod of Jewry is this!--O wicked, wicked world!--One that is well-nigh worn to pieces with age to show himself a young gallant! What an unweigh’d behaviour hath this Flemish drunkard pick’d--with the devil’s name--out of my conversation, that he dares in this manner assay me? Why, he hath not been thrice in my company!--What should I say to him?--I was then frugal of my mirth:--Heaven forgive me!--Why I’ll exhibit a bill in the parliament for the putting-down of fat men. How shall I be revenged on him? For revenged I will be, as sure as his guts are made of pudding.


-Mistress Page



The Merry Wives Of Windsor                 Act II scene i, line 29



This is Mistress Page's tirade about Sir John. She's a married woman and she's just finished reading a love letter from Sir John.  A bill for the putting-down of fat men. Wow!

Okay, this is a comedy and it was written as a vehicle for the character of John Falstaff. Sir John made his first appearance in King Henry The Fourth Part I, a history play. He provided quite a bit of comic relief in that play and its sequel so that Will brought him back in a play that was purely comedy. And here is one of his foils in this play, Mistress Page- one of the titular merry wives, going on about Falstaff’s shortcomings. I didn’t know where to break in or cut off so I gave you the whole bit that she goes into directly after reading Sir John's letter. Thoughts?

This one looks like she could exhibit a bill in the parliament of the putting-down of fat men, doesn't she? I'm not sure, but I think she's my great-grandmother.

Folly in fools bears not so strong a note

As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote;

Since all the power thereof it doth apply

To prove, by wit, worth in simplicity.

-Maria

Love’s Labour’s Lost                          Act V scene ii, line 78

I think I’ve got it. The first two lines are easy; the second two a little tougher: Folly seen in fools does not strike us as anything significant, but folly in wise men, when they’re not using the brains that they have, is significant. Further, seeing the folly in wise men reminds us that there’s something to be said for the simplicity of the fool, who’s not wasting any wisdom. Sort version: Dummies acting stupid is ok, but smart folk acting stupid isn’t.

And the light bulb just went on. My God, I cannot believe how relevant Will is!

Okay, I searched high and low, but I could not find a relevant picture. I was going to get into the issue of smart and dumb people getting behind really, really bad leaders and/or ideas, and the fact that it's easy to understand the dumb ones doing that and hard to understand the smart ones. But I couldn't find anything, so you'll just have to settle for this picture of an apple pie. It looks really good though, doesnt' it?

If he could right himself with quarreling,

Some of us would lie low.

-Antonio

Much Ado About Nothing                 Act V scene i, line 51

This one’s a little tough; short but tough. I believe ‘lie low’ can be understood as ‘be killed’. But what about ‘right himself with quarreling’. I don’t think there’s any hidden meaning in those words, but I’m guessing it would help to have a little bit of context. Which I don’t have.

Okay, I did a little reading, and I think I’ve got it. Ready? Pay attention now; context is everything on this one: Leonato and Antonio, who are brothers, are talking about Leonato’s grief over the death of his daughter, Hero (yes, funny name for a girl, and spoiler alert, she’s not really dead). Antonio advises Leonato to take some of his grief out on the people responsible for her death, of whom Claudio and Don Pedro are two. Just then Claudio and Don Pedro show up and Leonato tries to talk to them but they say they’re too busy to talk right now. Leonato gets testy, and Don Pedro says ‘don’t quarrel old man’, to which Leonato’s brother Antonio replies with today’s Totally Random line. There! It makes perfect sense. ‘If my brother, Leonato, could make himself feel better by quarreling, then someone here (like you Don Pedro, and your buddy Claudio) might just end up dead.’ That’s my re-write of today’s line. Got it? Perfect sense. Context!

 Do you know who lies low here? That's right, this is on the grounds of the Hermitage outside Nashville, Tennessee and it's Andrew Jackson. If you zoom in on that black plaque you can see his name. In this case though, 'lying low' refers to a resting place, not getting killed. But I guess the two meanings are related.