I’ll tell him yet of Angelo’s request,

And fit his mind to death, for his souls rest.

 

-Isabella

Measure For Measure            Act II Scene iv, Line 186

What do we have here? That’s right, it’s a rhyming couplet. And what does that mean? Right again, it’s the last two lines of the scene. We should go through, sometime, and see just how many of Will’s scenes end with a rhyming couplet. Surely it can’t be all of them. But that’s a task for another day.

I had the opportunity this morning to listen to the scene, and that’s always a fun thing to do. When you’re just listening, and not watching, a scene it gives you the opportunity to follow the written text at the same time; one of the better ways to fully appreciate Will’s words. 

So, what of the words. This is the scene where Angelo tells Isabella that he will spare her brother Claudio’s life (Isabella’s brother is under arrest and sentenced to die for his crime: Angelo is the guy in charge) if she consents to have sex with him, Angelo. Isabella has decided that she’s going to tell Claudio what Angelo requested and that Claudio’s going to have to prepare to die.

This reminds me of a joke. These two fellows are out hiking and one gets bit in the butt by a rattlesnake. He starts to get faint, so the other guy gets on his cell phone and dials 911. They put a doctor on the line, and he tells the guy ‘you’re going to have to pull his pants down, make a small slice in his butt, and then suck out the blood and spit it out before the venom spreads. Otherwise it could be fatal.’ The fellow who’s been bit looks at him and says ‘what’d he say, what’d he say!’ The other guy looks back at him, ‘He says you’re gonna die.’

I guess we all have certain things we’re not gonna do, no matter what.

No pic today. Hey, I gave you a joke, isn't that enough?

 

You are amazed, my liege, at her exclaim:

Go in, and cheer the town: we’ll forth and fight;

Do deeds worth praise, and tell you them at night.

 

-Hector

Troilus and Cressida              Act V Scene iii, Line 91

Okay, here’s the deal. Hector is getting ready to go out and do battle with the Greeks. Everyone – his wife, his sister, his father, his mother – is trying to talk him out of it. They’ve all had bad dreams or premonitions that tell them Hector is going to die if he goes. Will he listen to them? Of course not: stubborn fool. Are they all justified in their pleas? Of course they are. Achilles is going to kill Hector and then famously drag his body around behind his chariot.

So, what’s the moral of the story? I’m not sure. Listen to your family’s advice? Don’t go fighting guys like Achilles? Don’t be stubborn and proud? I guess you can take your pick.

 

I don't have a pic of my wife and sister and mother and father all together. So this is a pic of the family I spend the most time with now: my son, my wife (aka Rafhiki) and...wait a minute, that guy's not part of my family. That's King, our guide. Well, anyway, I always listen to my family's advice. I may not always follow it, but I listen and consider. And what about King? I listened to him and did everything he told me. He was in charge, and he had the gun.

 

MESSALA

Believe it not so.

CASSIUS

I but believe it partly;

For I am fresh of spirit, and resolved

To meet all perils very constantly.

 

-Messala and Cassius

Julius Caesar                  Act V Scene i, Line 90

The army of Brutus and Cassius is about to face off against the army of Octavius Caesar and Marc Antony. In the lines previous to today’s Totally Random lines Cassius talks of seeing eagles the day previous but

        This morning are they fled away and gone;

And in their steads do ravens, crows, and kites,

Fly o’er our heads, and downward look on us,

As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem

A canopy most fatal, under which

Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.

In today’s lines Messala is saying not to believe this omen, and based on Cassius’s response it sounds like maybe he won’t. So that’s good. You can’t go letting a bunch of stupid birds determine your future for you. You’ve got to make your own way. Right? Atta boy, Cassius.

Though, speaking of birds – spoiler alert –, the omen is actually correct: Cassius’s goose is cooked (pun intended). This is a Shakespearean tragedy after all. You should have known it. 

This colorful little guy is a malachite kingfisher. What do you suppose Cassius would have done if he saw these guys circling? Perhaps he would've said, "What the heck are those malachite kingfishers doing here. We're not in southern Africa."

 

 

Alas, your too much love and care of me

Are heavy orisons ‘gainst this poor wretch!

 

-King Henry

King Henry the Fifth              Act II Scene ii, Line 52

Henry is talking to Scroop (I love that name), Cambridge, and Thomas Grey. They’re discussing the punishment for some anonymous henchman, this poor wretch, who apparently rail’d against the king. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but it sounds like he got drunk and was going off about Henry.

Henry says the guy just had too much wine, so let him go. These other three want him punished, because he needs to be made an example of for the sake of Henry’s safety, and that’s what Henry is responding to in today’s Totally Random line. Orisons in this context are pleas.

Of course, the funny part about this is that several lines down the king arrests all three of these guys for treason. When they appeal to him for mercy he answers

 

        The mercy that was quick in us but late,

        By your own counsel is suppress’d and kill’d:

        You must not dare, for shame, to talk of mercy;

 

What comes around goes around, eh?

These two coconuts kept comin' around and goin' around. Lord have mercy, that ride would have made me ill. 

 

That’s done sir; they have all stomachs.

 

-Launcelot Gobo

The Merchant of Venice         Act III Scene v, Line 48

Lorenzo just told Launcelot to go in and bid them prepare for supper. Today’s Totally Random line is Launcelot’s wise-ass reply. They’re all ready because all they need to be prepared for supper is to have a stomach, and they have all stomachs.

Comedy.

And speaking of stomachs...

A pretty unflattering picture of your favourite blogger, I'll grant you that; but it gives you a pretty good picture of the stomach I'm dealing with. Good news? You bet. The starting point was 248.2 lbs about six few weeks back. Today I broke into the 230's for the first time with 239.8 lbs. Still got a long way to go, but I'm happy with the progress. Steady as she goes Cap'n!

 

And thrice cried, ‘Courage, father! Fight it out!’

 

-Duke of York

King Henry the Sixth Part III         Act I Scene iv, Line 10

I think I’ll not spend any time with context today and, since the line mentions ‘father’ and today is Father’s Day, just take the line in general and talk about it. And yes, today's line is Totally Random, believe or not. 

The Duke is talking about the encouragement he’s received from his sons, or maybe in this case, one son. So I'm going to reflect on the sons I've received encouragement from. But of course I also receive a tremendous amount of encouragement from my daughters. I’m a very lucky guy. I have two wonderful daughters, one fabulous son, and three tremendous stepsons. Oh and let’s not forget about those two stupendous sons-in-law, two fantastic daughters-in-law and that outstanding godson. And holy crow, there's the newcomers: an amazing granddaughter and two unbelievable grandsons (have I left anyone out?) 

Jeez, so much encouragement. How could I possibly not fight it out?

Okay, I know you're thinking, 'wait a minute Pete, who this?' You were probably expecting a pic of one, or all, of the coconuts I mentioned above. That's understandable. But I got to thinking about it, and thinking about where I got my encouragement before I was a father. See that guy in the back there (I know, hard to look past the stylin' shirt I'm rocking)? He's my big brother, and he was giving me encouragement when my dad was alive and has continued to be like a second dad to me since dad died. So I wanted to give a shout out to this guy on father's day. Happy Fathers Day Big Guy! (he doesn't like being called Big Guy, but don't worry, he doesn't read this blog)

 

 

You are as fond of grief as of your child.

 

-King Philip

King John                       Act III Scene iv, Line 92

I’m not sure where to begin, but I’m afraid I’m going to rattle on a bit today, because today’s Totally Random line leads into one of my favourite passages in all of Will’s works. I wrote at length on this passage once previously, about five years ago, and here’s that blog, if you’re interested Totally Random Daily Shakespeare . Today I want to throw a slightly different angle at you.

Almost thirty years ago the wonderful American author Toni Morrison gave remarks upon the acceptance of her Nobel Prize in Literature. I’ve read a copy of those remarks several times, and I think it’s a really extraordinary composition on language. One of points (if not the main point) that she makes is about the ‘…recognition that language can never live up to life once and for all. Nor should it. Language can never “pin down” slavery, genocide, war. Nor should it yearn for the arrogance to do so. Its force, its felicity is in its reach toward the ineffable.’

I read this for the first time a number of years ago, and it’s really stuck with me. At the time, I had to think ‘of course that’s right’. But on the other hand, without it being stated, the obviousness of it might never have been apparent to me. But it is now, and it gives me pause.

The best writers are those who allow us to visit places or experience situations that we would otherwise not be able to. And yet, we know, or should know, that it’s only a semblance, not the real thing. I think of this specifically when I read or hear Constance’s response to King Philip, speaking of the child she has lost. 

        Grief fills up the room of my absent child,

        Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me,

        Remembers me of all his gracious parts,

        Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form;

        Then have I reason to be fond of grief!

 

I think to myself, ‘I know full well that I do not actually know how Constance feels, having never experienced this type of loss. But I believe her words, Will’s words, bring me oh so close to that feeling.’

Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form; Where, or how, on earth did Will come up with this?

 

And I guess that’s all I’ve got to say about that.