Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

       

 And bid them bring the trumpets to the gate.

 

-Duke

Measure For Measure      Act IV, Scene v, Line 9

 

And why do we need trumpets? For a birthday celebration, of course!

We're celebrating the second birthday of the prettiest and smartest little girl I know. 

Happy Birthday Priscilla!

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

                 

What, art thou faln? – What subtle hole is this,

Whose mouth is cover’d with rude-growing briers,

Upon whose leaves are drops of new-shed blood

As fresh as morning dew distill’d on flowers?

 

-Quintus

Titus Andronicus         Act II, Scene vi, Line 199

 

Yes, Quintus, your brother has faln (fallen) into a hole. And in a moment you will too. Then Aaron will lead Saturninus to you both, sitting in a hole with his murdered brother, Bassianus. To be sure, that Aaron is a clever fellow.

But forget about Aaron. Let's look at and appreciate the language here for a moment. The hole is subtle, the briers are rude-growing, and the dew is distill'd on flowers. Even in this early work of Will's, it is quite obvious that he's not just a dramatist, but rather a poet-dramatist. He just can't help but show it. 

What must it have been like to speak with this guy, or rather to listen to this guy speak. I can’t help but wonder if he thought in this type of language and what came out of his mouth in his every-day speech. This guy, Will Shakespeare, clearly walked alone.

No pic today, just words.

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

               

I perceive, sir, by our general’s looks, we shall be fain to hang you.

 

-First Soldier

All’s Well That Ends Well        Act IV, Scene iii, Line 239

Pleased, willing, with pleasure: that’s fain according to the modern dictionary. Since my iphone is on the fritz (I’m afraid it may have bricked out) I can’t go to my app and see what it says is the 1600’s definition, but I’m pretty sure it’s along the same lines. No, wait; it’s obliged, forced, or compelled. That’s what my app says. The phone is okay after all. It was pilot error. Don’t ask.

Now here’s a random, ironic coincidence. I was just reading an interview with the CIA guy who spent months interrogating Saddam Hussein. He was asked how he felt about the final outcome of Saddam being hanged. The CIA guy said he had mixed feelings. On the one hand, justice was served. On the other hand, the guys who actually performed the execution were mocking Saddam and laughing at him, clearly happy to be hanging him. And the CIA guy felt this took away from the justice of it and made it appear to be more of a revenge killing.

So, those executioners were fain to hang Saddam, and by that I mean pleased, willing, and with pleasure, as opposed to obliged, forced or compelled.

What do you think of that?

Opinion: FBI agent says Saddam Hussein knew two things about him in seconds | CNN

I couldn't think of any good pic to go with this, so there's a link to the interview with the CIA guy, in case you're interested.

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

 

These should be the hours for necessities,

Not for delights; times to repair our nature

With comforting repose, and not for us

To waste these times.

 

-Gardiner, bishop of Winchester

King Henry the Eighth         Act V, Scene i, Line 4

 

It’s one o’clock in the morning, and the bishop is walking through the halls of the palace with his page. He’s about to run into Sir Thomas Lovell with whom he’ll have a conversation about the king and queen.

Since this is a drama, not a novel, we never get an explanation as to why the bishop is up and about at one in the morning. By his own words, he should be repairing his nature with comforting repose.

You know, comforting repose is so important, and it really does repair our nature. I think a lot of people seriously underestimate the importance of comforting repose. When your doctor tells you to get rest, he means get rest. And it’s because the body needs rest to properly heal itself.

But getting back Today’s Totally Random Line (I know, you’re saying to yourself, holy moley, he’s actually going to get back to the line?!), it makes one wonder why the bishop has this line, why he’s talking about the restorative powers of sleep. Or is he simply drawing attention to what time of night it is. Seeing as I don’t know this play very well I’m going to have to pass on the answer to my own question.

Pass.

Speaking of comforting repose, here's a little girl who really knew how to appreciate comforting repose. 

I sure miss the little Nut. 

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

                 

You weary those that refresh us: pray, let’s see these four threes of herdsmen.

 

-Shepherd

The Winter’s Tale                  Act IV, Scene iii, Line 338

Well, I’m at a bit of a loss this morning as to what to do with this line. I can give you a little context, but…

Hmmm, what to do, what to do.

Perhaps, nothing. We’ll do nothing. Though we all know - 

     Nothing will come of nothing.

Today's pic? Surely you must have guessed it: Nothing.

 Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

                 

Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enroll’d in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he suffer’d death. Here comes his body, mourn’d by Marc Antony.

-Marcus Brutus

Julius Caesar                 Act III, Scene ii, Line 39

 

In other words, here comes trouble, though Brutus doesn’t yet realize it.

This is the scene after Caesar has been assassinated by Brutus and his cohorts. Brutus has now appeared before the citizens and explained that he loved Caesar, but he loved Rome more, and that Caesar, if left uncheckt, would have made himself emperor and all the citizens would have become slaves. He asks them who is offended by this, and they all reply none, upon which he makes the closing remarks that are Today’s Totally Random Lines.

Now he’s going to make the fatal mistake of leaving and letting silver tongued Marc Antony speak. Antony’s going to start with the infamous Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears, and by the time he’s done talking everyone is ready to go kill Brutus.

Marcus Brutus made the unenviable mistake of underestimating Antony’s ability to sway people with his words. It’s interesting to note that Brutus’s speech to the masses is written in prose, and Antony’s in verse, no doubt to highlight the eloquence of the latter’s and the lack of eloquence of the former’s.

Never underestimate the power of words. By the same token, never overestimate the intelligence of a mob.

I could easily go political here, but I won't. Instead, since there's talk of the capitol in today's lines, I'll give you a pic of my associates at the capitol. This pic is from an evening in 2012, back in somewhat less politically polarized times. If you want to go full-blown political with today's lines, that's on you.

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

                 

Why tender juvenal? Why tender juvenal?

 

-Moth

Love’s Labour’s Lost                     Act I, Scene ii, Line 11

Two Why? questions in a row. Yesterday Kent was asking the Fool why his question was foolish, and now Moth is asking Costard, his boss so-to-speak, why he is calling him a tender juvenal. Juvenal is pretty much equivalent to the word juvenile. Why?

Moth is sort of the Fool of this play. So many of the plays (particularly the comedies, but also a lot of the tragedies) have a Fool, and some call them Fools whilst in others you sort of have to pick out the Fool for yourself. I’m not sure if Moth is ever referred to as Fool in this play.

It would be handy if the Fools in real life (oh yes, there are Fools in real life; lots of them) were properly titled. It might just make things a little easier. On the other hand, it’s quite clear that in many of Will’s plays the Fool is the smartest guy out there. So, on second thought, I guess having them labeled in real life wouldn’t really do much good, would it?

They say (and I agree with them) that you can always tell a person's age by looking at their hands. 

Look how old this hand looks. Man, that's depressing. 

Clearly no tender juvenal here!