Today’s Totally Random Line(s)           

           

Let us all ring fancy’s knell;

-Singer

The Merchant of Venice              Act III, Scene ii, Line 69

For the third day in a row we have an anonymous speaker, or in this case singer. This is the scene in Belmont where Portia tries to talk Bassanio into waiting a while before he makes his stab at picking the right casket. He insists and heads off to try his luck, she makes a little speech about the situation, and then some anonymous singer comes in and sings a song.  

        Tell me where is fancy bred,

        Or in the heart or in the head?

        How begot, how nourished?

                Reply, reply.

        It is engender’d in the eyes,

        With gazing fed; and fancy dies

        In the cradle where it lies.

                Let us all ring fancy’s knell;

                I’ll begin it,-- Ding, dong, bell.

And, of course, a knell typically refers to a bell ringing for a funeral. Yes, I looked it up to be sure.

I dunno, but it seems like Bassanio is just rushing into this deal. Portia wants him to wait a few months, I think just because she wants to have him around for a little while. If he tries to pick the right casket and fails, he’s got to leave immediatement. But of course – SPOILER ALERT – he’s not going to fail.

It’s an odd little song, and Will’s songs always get me to wondering whether he wrote it, or if it’s some song of the day. I’ll never know, that’s for sure.

Naturally, I pulled out my little book about Shakespeare's songs. Believe it or not, it has four pages about this song, but none of it about the origin of the song (though I've only skimmed it so far). 

I think I'm going to need to read this whole little book. Wish me luck.

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)        

                              

I will talk further with you.

-Gentleman

King Lear                     Act III, Scene i, Line 43

 

Here’s an interesting exchange between Kent and a Gentleman he meets on the Heath. Kent is out looking for Lear, and he has a fairly long talk with this fellow who shall remain nameless. Kent tells him that something is afoot and that he, Kent, needs the fellow to go to Dover and tell Cordelia of Lear’s sorry state. Naturally, after receiving this assignment from a stranger (even though Kent says I know you to the guy twice, he never comes up with a name) this gentleman says I will talk further with you. In other words the fellow is saying, What’s this now?

But Kent doesn’t want to discuss it, and gives the guy a ring to show Cordelia, which will be proof that what he says is true. And that appears to be enough for the fellow.

Honestly, I have no remembrance of this scene at all, whether from my reading of the play (quite a few years ago) or my viewing of a few different versions of it (one with Ian McKellen and one with Antony Hopkins). But here it is, 72 lines and for the second day in a row involving a ‘Gentleman’. 

How ironic.

I have a really good remembrance of meeting someone whom I had not seen in about 25 years, and the fellow looking at me and saying slowly, I know you. He knew he had known me, but he wasn't able to figure out who I was until I told him how he knew me, and then he remembered. 

Unfortunately, I have no pic to go with this very relevant story. Boy, I wish I did. Oh well. 

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

           

                                         So she parted,

And with the same full state paced back again

To York-place, where the feast is held.

 

-Third Gentleman

King Henry the Eighth                Act IV, Scene i, Line 110

Gents One and Two (a couple of anonymous describers of the action) are watching the procession of Anne Boleyn from her coronation. Gent number Three shows up, having been at the coronation and describes it. Today’s line is the last line of his description.

These Gentles Three are all very praising of the new queen and, given the historical context, it is no wonder. Anne Boleyn, even though she was beheaded for supposed adultery, was nonetheless the mother of Queen Elizabeth. And whilst this play was written a few years after the latter’s death, and into the reign of James I, Elizabeth was still well known and well loved by the day’s play-goers. So Will would have been careful with his treatment of Anne, the mother. And in fact, this play ends with a celebration of the birth of Elizabeth, the downfall of Anne Boleyn being left for someone else to deal with. As we know, the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry’s many attempts with many women to father a son have been well documented and discussed in the centuries since; but not by Will.

Speaking of feasts, Patrice likes to take pictures of notable meals, usually ones that we have in a restaurant. This is a Thai dinner that we had in NYC a few weeks ago. Don't ask me what that stuff is, but the meal was gooo--oood. Tep Thai was the name of the place if you're interested. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

           

                                         One thus descended

That hath beside well in his person wrought

To be set high in place, we did commend

To your remembrances; but you have found,

Scaling his present bearing with his past,

That he’s your fixed enemy, and revoke

Your sudden approbation.

 

-Sicinius Velutus

Coriolnaus                    Act II, Scene iii, Line 265

 

Scaling, as used above, means weighing. Approbation is approval or praise.

Almost every time I open up Coriolanus, I read something that reminds me of so many of the politicians these days that talk out of both sides of their mouth. And I’m also reminded of the gullibility of the masses.
Come to think of it… no wait, that can’t be right. I was gonna say that’s why they don’t teach this play: because the powers that be don’t want to teach about how corrupt the politicians are. But that would assume that the politicians know this play. Hah! That’s a hot one.

So what looks like a pretty tough few lines, isn’t really that bad. The politicians are talking to the masses about Coriolanus. They want to turn the crowd against him. In the lines previous to these, they had noted that he is descended from a noble family. The first part of today’s lines is a little tough. Sicinius is just saying that Coriolanus is descended from noble blood, his actions have earned him a high place, and we (the politicians) commended him. But now they’re telling the masses that he’s their enemy. And, of course, they will listen to and believe that. And this, of course, brings us back to the dangers of democracy. Oy!

 

 

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.