Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

So foul a sky clears not without a storm.

 

King John

King John               Act IV, Scene ii, Line 109

 

I haven’t been able to make time for Will much this week, due mostly to the presence of Mojo and the absence of Patrice. But today I felt I just had to get back to it, so I’m taking care of it here at work. I’m picking today from an online source, not the hardcopy book I usually use. And what an appropriate line! The skies in these parts have been very clogged with Canadian forest fire smoke this week. They are clearer today, and there has not been a storm to clear them, but I’m thinking that a storm would be the best way to really clear them up.

It occurs to me that King John was probably not talking about Canadian forest fire smoke when he mentioned foul skies.  As I read through this scene, I find that it’s a tough one. I’m not sure what his foul sky refers to. I’m pretty sure it’s figurative as opposed to the literal one we’ve been dealing with here in the northeast.

Ah well, let’s just leave it at that and move on.

 I took this pic of the parking lot at the height of the smokey skies the other day. If you look closely, you can see the yellow spot on most of the windshields. That was the reflection of the sun through the haze. It was rather strange. It reminded me a little bit of the description of the Dead Marshes from Tolkien.

Foul sky indeed.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

If you shall chance, Camillo, to visit Bohemia on the like occasion wherein my services are now on foot, you shall see, as I have said, great differences betwixt our Bohemia and your Sicilia.

Archidamus

The Winter’s Tale                          Act I, Scene i, Line 1

Well, it’s the first line of the play, so I couldn’t cut off the sentence, now, could I? These are two lords talking and just sort of introducing the audience to who the main characters are and where this play is set. Not too much to say about this.

So perhaps you won’t mind if I key in on the word betwixt? It’s simply an older version of between, obviously, but oh, so much more delightful. Don’t you agree? But let’s just keep that betwixt you and me, eh?

My associate requested that I pick him up a Bai. Well, it turns out I had a choice betwixt four different flavors. Do you think I managed to choose correctly?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Of one or both of us the time is come.

 

Earl of Warwick

King Henry the Sixth Part II         Act V, Scene ii, Line 13

We are in the midst of the battle of Saint Alban’s, and Warwick is talking to Clifford. He’s telling Clifford that one, or both, of them is going to die. Then the Duke of York shows up and tells Warwick that he wants to fight Clifford. In the end Warwick leaves, and York kills Clifford. So Warwick turned out to be right, it was Clifford whose time had come, though not at the hands of Warwick. Warwick survives, so it wasn't both of them whose time had come.

Your time has come. We say that to mean your time to leave this earthly existence has come. But we just say your time has come. I guess you could say that to someone who was waiting for their turn to use the bathroom, but if you did, they would probably look at you funny. 

If I was waiting to use the bathroom, and you came out and said Your time has come, this is probably how I would react.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Such Brooks are welcome to me, that o’erflow such liquor.

  

Sir John Falstaff

The Merry Wives of Windsor         Act II, Scene ii, Line 151

  

Well it turns out that a Mr. Brooks is at the door, and he’s brought some liquor with him. Falstaff is making a pun with the guy’s name. Pretty funny, eh?

What would you like to talk about? Drinking? Puns? Falstaff? Nothing? We could do nothing. Even though nothing will come of nothing, occasionally nothing can be a good thing.

Well here's something that's not nothing. It's a hole in the text. What the heck? 

And who are we going to hold accountable for this?

Oh well, too cute to be mad at.

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Who’s born that day

When I forget to send to Antony,

Shall die a beggar.

  

Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra           Act I, Scene v, Line 72

 

This whole scene is about how much Cleopatra is missing Antony. Apparently she writes to him every day whilst he’s in Rome. That’s what she’s referring to in the lines above, and that's all she's saying here - that she writes to Antony every day.

I don’t like to pass up the opportunity to point out famous Shakespearean lines when our Totally Random Daily lines come close to them. After all, we pretty much never hit the famous ones in our random fashion.

Just a few lines further down Cleopatra gives us one of her more famous lines, referring to when she was younger, and in love with Caesar, in a time before she met Antony. Apparently she had a fling with all the Roman greats of her time. She refers to that time as

                  My salad days,
When I was green in judgement:— cold in blood,
To say as I said then!—But, come, away;
Get me ink and paper:
He shall have every day a several greeting,
Or I’ll unpeople Egypt.

And that’s the end of act one.

My salad days. I dunno about salad days, but I’m feeling pretty good about my current days; call them my dessert days. After all, I get to use the senior parking spot, and I’m smart enough to cheat with an electric bike. 

(2) I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore - YouTube

I'm not sure if I've given you this one previously, but that's okay because it's a good one.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Withdraw you hence, my lord; I’ll follow you.

  

Buckingham

King Richard the Third        Act III, Scene iv, Line 42

 

Buckingham is addressing Richard. They’ll go off in private for a few minutes, and then they’ll come back, and Richard will declare Hastings a traitor. His crime? He expressed a desire for Edward’s son to be crowned the next king. Never mind the fact that Edward’s son is the rightful next king, that doesn’t fit with Richard’s plan. And so, off with his head. So much for poor Hastings. And that’s a dreary bit of theater, particularly for poor Hastings.

This morning’s weather is fittingly dreary. It’s a light fog out there that will hopefully be burning off in the next few hours. I have chosen this morning for my inaugural e-bike ride to work. Yes, this morning the Aventon (and more to the point, the Pete) will be put to the test. Hopefully we make out better than Hastings.

Wish us luck!

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Warble, child; make passionate my sense o’ hearing.

  

Armado

Love’s Labour’s Lost             Act III, Scene i, Line 1

 

 

Armado is telling Moth to sing. Moth begins and gets one word out, Concolinel (I think it’s a name, but I’m not sure), before Armado immediately interrupts him.

Even as I read Warble, child I heard a bird warbling outside, so it seems a very suitable line for this morning. Interesting too that Armado used the word warble as it is so much more appropriate for me, even more than for him. He could have asked Moth to sing, but that wouldn’t have been a word as nearly appropriate for me right now as warble. Yah, warble.

The fellow warbling for me is a wren. I don’t know if there is one very verbal wren around here or if we are lousy with wrens, but I am constantly hearing, and often seeing this warbling fellow, everywhere around the house. He’s in the front yard now. Yesterday, whilst we sat by the pool in the back, he was serenading us. He’s got a lovely little song. Oh, it’s a little bit repetitious, but lovely nonetheless. Yes, that’s the word: Lovely.

Hmmm, it's quiet now. My warbling friend seems to have moved off for a bit.

Your favorite blogger sitting by the pool; enjoying life and the sound of the wren.