Today’s Totally Random
Lines
At the good queen’s entreaty.
Camillo
The Winter’s Tale Act I, Scene ii, Line 219
This is Camillo’s answer to King Leontes when the latter asks why has his friend Polixenes, the King of Bohemia, decided to extend his visit to Sicilia. We are at the beginning of Leontes thinking that his wife and Polixenes are having an affair. Check out Leontes’s ramblings in response to Camilo.
At the queen’s be’t: ‘good’ should be pertinent;
But, so it is, it is not. Was this taken
By any understanding pate but thine?
For thy conceit is soaking, will draw in
More than the common blocks:- not noted, is’t,
But of the finer natures? By some severals
Of head-piece extraordinary? Lower messes
Perchance are to this business purblind? Say.
Let’s take a shot at Pete’s Version of Leontes’s
response.
Polixenes is staying because the good queen asked
him to? “Good” should be the operative word here. But though it is, in this
case she is not good. Do you think anyone but yourself picked up on this?
Because your thoughts can influence people other than the common folk,
Camillo. I suppose it’s just noted by the finer folk, the upper crust of
society. The common folk are still blind to this, right? Well?
Yup, Leontes is bonkers. Jealousy, righteous or misplaced, can do that to a guy.