Today’s Totally Random Lines

You are keen, my lord, you are keen.

Ophelia

Hamlet                    Act III, Scene ii, Line 267

It’s Ophelia talking to Hamlet. One thing about this play is that there’s very little said that doesn’t have some hidden meaning. What’s the hidden meaning in Ophelia telling Hamlet that he’s sharp? I don’t know. It’s hidden.

No, no Mojo; you're not hidden. I can still see you. 

I was trying to teach him how to play hide and seek last summer, and he was having a hard time with the concept. Somehow, he thought that since he was sitting in my slipper that would count as being hidden. He's gotten a bit keener since then.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

I, gentle mistress.

                           And are you not my husband?

Antipholus of Syracuse

                                Adriana

 

The Comedy of Errors   Act V, Scene i, Line 371

 

It’s one metric line spoken by two different people: the first three words by Antipholus and the rest by Adriana. I say one metric line, but instead of the ten syllables of Will’s normal iambic pentameter, this one’s got twelve. So I’m not sure what’s up with that, but I suppose we should just let it be.

Anyway, this part of the exchange began with Adrian asking Antipholus of Syracuse (whom she has mistaken for her husband, Antipholus of Ephesus) who it was who had dined with her. And his answer to the question of whether or not he is her husband is

No; I say nay to that.  

Now you’d think that she’d be able to recognize her true husband who’s also standing there. We’re at the very end of the play where the two Antipoluses and the two Dromios are finally all in one place at one time. There’s only about fifty lines left in the play, and in those fifty lines everything’s going to be neatly wrapped up. For now, though, confusion still reigns.

Can you imagine if Pete of Syracuse and Mojo of Syracuse showed up in cheshire; perfect doubles of these two - Pete of Cheshire and Mojo of Cheshire.

Well, that could make an interesting story, couldn't it?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

I am very glad on’t.

 

Queen

Cymbeline      Act I, Scene i, Line 163

I’m not sure exactly if the queen is really glad about the news that a swordfight between her son and Posthumus was broken up. It’s a bit confusing, but suffice it to say that the queen in this story is basically the wicked stepmother, so it's hard to tell what she's really thinking most of the time. 

However, let’s not dwell on that, but rather on just being glad. Most of us have much to be glad on. I know I do. I also know that when I concentrate on how much I have to be glad on I find it much harder to be mad or sad. It’s funny how those all rhyme: mad, sad, glad.

Anway, I think we all need to find a way to concentrate on the things that we have to be glad on. That’s a good way to be.

Here's a fellow who has much to be glad on, and I think he knows it.

In case you couldn't find him in the first pic.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

When he stands where I am, and sees you there.

 

Biondello

The Taming Of The Shrew    Act III, Scene ii, Line 40

When will he be here? That is the question that Biondello is answering this morning. On its own, that doesn't appear to make much sense, does it? But, in fact, it's just a smart-ass reply that makes perfect sense. Biondello is simply saying, he'll be here when he's here. Which doesn't tell anyone anything, does it?

When will this post end? It will end when I stop writing. In other words, now.

Why am I giving you a picture of a sleeping baby Mojo?

Why not?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Camillo, sir; I spake with him; who now

Has these poor men in question. Never saw I

Wretches so quake: they kneel, they kiss the earth;

Forswear themselves as often as they speak:

Bohemia stops his ears, and threatens them

With divers death in death.

 

Lord

The Winter’s Tale          Act V, Scene i, Line 199

Let’s get a little context and a little clarity. The poor men in question that the lord is talking about are a shepherd and his son who have little to do with the plot. They just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now Bohemia (that’s the king of Bohemia) apparently is planning to kill them.

Forswear is a modern word, though not that common. In this context it means that the guys in question are contradicting themselves. Divers is the old way of spelling diverse. We’re not talking about scuba divers here. They didn’t use an e on the end of diverse back when they printed this word in the early seventeenth century.

And as far as threatening them with diverse death in death? Well your guess is as good as mine on that, but whilst it’s a little confusing, it sure don’t sound good. I don’t think I’d like to be facing diverse death in death, whatever the heck it means!

No Mojo, Priscilla didn't say anything about diverse death in death; she's just trying to give you a hug.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Sound drums and trumpets! Farewell sour annoy!

For here, I hope, begins our lasting joy.

 

King Edward IV

King Henry the Sixth Part III       Act V, Scene vii, Line 46

Today’s rhyming couplet brings us to the end of the Henry plays. There are six plays covering the reigns of Henrys four, five, and six, and this is the end of that saga. In fact, this whole long saga begins with Richard II who was succeeded (deposed) by the Henry IV, and the saga will continue and finally end with Richard III who will succeed Edward. King Edward IV, today’s speaker, ended Henry VI's reign, but Edward’s reign was brief and relatively uneventful, so he doesn’t get a play of his own.

This whole saga, from Richard II, thru the three Henry’s and finishing up with Richard III (who succeeds Edward) is sometimes referred to as Will’s Henriad. Historically this saga is known as the Wars of the Roses.

And there’s your history lesson for this Sunday morning. Comments anyone?

ZZZZZZZZ

He didn't quite make it to the end of the history lesson.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty knave, what trade?

Marullus

Julius Caesar         Act I, Scene i, Line 15

Here’s something interesting. I initially went to the wrong page in my compilation. I picked page 582, but inadvertently went to 584. It was a better line than Today’s above. It was Cassius talking to Brutus about Caesar. He’s pointing out to Brutus that the people are treating Caesar like a god when he’s no better than anyone else. In the line that I picked in error he’s specifically talking about when he, Cassius, was swimming across a river with Caesar.

The torrent roar’d; and we did buffet it

With lusty sinews, throwing it aside

And stemming it with hearts of controversy:

But ere we could arrive at the point proposed,

Caesar cried, ‘Help me, Cassius, or I sink!’

I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder

The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber

Did I the tired Caesar: and this man

Is now become a god; and Cassius is

A wretched creature, and must bend his body,

If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.

It sounds like Cassius has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Wouldn’t you agree?

Anyway, as interesting as that is, here’s something even better: I listened to this whole scene this morning, Act one – Scene two, and I noticed not one, not two, but three famous lines in it. See if they’re familiar to you.

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars…

Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;

It was Greek to me.

Interesting, eh? Hopefully you’re familiar with at least one of those, if not all.

And that’s how you avoid discussing a Totally Random line about which you have nothing to say. Pretty clever, eh?

Yond Mojo has a lean and hungry look, doesn't he?