Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Some devil whisper curses in my ear,

And prompt me that my tongue may utter forth

The venomous malice of my swelling heart!

 

Aaron

Titus Andronicus      Act V, Scene iii, Line 13

As you can probably see from these three lines of dialogue, Aaron is not a really nice guy. Let me restate that: Aaron’s a bad guy. He’s been involved with Tamora and her sons with all their foul deeds. Now he’s been captured by Titus’s son, and he’ll be sent to his death before the play concludes at the end of this scene.

I’ve not much more to say about Aaron or this play. It’s not one of my favorites, as I’ve probably stated before. It’s Will’s slasher play, written quite early in his career. It’s hard to say what he was trying to do with this play. I would guess he was simply trying to write something that would sell, because at this point in his career he was probably more worried about establishing himself. It wasn’t until his career took off a few years later that he got into his really good stuff, the stuff where he did more of what he wanted, as opposed to what other people wanted; pretty much the way it is with writers, or directors, or creative people today. You gotta make a living.  

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Make a living? What are you talking about; we don't work?

No, I guess we don't, do we. 

Anyway, it's nice to see that Mr. Mojo is back to his old self.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,

Injurious distance should not stop my way;

For then, despite of space, I would be brought,

From limits far remote, where thou dost stay.

 

Sonnet 44                                First Quatrain

 

I believe he’s saying that if he could work with what he’d like to do, as opposed to what earthly, concrete realities are, then he’d be with you no matter how far away you are. It seems to imply that you are far away.

Shall we take a crack at the second quatrain?

No matter then although my foot did stand

Upon the farthest earth removed from thee;

For nimble thought can jump both see and land,

As soon as think the place where he would be.

More of the same, I believe. In fact, he’s pretty much saying the exact thing over again.

Let’s look at the third and see if he’s gonna repeat one more time.

But, ah, thought kills me, that I am not thought,

To leap large lengths of miles when thou art gone,

But that, so much of earth and water wrought,

I must attend time’s leisure with my moan;

Okay, back to earth – literally. He’s stating the obvious, and that is that thought’s not going to get him to you when you’re far away; he’s just going to settle with sitting at home and moaning.

And the conclusion?

Receiving naught by elements so slow

But heavy tears, badges of either’s woe.

Again, he’ll just have to settle for sitting at home and crying.

There, you read and understood one of Will's Sonnets. Good job! And regardless of what you thought of it, I believe you’ve got to admit that this sonnet was pretty easy to understand. I’ll bet you could have done it without my help.

Even you Mojo.

Okay now, wait; I think that's the exact same look you gave me yesterday. 

Okay, I get it: you're' still not feeling up to snuff. 

Understood; I'll let you be.

 

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Then, that, without the knowledge

Either of the king or council, when you went

Ambassador to the emperor, you made bold

To carry into Flanders the great seal.

 

Duke of Suffolk

King Henry the Eighth     Act III, Scene ii, Line 318

 

A bunch of the dukes and earls are listing out all of Cardinal Wolsey’s offenses. It seems that the ambitious cardinal’s ambitious ways are catching up with him. He had been a favorite of the king, but his fortunes are now turning.

Ambition can be a good thing, but too much of a good thing is seldom wise.

Any comments on today’s line Mojo?

I should have known: Mojo had some vaccinations yesterday and that's left him a little under the weather and completely uninterested in today's line.

Okay, sorry little buddy. I hope you feel better.

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

The troop is past. Come pilgrim, I will bring you

Where you shall host: of enjoin’d pentinents

There’s four or five, to Great Saint Jaques bound,

Already at my house.

 

Widow

All’s Well That Ends Well        Act III, Scene v, Line 92

 

The widow is speaking to Helen who is pretending to be a pilgrim of St Jaques. That’s right, Helen is pretending to be a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago; though, she’s in Florence, so she’s not on the main Spanish portion of the Camino. Nonetheless, hundreds of years ago (and maybe even still?) the pilgrims of St. James (Santiago in Spanish, and Jaques in French) began their pilgrimages from all over Europe.

So yes, today Will is talking about the Camino de Santiago. What do you think of that?

No Mojo, I'm pretty sure they don't have spa days on the Camino de Santiago.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

But he loves Caesar best;--yet he loves Antony.

Enobarbus

Antony and Cleoapatra          Act III, Scene ii, Line 15

Enobarbus and Agrippa, two old soldiers, are talking about the three leaders who make up the new triumvirate: Octavius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Lepidus. It seems that Lepidus is the old man of the three and it’s he who Enobarbus is saying loves Caesar best, yet loves Antony. Enobarbus and Agrippa are going back and forth with this banter, and I think both are saying that Lepidus is weak and trying to make sure he stays in the good graces of both the two younger, stronger leaders.

Being the old guy that I am, I guess I’d try to do the same as Lepidus. Though, I think I’d rather just get out of the triumvirate altogether if I had to contend with two young, strong-headed bucks like Caesar and Antony.

You're right Mojo; why would we want to put up with that kind of nonsense when we could just be sitting here relaxing in the garden?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

And you, good sir! Pray, have you not a daughter

Call’d Katharina, fair and virtuous?

 

Petruchio

The Taming of the Shrew      Act II, Scene i, Line 42

So, I guess this is the first time that Petruchio is going to meet Katharine, the titular shrew. But he goes into it with a good attitude, doesn’t he? He’s expecting a fair and virtuous woman. And the funny thing is that a fair and virtuous woman is exactly what he gets. It’s everyone else who considers her a shrew, but not Petruchio.

It’s an odd bit of a play, and just one more of Will’s works that gets a good deal of pushback in 2024. But like many of his other works, it requires looking beyond the surface. Like much of life, it’s best not to judge based strictly on appearance.

Take this picture, for instance. If you were to make a judgement based purely on what you see here, you might assume that Mojo is an incredibly spoiled little man; and yet the reality is…um…

Okay, that might not be the best example of what I’m talking about.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Whate’er it be, be thou still like thyself,

And sit thee by our side: yield not thy neck

To fortune’s yoke, but let thy dauntless mind

Still ride in triumph over all mischance.

 

King Louis

King Henry the Sixth Part III       Act III, Scene iii, Line 15

There you go; there’s your pep talk for the day: Don’t let the bastards get you down!

Undaunted!

I'm talking about the little guy, not me; I get daunted all the time.