They are all couch’d in a pit, hard by Herne’s oak, with obscured lights; which, at the very instant of Falstaff’s and our meeting, they will at once display to the night.

-Mistress Page

                       

The Merry Wives Of Windsor          Act V, Scene iii Line 14

The first thing that struck me in these lines is Herne’s Oak. If you’d like a pretty good explanation of this oak and it’s part in this play, here you go http://theshakespeareblog.com/2012/12/the-legend-of-hernes-oak/

Much better than I could do. In fact, that’s a pretty good Shakespeare blog if you’re looking for one.

By the way, this is the third time we’ve picked a Totally Random line from this short, twenty-four line scene. So that’s kind of interesting. We should know this scene by heart at this point, shouldn’t we? Spoiler alert: We don’t.

 

Here's WP couch'd and looking at his PC. So in today's line they were all sitting on a couch down in a pit by Herne's Oak, in the dark, ready to jump out at Falstaff? A couch in a pit? Well that just doesn't sound right. Does it? I told you we didn't know this scene.

Aye, aye. Thou wouldst be gone to join with Richmond:

I will not trust you, sir.

-Richard

                                   

King Richard The Third             Act IV, Scene iv, Line 490

This is Richard III talking to Lord Stanley about Richmond. Stanley has just volunteered to go and round up his friends to help Richard in his fight against Richmond. And Richmond is Henry, the Earl of Richmond, who is to become King Henry VII (father of Henry the Eighth if that helps). So Richard knows that Richmond is coming for the throne and he’s a little worried right now about who’s on his side and who isn’t. Of course, you have to realize the Richard III was not the most trustworthy soul, so it’s not surprising that he doesn’t trust anyone else. But to be fair, in this case I don’t think he was wrong in not trusting Stanley. I will not trust you, sir. Well, that’s pretty straightforward.

 

Yes, that's me sitting in a rather large tree stump. And that building behind me? Monticello. Relevance? Absolutely! It's all about the trust. 

This is the home of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president. Smart? Yes! Founding Father? You bet. Trustworthy? Not one bit. If I were to face him I would say I will not trust you, sir!

The guy was a weasel. Don't believe me? Look it up. 

For, as I hear,

You, that are king, though he do wear the crown,

Have caused him, by new act of parliament,

To blot out me, and put his own son in.

-Edward

                                   

King Henry The Sixth Part III          Act II, Scene ii, Line 92

Henry The Sixth Part III brings us to the end of the War of the Roses. So far in this play (it’s early yet) Henry is still the king, but he previously made a deal with Edward that the kingship would pass to Edward when Henry dies. This was agreed to despite the fact that Henry has a son (also named Edward, just to make it a little more confusing). Now recall that Henry’s wife, Queen Margaret, is a take-charge lady, and she’s not to happy about her son being disinherited from the throne. And it is Margaret that Edward is addressing right here. He’s saying that she is the real power, even though it’s Henry that wears the crown, and that she has seen to it that the agreement whereby Henry will be giving up the throne has been dissolved. And Edward’s not too happy about that. So, what’s going to happen here? 

To blot me out. That’s putting it quite plainly, and also quite clearly. No one wants to be blotted out. Blot him out. Indeed!

 

Ooof! No one wants to be blotted out!