Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Whilst I was big in clamour, came there a man,

Who, having seen me in my worst estate,

Shunn’d my abhorr’d society; but then, finding

Who ‘twas that so endured, with his strong arms

He fasten’d on my neck, and bellow’d out

As he’ld burst heaven; threw him on my father;

Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him

That ever ear received: which in recounting

His grief grew puissant, and the strings of life

Began to crack: twice then the trumpets sounded, 

And there I left him tranced.

 

Edgar

King Lear                 Act V, Scene iii, Line 212

 

I know I gave you a lot of lines yesterday, but I’m afraid that today’s line was in the middle of a pretty long sentence. So, yup, you got the whole thing. But don’t worry, I’m going to help you with it. Just know that you’re in for a bit of reading today.

I guess I’ve got to catch you up a bit as to where we are. Oh my, this is the second to last page of the play. So I guess I need to give a brief account of the whole story.

 

The whole thing?

 

Okay, maybe I can skip ahead a bit. 

So remember, in the first scene Edgar and Edmund..

  

First scene!? What happened to skipping ahead?

 

Okay…well…then...

On never mind.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

And, gentle friends,

Let’s kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;

Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods,

Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds:

And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,

Stir up their servants to an act of rage,

And after seem to chide ‘em. This shall make

Our purpose necessary, and not  envious:

Which so appearing to the common eyes,

We shall be call’d purgers, not murderers.

And for Mark Antony, think not of him;

For he can do no more than Caesar’s arm

When Caesar’s head is cut off.  

 

Brutus

Julius Caesar           Act II, Scene i, Line 175

 

Okay, we’ve got some really good material to work with this morning. It’s the meeting of Brutus, Cassius and the others to discuss the assassination of Caesar. They’ve all decided that Caesar must indeed be killed, and now Caius Cassius has suggested that Mark Antony, Caesar’s most ardent follower, should be killed as well. Today’s Lines are part of Brutus’s twenty-line response to Caius.

The first part of this is Brutus talking about how to go about killing Caesar, and the last part is about not needing to kill Mark Antony. And there’s a bunch of good stuff here.

First off, next time someone mentions a dish fit for the gods, you can tell them that this is a reference to the dead body of Caesar. That’ll frost ‘em.

Secondly, considering that Mark Antony will become emperor in Caesar’s place, hunting down Brutus and his followers, I’m thinking that Brutus’s assessment of Mark Antony may have been a little off. And to be clear, Brutus and his followers are indeed considered purgers until Antony gets involved. Once that guy gets the crowd riled up, Brutus and his boys quickly become viewed as murderers, and it’s all downhill from there. Yes, Caius Cassius was right, and Brutus missed the boat on the Mark Antony question. You win some, you lose some.

Mojo knows a good couple of lines when he sees them. He wanted to make sure today's post was just right, so he helped me out with a little bit of editing.

Thanks buddy!

 Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Here’s Mistress Quickly, sir, to speak with you.

 

Bardolf

The Merry Wives of Windsor          Act III, Scene v, Line 19

 

Well this is a pretty unassuming line, isn’t it? Shall we work with it? There’s usually something we can come up with to talk about. Let’s see.

We’ve got three principals here: Bardolf the speaker, Falstaff who’s being addressed, and Mistress Quickly the subject of the line.

Hmmm. Yah, some days it’s a little hard to come up with anything to say about these Totally Random Lines.

Got anything Mojo?

You're not sleeping. I can see your eyes are open.

Oh well. I guess we got nothin'.

 

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

We shall further think on’t.

Regan

We must do something, and i’the heat.

Goneril

 

King Lear                         Act I, Scene i, Line 306

This is the end of the first scene. Regan and Goneril have been given the kingdom, but they are already scheming about how to make sure that Lear is completely powerless so as to not be of any trouble to them.

The reason I gave you two lines is because I thought it interesting, and pertinent to me at least, the difference in the two lines.
Let’s give it some more thought.
Let’s act now!

Well, which is it: act or wait? Or can they both be right? Probably they can. Goneril and Regan want to proceed carefully, not rashly, but they want to proceed without any unneeded delay. 

Perhaps we need to fashion one sentence for our own daily use that recognizes these two needs.

We shall consider it carefully as we proceed.

Nah, that’s not very good. How about this,

Let’s give it some thought, and then move on it ASAP!

Better? Maybe a little bit?

As usual, Mojo's ready to move on it. 

Also as usual, I'd like to give it a little more thought. 

What're we moving and thinking on? I've no idea, but I'm sure we're both right.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

How lush and lusty the grass looks! How green!

 

Gonzalo

The Tempest                     Act II, Scene i, Line 52

This, of course, is the first scene on the island with most of the folks who were in the storm at the very outset of the play. They now find themselves safely landed, and they are assessing their situation.

I find this line interesting and pertinent, because these guys are finding themselves at a bit of a re-set. A little while ago they were tossing in the waves and facing drowning, and now they’re safe on land and taking stock of their situation. Re-set.

I, on the other hand, spent the last week in Tennessee, where I went to help Jess out on the flower farm. Instead of helping, I threw my back out on the first day and spent the week convalescing on her couch. Now I’m home in Cheshire, my back is on the mend, and I’m doing a bit of a re-set to get back going.

Re-sets can be good in all sorts of situations.

Mojo is helping me with my re-set, and I expect he'll be back in the post by tomorrow. 

This is my past week's companion on the couch in TN. I was telling him about my posts and promised him he could make an appearance.  

That's Luigi. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

                    I have heard

Your grace hath ta’en great pains to qualify

His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate,

And that no lawful means can carry me

Out of his envy’s reach, I do oppose

My patience to his fury; and am arm’d

To suffer, with a quietness of spirit,

The very tyranny and rage of his.

 

Antonio

The Merchant of Venice   Act IV, Scene i, Line 7

This is the very beginning of the courtroom scene of The Merchant of Venice. The Duke of Venice (who is the judge here) has addressed Antonio

I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer

A stony adversary (Shylock), an inhuman wretch

Uncapable of pity, void and empty

From any dram of mercy.

Today’s Totally Random Lines are Antonio’s response to this.

I think by now, though the lines look a little bit difficult, you should be able to understand pretty well what each of these guys is saying. Obdurate is a word that you can still run into today. It just means stubborn, or unwilling to change. Antonio is, of course, referring to the fact that Shylock is insisting on his pound of flesh. He’s also saying that he’s accepted his fate: he’s arm’d to suffer with a quietness of spirit. In fact, Antonio will prove to be the calmest one in the courtroom, even though he’s the one with the most to lose. It’s interesting that Will’s made him the calmest, and it’s interesting why. It’s because he’s arm’d to suffer with a quietness of spirit.

Given Antonio’s grave situation, it’s curious how calm he is. I can’t help but wonder where he got that quietness of spirit. This is the guy who had the very first lines of the play.

In sooth, I know now why I am so sad:

It wearies me; you say it wearies you;

But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,

What stuff ‘tis made of, whereof it is born,

I am to learn;

And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,

That I have much ado to know myself.

Well that doesn’t sound at all like a guy at peace with himself. I wonder what changed between then and now. In fact, the play deals very little with Antonio, even though he is the titular Merchant, between that opening speech and the courtroom scene. Well, something changed.

And that gives us something to think about.

I'll tell you something that hasn't changed, and that's this guy.

I wish I had just a little of his quietness of spirit.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

All the contagion of the south light on you,

You shames of Rome.

 

Coriolanus

Coriolanus                      Act I, Scene iv, Line 30

This is the siege of Corioli and Caius Marcus is addressing his soldiers who are reluctant to engage the enemy. He goes on for several lines: biles and plagues plaster you….souls of geese…slaves that apes would beat. You get the idea.

In the end he makes the charge through the gates of the city of Corioli to face the enemy all alone, and he carries the day. And this is where he gains the honorary name of Coriolanus.

So what do you think of that?

Souls of geese?

Slaves that would beat apes?

This guy is a crackpot; that's what I think of that. It's no wonder he has 'anus' in his name.

Enough Mojo!