Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

                                O virtuous fight,

When right with right wars who shall be most right!

 

Troilus

Troilus and Cressida     Act III Scene ii, Line 169

I’m tempted to just go with today’s line on it’s own, without any context whatsoever, because it’s a pretty thought provoking question.

Well, leave it to me, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Yup, I had to listen to/read the scene. Now I’m just confused. According to the scene summary that I have, Troilus and Cressida confess their love and swear fidelity to one another. The problem? Too much talk! It's confusing!

Whoa, hold on there: is Cheshire’s biggest Shakespeare lover complaining about too many Shakespeare words? Is that even possible?

 

 Don’t bother listening to him; it’s a trick question. The answer is no, it's not possible. Trust me; I live with this kook. I know.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Speak thou for me, and tell them what I did.

[Throwing down the Duke of Somerset’s head]

 

Richard

King Henry the Sixth Part III    Act I Scene i, Line 16

I included the stage direction with today’s line because I thought it would spice up Today’s Totally Random Line which was, otherwise, a bit boring. Also, it gives us a pretty good idea what Richard did, without getting into a lot of context.

“Tell ‘em what I did,” he said, tossing the severed head of Somerset to the ground at their feet.

  “Well it seems pretty obvious what you did, Dick, unless you’ve got something more interesting to tell us about; more interesting than having cut off Somerset’s head?”

Severed Head?

 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Why, he hackt at it with his dagger; and said he would swear truth out of England, but he would make you believe it was done in fight; and persuaded us to do the like.

 

Peto

King Henry the Fourth Part I    Act II Scene iv, Line 312

Falstaff has just told Prince Hal the story of how he, Falstaff, and his friends fought off eleven attackers. Hal knows the story is a complete fabrication, so he asks Peto, one of Falstaff’s fellows, how Falstaff’s sword got so hacked up. And that’s what Peto’s talking about above. So basically, Falstaff made up a story and then nicked up his sword to make it look like he really had been in a fight. And he had his buddies do the same. That is classic Falstaff.

A little bit about Sir John Falstaff. This is one of Shakespeare’s most well known, and well loved characters. Oddly, he is little known to the world outside of Shakespereans (for lack of a better word). Whilst the character of Hamlet has the most lines of anyone in one play, Falstaff has the most lines in all of Shakespeare’s works because he appears in three plays.

Falstaff is a common man. He is a glutton, a heavy drinker, a jokester, and a con man. He steals almost any scene he appears in, and is a big crowd favorite. Maybe you can think of a Falstaff in your life. Most of us have one.

 

 

We've got this guy; he’s jokester, a scene stealer, and definitely a con man.

That’s right 'Falstaff', I knew all along that wasn’t a ‘cigarillo.’ I know a treat when I see one. Not looking for a light today, are we?