Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Here comes his mother

                                         Let’s not meet her

                                             Why?

They say she’s mad.

 

Junius Brutus and Sicinius Veletus

Coriolanus              Act IV, Scene ii, Line 7

This is a short back and forth between the two tribunes who turned the crowds against Coriolanus and had him banished. Now they’re about to meet up with Coriolanus’s mother, Volumnia.

The scene starts with the two congratulating themselves for the job they did in convincing the mob to turn against Coriolanus.

The nobility are vext, whom we see have sided

In his behalf.

Now we have shown our power,

Let us seem humbler after it is done.

It continues with Volumnia and Menenius entering and the former giving the tribunes a piece of her mind.

                        ‘Twas you incensed the rabble;--

Rats, that can judge as fitly of his worth

As I can of those mysteries which heaven

Will not have earth to know.

Once the tribunes leave, Menenius tries to settle Volumnia down, inviting her to dinner. He’s always the one trying to play the peacemaker, but she’ll have none of it.

Anger’s my meat; I sup upon myself,

And so shall starve with feeding.

It’s a great scene, quite short, and perhaps best summed up by the last six words of it:

Volumnia leaves saying, Come, come, come.  

Menenius, left alone mutters simply, Fie, fie, fie!

Come, come come and Fie, fie, fie. Hmm, I'm not quite sure what to make of that, Mr. Blagys. Are you sure that's a good representation of the entire scene? I mean really, is that the best you can do?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

This last old man,

Whom with a crackt heart I have sent to Rome,

Loved me above the measure of a father;

Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge

Was to send him; for whose old love I have,

Though I show’d sourly to him, once more offer’d

The first conditions, which they did refuse,

And cannot now accept; to grace him only

That thought he could do more, a very little

I have yielded to: fresh embassies and suits,

Nor from the state nor private friends, hereafter

Will I lend ear to. –Ha! What shout is this?

 

Caius Marcius Coriolanus

Coriolanus                  Act V, Scene iii, Line 11

 

Well, that's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? What can we say about Today's Lines? 

To be brief, Coriolanus, the former Roman hero now sided with the Volscians, is at Rome’s gates, ready to sack the city. He is speaking with Volscian Tullus Aufidius, telling him that he, Coriolanus, has spoken with Menenius Agrippa who was sent by the Romans to plead with Coriolanus. But he sent Menenius away, and now will hear no more from any Roman embassies.

Well, not really. Coriolanus’s mother, wife, and young son are next on the list of people to show up pleading for mercy for Rome, and (spoiler alert) he will be unable to say no to them. That will be the undoing of Coriolanus.

So yes, Today’s Lines are a difficult twelve lines to work with. As such, let’s just leave it at that.  

I'll tell you what's also difficult: trying to access what this young lad is concentrating on. No, he's not concentrating on Coriolanus, Aufidius, or anything else in Today's Lines, that's for sure. But look at that stare: he's certainly concentrating on something. Most likely it's got something to do with treats. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done

Since last we saw in France?

 

Duke of Buckingham

King Henry the Eighth      Act I, Scene i, Line 1

Well, well, well. We have the first line of the play- sort of. King Henry the Eighth starts with a Prologue, so I guess that’s the first lines of the play. But this is the first line of Act One, Scene One. Buckingham is speaking with Norfolk and they’re here to do a little table setting for us- give us an idea of what’s going on. You might have thought that the Prologue could have taken care of that for us, but I guess not.

In any event, since we’re not going to be proceeding any further into the play this morning, I don’t think we need to get into the info that these two are going to give us. Rather, I thought I’d say a few words about the word morrow.

Morrow, in 1600’s England could mean either tomorrow or morning. In Today’s Line it’s obviously the latter. Good morning, and well met. This double usage most likely comes to us from the German morgen, which means (you guessed it) tomorrow or morning -  morgen fruh: tomorrow morning, and guten morgen: good morning. As you know, Old English is primarily a Germanic language, so there you have it.

So, today’s takeaway? When reading or listening to Shakespeare morrow might mean morning. Yup, that’s it.  

 

My little Pikachu does not seem to be buying into my explanation of morrow; I see a significant amount of doubt written on that cute little face. Her friend Mojo, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to give a hoot. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d think he wasn’t even listening. But I know that can’t be; he finds my posts riveting.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Now with the drops of this most balmy time

My love looks fresh, and Death to me subscribes,

Since, spite of him, I’ll live in this poor rhyme,

While he insults o’er dull and speechless tribes.

Sonnet 107

Lines 9-12

Here we have the third quatrain of Sonnet 107. As I’ve pointed out many times in the past (but it’s been a while since we looked at a sonnet) the sonnets are made up of three quatrains (lines of four) and one final couplet (two lines). Each quatrain is best understood taken as a whole (as opposed to looking at one single line), and further, it’s easier to understand this quatrain if we look at the two that precede it, and/or the sonnet as a whole. So here we go…

Not mine own fears, nor the prophet’s soul

Of the wide, world, dreaming on things to come,

Can yet the lease of my true love control,

Supposed as forfeit to a confined doom.

Nothing (Not mine own fears, nor the prophet’s soul/Of the wide, world, dreaming on things to come,) can control my true love (for you).

The mortal moon hath her eclipse endured,

And the sad augers mock their own presage;

Uncertainties now crown themselves assured,

And peace proclaims olives of endless age.

Things have come and gone (The mortal moon hath her eclipse endured, And the sad augers mock their own presage) but now we can be assured that we’ve come to a peaceful age.

 

Now with the drops of this most balmy time

My love looks fresh, and Death to me subscribes,

Since, spite of him, I’ll live in this poor rhyme,

While he insults o’er dull and speechless tribes.

And in this peaceful time my love looks fresh, and death submits to me, since in spite of him I’ll live on in this sonnet while he just goes on killing.

 

And thou in this shalt find thy monument,

When tyrants’ crests and tombs of brass are spent.

And this sonnet will be my monument to you long after tyrants, and the monuments they create, have crumbled to dust.

 

Well there, taken as a whole it’s pretty darn easy to understand Today’s Lines and the whole sonnet, isn’t it?

 

Yessiree Mr. B., easy peasy. Just about as easy as it will be for you to put those covers back, eh? I wasn't quite ready to get up yet, comprendez?

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

                                        [to the TRIBUNES]

Masters of the people,

We do request your kindest ears; and, after,

Your loving motion toward the common body,

To yield what passes here.

 

First Senator

Coriolanus             Act II, Scene ii, Line 55

This is a relatively short scene which Mojo and I took the opportunity to listen to. It’s early in the play. Coriolanus has returned to the city after leading his troops to victory over the Volscens at Corioli. Now, the senate has convened to appoint Coriolanus as the leader of Rome. With Today’s Line, the First Senator is asking the tribunes (the representatives of the common folk) to listen to the one of the generals describe what Coriolanus did, and then to vote with them on approving him as the leader.

Of course, it’s not going to be that simple. Is it ever?

 

No, you’re right Mr. B., nothing is simple. Look at me for example; I hopped up here expecting some treats and attention, but all Mrs. B. wants to do is look at those stupid birds. Simple? I think not.

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Out of their saddles into the dirt; and thereby hangs a tale.

 

Grumio

The Taming of the Shrew   Act IV, Scene i, Line 55

Okay, I did a little reading and listening, so here’s what’s going on.

Petruchiuo has married Kate and is traveling back to his home with her. Grumio was with them, but he has gone ahead to make sure the servants are preparing the house for the newlyweds’ arrival. So now Grumio is at the house talking with Curtis (apparently one of the servants of the house). Curtis wants to hear some news, so Grumio tells him,

First, know my horse is tired; my master and mistress fallen out.

How?

Out of their saddles into the dirt; and thereby hangs a tale.

Now, I suppose you want to hear the tale? Okay, here it is.

…we came down a foul hill, my master riding behind my mistress…

…her horse fell, and she under her horse; thou shouldst have heard, in how miry a place; how she was bemoiled; how he left her with the horse upon her; how he beat me because her horse stumbled; how she waded through the dirt to pluck him off me; how he swore; how she pray’d-that never pray’d before; how I cried; how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burst; how I lost my crupper;

By the way, bemoiled is soiled or encumbered with mud and dirt (MW online, and it is considered obsolete, so I'll give you that one), and crupper is a leather loop passing under a  horse's tail and buckled to the saddle (also MW online, and NOT obsolete).

And that’s the crux of the tale. Not a bad tale, eh? 

That’s an interesting tale, Mr. Blagys, and I think it’s adds to the humor of this comedy which can at times get easily lost with the tendency to view it, mistakenly in my opinion, as a tale of misogyny.

I couldn’t agree more, Mojo. I think you've hit the nail on the head.

Yes, I'm a good nail hitter, opposable thumbs notwithstanding. 

 

Today’s Totally Random Lines

 

Nay, but I bar to-night: you shall not gauge me

By what we do tonight.

Gratiano

The Merchant of Venice             Act II, Scene ii, Line 198

Gratiano has requested to join Bassanio on his trip to Belmont. Bassanio says yes, but with the proviso that Gratiano behaves himself. Gratiano replies,

                                Signior Bassanio, hear me:

If I do not put on a sober habit,

Talk with respect, and swear but now and then,

Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely;

Nay, more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes

Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say amen;

Use all the observance of civility,

Like one well studied in a sad ostent

To please his grandam,--never trust me more.

 

And then one line later he follows this up with Today’s Line, essentially saying, Except for tonight, not tonight. So,  Gratiano's going to be an angel - except for tonight, not tonight.

Ostent, by the way, is appearance: Like one well studied in a sad or solemn appearance. And that is from MW online with no note of this word being old or out of use.

So there you have it. Gratiano has promised to behave himself; after tonight.

 

What’s Gratiano going to do tonight, Mr. Blagys?

I have no idea, Mojo, but I wouldn't worry about it. I'm pretty sure it's safe to come out of there.