QUOTES FROM THE BARD

I say they nourished disobedience, fed the ruin of the state

PLAY: Coriolanus ACT/SCENE: 3.1 SPEAKER: Coriolanus CONTEXT: CORIOLANUS
Whoever gave that counsel to give forth
The corn o’ th’ storehouse gratis, as ’twas used
Sometime in Greece—
MENENIUS Well, well, no more of that.
CORIOLANUS
Though there the people had more absolute power,
I say they nourished disobedience, fed
The ruin of the state.
BRUTUS
Why shall the people give
One that speaks thus their voice?
CORIOLANUS
I’ll give my reasons,
More worthier than their voices. They know the corn
Was not our recompense, resting well assured
They ne’er did service for ’t. Being pressed to th’ war,
Even when the navel of the state was touched,
They would not thread the gates. This kind of service
Did not deserve corn gratis. Being i’ the war,
Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they showed
Most valour, spoke not for them. The accusation
Which they have often made against the senate,
All cause unborn, could never be the motive
Of our so frank donation. DUTCH: Schoon daar het volk veel grooter macht bezat,
Die, zeg ik, kweekte muiterij en voedde
‘t Verderf des staats.
MORE: Was not our recompense=Was not a reward we granted
Cause unborn=No existing cause
Sometime=For a while, used to do
Pressed=Impressed (into military service)
Navel=Centre (of the state)
Thread=Pass through
Compleat:
Press (or force) soldiers=Soldaaten pressen, dat is hen dwingen om dienst te neemen
Recompense=Vergelding, beloning
Sometimes=Somtyds Topics: poverty and wealth, reason, order/society, claim, work

I do obey thee till I give thee bail

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Antipholus of Ephesus
CONTEXT:
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
Consent to pay thee that I never had?—
Arrest me, foolish fellow, if thou dar’st.
ANGELO
Here is thy fee. Arrest him, officer.
I would not spare my brother in this case
If he should scorn me so apparently.
OFFICER
I do arrest you, sir. You hear the suit.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
I do obey thee till I give thee bail.
But, sirrah, you shall buy this sport as dear
As all the metal in your shop will answer.
ANGELO
Sir, sir, I will have law in Ephesus,
To your notorious shame, I doubt it not.

DUTCH:
Ik onderwerp mij, tot ik borgtocht stel. —
Maar, heerschap, gij bekoopt die scherts zoo duur,
Dat heel uw winkel zoo veel goud niet levert.

MORE:
Apparently=Openly, evidently
Sport=Jest, mockery
Buy=Pay (dearly) for
Compleat:
Apparently=Schynbaarlyk
To make sport=Lachen, speelen
To pay dear for a thing=Ergens zeer duur voor betaalen, veel geld voor geeven

Topics: law/legal, offence, security, debt/obligation, claim

Say what you will, sir, but I know what I know

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 3.1
SPEAKER: Dromio of Ephesus
CONTEXT:
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Say what you will, sir, but I know what I know.
That you beat me at the mart I have your hand to show;
If the skin were parchment and the blows you gave were ink,
Your own handwriting would tell you what I think.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
I think thou art an ass.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Marry, so it doth appear
By the wrongs I suffer and the blows I bear.
I should kick being kicked; and, being at that pass,
You would keep from my heels and beware of an ass.

DUTCH:
Zeg wat gij wilt, heer, maar ik weet, wat ik weet,
Dat uw groete bestond in het slaan, dat gij deedt;
Waar’ mijn vel perkament en waren uwe slagen inkt,
‘k Had een schrift’lijk bewijs, dat gij zoo mij ontvingt

MORE:
Proverb: I know (wot) what I know (wot) / I wot what I wot, though I few words make

Mart=Marketplace
At that pass=In those circumstances
Compleat:
Mart=Jaarmarkt
Letters of mart=Brieven van wederneeminge of van verhaal; Brieven van Represailes

Topics: claim, evidence, proverbs and idioms

If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine, thou robb’st me of a moiety

PLAY: All’s Well that Ends Well
ACT/SCENE: 3.2
SPEAKER: Countess
CONTEXT:
COUNTESS
Brought you this letter, gentlemen?
FIRST GENTLEMAN
Ay, madam;
And for the contents’ sake are sorry for our pain.
COUNTESS
I prithee, lady, have a better cheer;
If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine,
Thou robb’st me of a moiety: he was my son;
But I do wash his name out of my blood,
And thou art all my child. Towards Florence is he?
SECOND GENTLEMAN
Ay, madam.
COUNTESS
And to be a soldier?
SECOND GENTLEMAN
Such is his noble purpose; and believe ‘t,
The duke will lay upon him all the honour
That good convenience claims.

DUTCH:
Ik bid u, lieve dochter, vat meer moed;
Als gij geheel dien kommer de’ uwen rekent,
Ontrooft gij mij mijn deel.

MORE:
Have a better cheer=Cheer up
Engrossest=Claim
Moeity=Share
Good convenience=Propriety
Compleat:
Chear up=Moed scheppen, moed in spreeken
To engross=Te boek stellen, in ‘t net stellen
Moeity=De helft
Convenience=Bequaamheyd, gelegenheyd, geryflykheyd

Topics: commnication, news, claim, relationship

Enough, enough, my lord. You have enough! I beg the law, the law, upon his head

PLAY: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Lysander
CONTEXT:
LYSANDER
My lord, I shall reply amazèdly,
Half sleep, half waking. But as yet, I swear,
I cannot truly say how I came here.
But as I think—for truly would I speak,
And now do I bethink me, so it is—
I came with Hermia hither. Our intent
Was to be gone from Athens, where we might,
Without the peril of the Athenian law—
EGEUS
Enough, enough, my lord. You have enough!
I beg the law, the law, upon his head.
They would have stol’n away, they would, Demetrius,
Thereby to have defeated you and me,
You of your wife and me of my consent,
Of my consent that she should be your wife.

DUTCH:
Genoeg, genoeg; mijn vorst, dit zij genoeg;
Thans treff’ de wet, de wet, zijn schuldig hoofd!
‘I’e vluchten was het plan, het plan, Demetrius!
Ze wilden ons berooven, u en mij,
U van uw vrouw, mij van mijn vaderrecht,
Dat recht, waardoor ik haar aan u reeds gaf.

MORE:
Amazèdly=In confusion
Where we might=Wherever we can
Peril=Threat, risk
Defeated=Defrauded
Compleat:
Amazed=Ontzet, verbaasd, ontsteld
Amazedly=Verbaasdelyk
Peril=Gevaar, perykel, nood
To defeat=Verslaan, de neerlaag toebrengen, verydelen

Topics: law/legal, punishment, claim

Click on one of the Plays or Topics in the Shakespeare.Legal menu on the left for more Shakespeare quotes.

Go to Top