QUOTES FROM THE BARD

The laws are mine, not thine.
Who can arraign me for ’t?

PLAY: King Lear ACT/SCENE: 5.3 SPEAKER: Goneril CONTEXT: ALBANY
Shut your mouth, dame,
Or with this paper shall I stop it.—Hold, sir,
Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil.—
(to Goneril) Nay, no tearing, lady. I perceive you know it.
GONERIL
Say, if I do? The laws are mine, not thine.
Who can arraign me for ’t? DUTCH: En wat dan nog? Ik ben de wet, niet jij.
Wie klaagt mij daarvoor aan?/
En wat dan nog! Mij is de wet, niet u.
Wie heeft de macht mij aan to klagen?
MORE: The sovereign could not be tried, having no equal
Cited in Shakespeare’s Legal Maxims (William Lowes Rushton)
Schmidt:
Evil=Moral offence, crime
Arraign=To summon before a court of justice
Compleat:
Arraign=Voor ‘t recht ontbieden; voor ‘t recht daagen Topics: law/legal, offence, justice, equality

Jesters do oft prove prophet

PLAY: King Lear
ACT/SCENE: 5.3
SPEAKER: Regan
CONTEXT:
ALBANY
That were the most if he should husband you.
REGAN
Jesters do oft prove prophets.
GONERIL
Holla, holla!
That eye that told you so looked but asquint.

DUTCH:
Een dwaas blijkt dikwijls een profeet. /
Spotters zijn vaak profeten.

MORE:
Proverb: Many a true word spoken in jest
Schmidt:
Jester=One who cracks jokes, a scoffer
Compleat:
To husband=To supply with a husband, to marry

Topics: language, proverbs and idioms, still in use

As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods:
They kill us for their sport.

PLAY: King Lear
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Gloucester
CONTEXT:
He has some reason, else he could not beg.
I’ th’ last night’s storm I such a fellow saw,
Which made me think a man a worm. My son
Came then into my mind, and yet my mind
Was then scarce friends with him. I have heard more since.
As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods.
They kill us for their sport.

DUTCH:
Nu weet ik meer: wij zijn
voor goden slechts wat vliegen zijn voor jongens:
zij doden voor de grap./
Hem toen niet goed gezind ; sinds hoorde ik meer
Den Goden zijn we als vliegen voor kwajongens ;
Zij doode’ ons uit de grap .

MORE:
Compare Job 25.6: ‘How 38-9 How much more man, a worme, euen the sonne of man, which is but a worme?’ (Kittredge); Psalms 22:6 ‘But I am a worm and not a man’.
Schmidt:
Compleat:
Plague=Plaag
Scarce=Hardly, scantly
Those kind of people are the plague (pest or bane) of mankind=Dat soort van menschen is de pest van het menschdom
Plague (punishment or judgment)=Straffe
A wanton child=Een speelsch kind
Scarce (or scarcely)=Naauwlyks

Topics: madness, poverty and wealth, fate/destiny

And worse I may be yet. The worst is not
So long as we can say ‘This is the worst.’

PLAY: King Lear
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Edgar
CONTEXT:
I stumbled when I saw. Full oft ’tis seen,
Our means secure us and our mere defects
Prove our commodities. O dear son Edgar,
The food of thy abusèd father’s wrath,
Might I but live to see thee in my touch,
I’d say I had eyes again!
OLD MAN
How now? Who’s there?
EDGAR
(aside) O gods! Who is ’t can say “I am at the worst”?
I am worse than e’er I was.
OLD MAN
(to GLOUCESTER)
‘Tis poor mad Tom.
EDGAR
(aside) And worse I may be yet. The worst is not
So long as we can say “This is the worst.”

DUTCH:
Het ergste is nog niet aan de orde zolang wij nog kunnen zeggen ‘Dit is het ergste’./
En ‘t kan nog erger ; ‘t is nog niet het ergste
Als wij nog zeggen kunnen „Dit is ‘t ergste .”

MORE:
Proverb: ‘The way to be safe is never to be secure’ or ‘He that is secure is not safe’
Our means secure us=Give us a false sense of security (See Macbeth 3.5: ‘Security is mortals’ chiefest enemy’)
Schmidt:
Stumble (in a moral sense)=To err
Means=That which is at a person’s disposal; resources, power, wealth, allowance
Secure=To make careless and confident
Abusèd=Deceived
Compleat:
Secure (fearless or careless)=Onbevreest, zorgeloos

Topics: fate/destiny, adversity

Categories: , |

I cannot daub it further

PLAY: King Lear
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Edgar
CONTEXT:
I cannot daub it further

DUTCH:
Ik kan niet langer veinzen.

MORE:
Daub it further=Keep dissembling. (Old French ‘dauber’, whitewash).
See also Richard III: “So smooth he daub’d his vice with show of virtue.” (Richard, 3.5)

Topics: truth, honesty

Categories: , |

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