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QUOTES FROM THE BARD

Thus to have said, as you were fore-advised, had touch’d his spirit

PLAY: Coriolanus ACT/SCENE: 2.3 SPEAKER: CONTEXT: BRUTUS
Could you not have told him
As you were lesson’d, when he had no power,
But was a petty servant to the state,
He was your enemy, ever spake against
Your liberties and the charters that you bear
I’ the body of the weal; and now, arriving
A place of potency and sway o’ the state,
If he should still malignantly remain
Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might
Be curses to yourselves? You should have said
That as his worthy deeds did claim no less
Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature
Would think upon you for your voices and
Translate his malice towards you into love,
Standing your friendly lord.
SICINIUS
Thus to have said,
As you were fore-advised, had touch’d his spirit
And tried his inclination; from him pluck’d
Either his gracious promise, which you might,
As cause had call’d you up, have held him to
Or else it would have gall’d his surly nature,
Which easily endures not article
Tying him to aught; so putting him to rage,
You should have ta’en the advantage of his choler
And pass’d him unelected. DUTCH: Zulk een zeggen, —
Men ried het u vooruit, — had hem getroffen
En zijn gemoed beproefd; het had misschien
Hem een belofte ontlokt van gunst en vriendschap … MORE: Lessoned=Instructed
Ever=Always
Charters=Rights
Body=Common people
Weal=Commonwealth
Sway=Influence
Translate=Transform
Fore-advised=Advised in advance
Tried=Tested, found out
Inclination=Thinking
Article=Conditions
Compleat:
Ever=Altoos, altyd
Charter=Handvest, voorrecht
Inclination=Neiging, geneigdheid, genegenheid, trek, zucht
The common-weal=’t Welvaaren van ‘t algemeen
A common-wealths man=Een republyks gezinde
Sway=Zwaaijen; regeren
To translate=Overzetten, vertaalen, overvoeren, verplaatsen
Tried=Beproefd, te recht gesteld, verhoord
Inclination=Neiging, geneigdheid, genegenheid, trek, zucht
Article=Een lid, artykel, verdeelpunt Topics: learning/education, dispute, language, communication

Categories: communication, Coriolanus, language, learning/education|

Are you a god? would you create me new?

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 3.2
SPEAKER: Antipholus of Syracuse
CONTEXT:
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Sweet mistress—what your name is else I know not,
Nor by what wonder you do hit of mine,—
Less in your knowledge and your grace you show not
Than our earth’s wonder, more than earth divine.
Teach me, dear creature, how to think and speak.
Lay open to my earthy gross conceit,
Smothered in errors, feeble, shallow, weak,
The folded meaning of your words’ deceit.
Against my soul’s pure truth why labour you
To make it wander in an unknown field?
Are you a god? would you create me new?
Transform me, then, and to your power I’ll yield.
But if that I am I, then well I know
Your weeping sister is no wife of mine,
Nor to her bed no homage do I owe.
Far more, far more, to you do I decline.
O, train me not, sweet mermaid, with thy note
To drown me in thy sister’s flood of tears.
Sing, Siren, for thyself, and I will dote.
Spread o’er the silver waves thy golden hairs,
And as a bed I’ll take them and there lie,
And in that glorious supposition think
He gains by death that hath such means to die.
Let Love, being light, be drownèd if she sink.

DUTCH:
Zijt ge een godin, die mij vervormen wil?
Vervorm mij dan! ik geef mij in uw hand.

MORE:
Hit=Guess, discover
Gross conceit=Weak intellect
Folded=Concealed
Compleat:
To hit (succeed, happen)=Aankomen, gelukken, ontmoeten; (agree) over eens worden
I can’t hit of his name=Ik an niet op zyn naam komen
To conceit=Zich verbeelden, achten
Conceit=Waan, bevatting, opvatting, meening

Topics: understanding, error, intellect, learning/education, respect

Categories: intellect, learning/education, respect, The Comedy of Errors, understanding|

Like a fair house built on another man’s ground; so that I have lost my edifice by mistaking the place where I erected it

PLAY: The Merry Wives of Windsor
ACT/SCENE:
SPEAKER: Ford
CONTEXT:
FALSTAFF
Of what quality was your love, then?
FORD
Like a fair house built on another man’s ground; so that I have lost my edifice by mistaking the place where I erected it.
FALSTAFF
To what purpose have you unfolded this to me?
FORD
When I have told you that, I have told you all.
Some say, that though she appear honest to me, yet in
other places she enlargeth her mirth so far that
there is shrewd construction made of her. Now, Sir
John, here is the heart of my purpose: you are a
gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable
discourse, of great admittance, authentic in your
place and person, generally allowed for your many
war-like, court-like, and learned preparations.

DUTCH:
Zij geleek een schoon huis, op eens andermans grond
gebouwd; zoodat ik mijn gebouw verspeelde, door een
verkeerd erf te kiezen om het te stichten.

MORE:
Cited in Shakespeare’s Legal Maxims (William Lowes Rushton)
There was a Latin maxim to the effect that if a man built a house using his own materials on another man’s land, has become the property of the owner of the plot. This legal consequence of an innocent mistake was a hot topic for the public and taken up by dramatists of the time. Shakespeare approached it differently by not using the Latin maxim but alluding to it only in ordinary language.

Proverb: Who builds upon another’s ground loses both mortar and stones

Honest=Faithful
Shrewd construction=Suspicion
Great admittance=Admitted to elevated social circles
Authentic=Creditable
Preparations=Accomplishments
Compleat:
Shrewd=Loos, doortrapt, sneedig, vinnig, fel
Construction=Uytlegging, Zamenstelling
Admittance=Toelaating, inwilliging
Authentick, authentical=Eygen-geloofwaardig, goedgekeurd, achtbaar, geloofwaardig
Preparation=Toerusting, voorbereyding, voorbereydsel

Categories: honesty, law/legal, learning/education, status, The Merry Wives of Windsor|

You are a gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable discourse, of great admittance, authentic in your place and person

PLAY: The Merry Wives of Windsor
ACT/SCENE:
SPEAKER: Ford
CONTEXT:
FORD
When I have told you that, I have told you all.
Some say, that though she appear honest to me, yet in
other places she enlargeth her mirth so far that
there is shrewd construction made of her. Now, Sir
John, here is the heart of my purpose: you are a
gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable
discourse, of great admittance, authentic in your
place and person, generally allowed for your many
war-like, court-like, and learned preparations.

DUTCH:
En nu, Sir John, kom ik tot de kern van mijn plan: gij zijt een gentleman van fijne beschaving, bewonderenswaardig talent van praten, in de hoogste kringen gezien, invloedrijk door rang en persoon, algemeen geschat wegens uwe hoedanigheden als soldaat, als hoveling en als geleerde.

MORE:
Honest=Faithful
Shrewd construction=Suspicion
Great admittance=Admitted to elevated social circles
Authentic=Creditable
Preparations=Accomplishments
Compleat:
Honest=Eerlyk, oprecht, vroom
Shrewd=Loos, doortrapt, sneedig, vinnig, fel
Construction=Uytlegging, Zamenstelling
Admittance=Toelaating, inwilliging
Authentick, authentical=Eygen-geloofwaardig, goedgekeurd, achtbaar, geloofwaardig
Preparation=Toerusting, voorbereyding, voorbereydsel

Categories: honesty, law/legal, learning/education, status, The Merry Wives of Windsor|

Boys of art, I have deceived you both; I have directed you to wrong places

PLAY: The Merry Wives of Windsor
ACT/SCENE:
SPEAKER: Host
CONTEXT:
HOST
Peace, I say! hear mine host of the Garter. Am I
politic? am I subtle? am I a Machiavel? Shall I
lose my doctor? no; he gives me the potions and the
motions. Shall I lose my parson, my priest, my Sir
Hugh? no; he gives me the proverbs and the
no-verbs. Give me thy hand, terrestrial; so. Give me
thy hand, celestial; so. Boys of art, I have
deceived you both; I have directed you to wrong
places: your hearts are mighty, your skins are
whole, and let burnt sack be the issue. Come, lay
their swords to pawn. Follow me, lads of peace;
follow, follow, follow.

DUTCH:
Kinderen der wijsheid, ik heb u beiden bedrogen; ik heb u op verkeerde plaatsen besteld; en daar staat gij nu met heldenharten en heelshuids; en laat nu gebrande sek het einde zijn.

MORE:
Garter=Name of the inn
Politic=Devious
Subtle=Crafty, treacherous
Proverbs=Parables
No-verbs=Interdictions
Terrestrial=Priest
Celestial=Doctor
Art=Learning
Burnt sack=Heated wine
Issue=Outcome
Compleat:
Politick (or cunning)=Slim, schrander, doorsleepen
Subtle=Listig, loos, sneedig, spitsvindig
Proverb=Een spreuk, spreekwoord, byspreuk
Artful=Konstig, loos
Sack=Sek, een soort van sterke wyn

Topics: betrayal|conspiracy|deceit|learning/education|manipulation

Categories: betrayal, deceit, learning/education, manipulation, The Merry Wives of Windsor|

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