QUOTES FROM THE BARD

To write and read be henceforth treacherous!

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 4.2
SPEAKER: Imogen
CONTEXT:
IMOGEN
(…) These flowers are like the pleasures of the world;
This bloody man, the care on’t. I hope I dream;
For so I thought I was a cave-keeper,
And cook to honest creatures: but ’tis not so;
‘Twas but a bolt of nothing, shot at nothing,
Which the brain makes of fumes: our very eyes
Are sometimes like our judgments, blind. Good faith,
I tremble stiff with fear: but if there be
Yet left in heaven as small a drop of pity
As a wren’s eye, fear’d gods, a part of it!
The dream’s here still: even when I wake, it is
Without me, as within me; not imagined, felt.
A headless man! The garments of Posthumus!
I know the shape of’s leg: this is his hand;
His foot Mercurial; his Martial thigh;
The brawns of Hercules: but his Jovial face
Murder in heaven?—How!—’Tis gone. Pisanio,
All curses madded Hecuba gave the Greeks,
And mine to boot, be darted on thee! Thou,
Conspired with that irregulous devil, Cloten,
Hast here cut off my lord. To write and read
Be henceforth treacherous! Damn’d Pisanio
Hath with his forged letters,—damn’d Pisanio—
From this most bravest vessel of the world
Struck the main-top! O Posthumus! alas,
Where is thy head? where’s that? Ay me! where’s that? (…)

DUTCH:
Gij, met dien bandeloozen duivel Cloten,
Gij hebt mijn gá vermoord! O, lezen, schrijven,
Zij voortaan hoogverraad! — Pisanio, bloedhond! —
Gij hebt met valschen brief,


MORE:
A fume=A vapour, a delusion, phantasm, anything hindering the function of the brain, like a mist
Madded=Made mad (with revenge)
To boot=As well
Irregulous=Lawless
Main-top=Top of the mast
Compleat:
The glory of mortals is but a fume=De eerre der stervelingen is maar rook
To be in a fume=In een woede zyn

Topics: pity, imagination, madness, evidence
Categories: , , , |

As small a drop of pity as a wren’s eye

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 4.2
SPEAKER: Imogen
CONTEXT:
IMOGEN
(…) These flowers are like the pleasures of the world;
This bloody man, the care on’t. I hope I dream;
For so I thought I was a cave-keeper,
And cook to honest creatures: but ’tis not so;
‘Twas but a bolt of nothing, shot at nothing,
Which the brain makes of fumes: our very eyes
Are sometimes like our judgments, blind. Good faith,
I tremble stiff with fear: but if there be
Yet left in heaven as small a drop of pity
As a wren’s eye, fear’d gods, a part of it!
The dream’s here still: even when I wake, it is
Without me, as within me; not imagined, felt.
A headless man! The garments of Posthumus!
I know the shape of’s leg: this is his hand;
His foot Mercurial; his Martial thigh;
The brawns of Hercules: but his Jovial face
Murder in heaven?—How!—’Tis gone. Pisanio,
All curses madded Hecuba gave the Greeks,
And mine to boot, be darted on thee! Thou,
Conspired with that irregulous devil, Cloten,
Hast here cut off my lord. To write and read
Be henceforth treacherous! Damn’d Pisanio
Hath with his forged letters,—damn’d Pisanio—
From this most bravest vessel of the world
Struck the main-top! O Posthumus! alas,
Where is thy head? where’s that? Ay me!
where’s that?

DUTCH:
O, groote goden,
Is boven nog erbarming, slechts een drup,
Als ‘t oog der grasmusch, schenkt me een deel er van!

MORE:
A fume=A vapour, a delusion, phantasm, anything hindering the function of the brain, like a mist
Madded=Made mad (with revenge)
To boot=As well
Irregulous=Lawless
Main-top=Top of the mast
Compleat:
The glory of mortals is but a fume=De eerre der stervelingen is maar rook
To be in a fume=In een woede zyn

Topics: pity, imagination, madness, evidence

Categories: , , , |

You look on me: what wreck discern you in me deserves your pity?

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 1.6
SPEAKER: Imogen
CONTEXT:
IACHIMO
Not he: but yet heaven’s bounty towards him might
Be used more thankfully. In himself, ’tis much;
In you, which I account his beyond all talents,
Whilst I am bound to wonder, I am bound
To pity too.
IMOGEN
What do you pity, sir?
IACHIMO
Two creatures heartily.
IMOGEN
Am I one, sir?
You look on me: what wreck discern you in me
Deserves your pity?
IACHIMO
Lamentable! What,
To hide me from the radiant sun and solace
I’ the dungeon by a snuff?
IMOGEN
I pray you, sir,
Deliver with more openness your answers
To my demands. Why do you pity me?

DUTCH:
Ben ik er een van, heer?
Gij ziet mij aan; wat deerniswaarde ellend
Ontdekt ge in mij?

MORE:
Talents=Price (coins)
Wreck=Disaster
Solace=Consolation
Snuff=A dying candle
Compleat:
Talent=Een talent; pond
Wreck (wrack)=Verlooren gaan; te gronde gaan
Solace=Troost, vertroosting, vermaaak
To snuff out a candle=Een kaars uitsnuiten

Topics: pity

Categories: , |

What faults he made before the last, I think might have found easy fines

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 5.6
SPEAKER: First Lord
CONTEXT:
AUFIDIUS
I have not deserved it.
But, worthy lords, have you with heed perused
What I have written to you?
LORDS
We have.
FIRST LORD
And grieve to hear’t.
What faults he made before the last, I think
Might have found easy fines: but there to end
Where he was to begin and give away
The benefit of our levies, answering us
With our own charge, making a treaty where
There was a yielding,—this admits no excuse.

DUTCH:
En ‘t wekte ons kommer.
Voor elke feil, voorafgaand aan de laatste,
Volstond een boete; doch het werk te staken,
Waar hij beginnen moest, de winst der waap’ning
Zoo weg te schenken, enkel onze kosten

MORE:
With heed=Heedfulness, attention, care
Easy fines=Light penalties
Give away the benefit=Squander a lead, advantage
Answering us=Satisfying, rewarding
Yielding=Lack of opposition, weakness
Admits no excuse=There is no excuse
Compleat:
Heed=Hoede, zorg, acht, toezit
Take heed=Draag zorg, heb acht, zie toe
Give away for lost=Iets verlooren rekenen
Yielding=Overgeeving, toegeeving, uitlevering; overgeevende, toegeeflyk, meegeeflyk
To admit of one’s excuse=Iemands verschooning plaats geven

Topics: caution, punishment, error, pity, negligence, failure

It is no little thing to make mine eyes to sweat compassion

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 5.3
SPEAKER:
CONTEXT:
AUFIDIUS
I was moved withal.
CORIOLANUS
I dare be sworn you were:
And, sir, it is no little thing to make
Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir,
What peace you’ll make, advise me: for my part,
I’ll not to Rome, I’ll back with you; and pray you,
Stand to me in this cause. O mother! wife!
AUFIDIUS
I am glad thou hast set thy mercy and thy honour
At difference in thee: out of that I’ll work
Myself a former fortune.
CORIOLANUS
Ay, by and by;
But we will drink together; and you shall bear
A better witness back than words, which we,
On like conditions, will have counter-seal’d.
Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve
To have a temple built you: all the swords
In Italy, and her confederate arms,
Could not have made this peace.

DUTCH:
Ik zweer er op, dit waart gij;
En, man, ‘t is niets gerings, te maken, dat
Mijn oog erbarmen drupt.

MORE:
Make eyes to sweat compassion=Cry, force tears
Work myself=Gain for myself
Former fortune=Fortune as before
Countersealed=Both ratified
Confederate=United
Compleat:
To move to compassion=Tot medelyden beweegen
Confederate=Een bondgenoot, bondverwant, metverwant

Topics: pity, emotion and mood, dispute, remedy, respect

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