QUOTES FROM THE BARD

I return’d with simular proof enough to make the noble Leonatus mad

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 5.5
SPEAKER: Iachimo
CONTEXT:
IACHIMO
Your daughter’s chastity—there it begins.
He spake of her, as Dian had hot dreams,
And she alone were cold: whereat I, wretch,
Made scruple of his praise; and wager’d with him
Pieces of gold ‘gainst this which then he wore
Upon his honour’d finger, to attain
In suit the place of’s bed and win this ring
By hers and mine adultery. He, true knight,
No lesser of her honour confident
Than I did truly find her, stakes this ring;
And would so, had it been a carbuncle
Of Phoebus’ wheel, and might so safely, had it
Been all the worth of’s car. Away to Britain
Post I in this design: well may you, sir,
Remember me at court; where I was taught
Of your chaste daughter the wide difference
‘Twixt amorous and villanous. Being thus quench’d
Of hope, not longing, mine Italian brain
‘Gan in your duller Britain operate
Most vilely; for my vantage, excellent:
And, to be brief, my practice so prevail’d,
That I return’d with simular proof enough
To make the noble Leonatus mad,
By wounding his belief in her renown
With tokens thus, and thus; averring notes
Of chamber-hanging, pictures, this her bracelet,—
O cunning, how I got it!— nay, some marks
Of secret on her person, that he could not
But think her bond of chastity quite crack’d,
I having ta’en the forfeit. Whereupon—
Methinks, I see him now—

DUTCH:
In ‘t kort, mijn plan gelukte zoo, dat ik
Met schijnbewijzen wederkwam, genoeg
Om de’ eed’len Leonatus dol te maken


MORE:
Cold=Chaste
Made scruple=Disputed
In suit=Wooing
Post=Hasten
Design=Plan
For my vantage=To my advantage
Practice=Scheme
Simular=Simulated
Averring=Alleging
Compleat:
To scrupule=Zwaarigheid maaken
Design=Opzet, voorneemen, oogmerk, aanslag, toeleg, ontwerp
Vantage=Toegift, toemaat, overmaat, overwigt
Practice=(underhand dealing, intrigue, plot) Praktyk, bedekten handel, list
To averr=Verzeeren, staande houden, bewaarheden

Topics: deceit, evidence, reputation
Categories: , , |

Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for, by tasting of our wrath?

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 5.5
SPEAKER: Cymbeline
CONTEXT:
CYMBELINE
Why, old soldier,
Wilt thou undo the worth thou art unpaid for,
By tasting of our wrath? How of descent
As good as we?
ARVIRAGUS
In that he spake too far.
CYMBELINE
And thou shalt die for’t.
BELARIUS
We will die all three:
But I will prove that two on’s are as good
As I have given out him. My sons, I must,
For mine own part, unfold a dangerous speech,
Though, haply, well for you.
ARVIRAGUS
Your danger’s ours.
GUIDERIUS
And our good his.

DUTCH:
Wat, oude krijger,
Wilt gij uw loon, nog onbetaald, verbeuren
Door onzen toorn te wekken? Hoe! in afkomst
Aan ons gelijk?

MORE:
On ‘s=Of us
Given out him=Said he is
Haply=Perhaps
Compleat:
To give out=(Report, pretend): Voorwenden, uitstrooijen
Haply=Misschien

Topics: reputation, status, equality

Those that I reverence, those I fear – the wise; at fools I laugh, not fear them

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 4.2
SPEAKER: Guiderius
CONTEXT:
CLOTEN
Thou injurious thief,
Hear but my name, and tremble.
GUIDERIUS
What’s thy name?
CLOTEN
Cloten, thou villain.
GUIDERIUS
Cloten, thou double villain, be thy name,
I cannot tremble at it: were it Toad, or Adder, Spider,
‘Twould move me sooner.
CLOTEN
To thy further fear,
Nay, to thy mere confusion, thou shalt know
I am son to the queen.
GUIDERIUS
I am sorry for ‘t; not seeming
So worthy as thy birth.
CLOTEN
Art not afeard?
GUIDERIUS
Those that I reverence, those I fear – the wise;
At fools I laugh, not fear them.

DUTCH:
Ik vrees, die ik eerbiedig: wijze mannen;
Een nar belach ik slechts.

MORE:
Injurious=Insulting
Mere=Total
Confusion=Ruin
Compleat:
Injurious=Verongelykend, beledigend, smaadelyk, lasterlyk
Mere (meer)=Louter, enkel
Confusion (ruin)=Verwoesting, bederf, ruine

Topics: insult, ruin, reputation

Categories: , , |

You are a fool granted; therefore your issues, being foolish, do not derogate

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 2.1
SPEAKER: Cloten
CONTEXT:
CLOTEN
Leonatus! a banished rascal; and he’s another,
whatsoever he be. Who told you of this stranger?
FIRST LORD
One of your lordship’s pages.
CLOTEN
Is it fit I went to look upon him? is there no
derogation in’t?
SECOND LORD
You cannot derogate, my lord.
CLOTEN
Not easily, I think.
SECOND LORD
You are a fool granted; therefore your
issues, being foolish, do not derogate.

DUTCH:
Zou het staan, als ik eens naar hem toeging om een kijkjen van hem te nemen? Zou dat niet beneden mijn waardigheid wezen?

MORE:
Derogation=Disparagement
Derogate=Do anything derogatory to rank, lower opinion
Issues=What proceeds from you, your acts (with a play on issues to mean offspring)
Compleat:
Derogate=Onttrekken, verkorten, verminderen, benadeelen
To derogate from one’s credit=Iemands achting verkorten
To derogate from one’s self=Zich zelfs benadeelen

Topics: reputation, status, order/society

Let him be so entertained amongst you as suits, with gentlemen of your knowing, to a stranger of his quality

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 1.4
SPEAKER: Philario
CONTEXT:
IACHIMO
Ay, and the approbation of those that weep this
lamentable divorce under her colours are wonderfully
to extend him; be it but to fortify her judgment,
which else an easy battery might lay flat, for
taking a beggar without less quality. But how comes
it he is to sojourn with you? How creeps
acquaintance?
PHILARIO
His father and I were soldiers together; to whom I
have been often bound for no less than my life.
Here comes the Briton: let him be so entertained
amongst you as suits, with gentlemen of your
knowing, to a stranger of his quality.
I beseech you all, be better known to this
gentleman; whom I commend to you as a noble friend
of mine: how worthy he is I will leave to appear
hereafter, rather than story him in his own hearing.
FRENCHMAN
Sir, we have known together in Orleans.
POSTHUMUS LEONATUS
Since when I have been debtor to you for courtesies,
which I will be ever to pay and yet pay still.

DUTCH:
Daar komt onze Bril aan. Laat zijn ontvangst
door u zoo hoffelijk wezen, als een vreemdeling van zijn
rang recht heeft te verwachten van edellieden van uwen
stempel.

MORE:
Weep=Lament
Colours=Banner (on her behalf)
To extend him=Exaggerate his qualities
Be it but=Were it only
Easy=Light, slight
Battery=Assault
Without less=With no more
How creeps acquaintance=How did you get to know one another
Suits=Is fitting
Knowing=Knowlege, experience
Story him=Talk about him, sing his praises
Every to pay and yet pay still=Can never repay
Compleat:
To weep (lament)=Klaagen, jammeren
Colour=Een vaandel
Extend=Uitbreiden, wyder uitstrekken
Battery=Een schietschans, beukery, stormkat, battery
To creep=Kruipen, sluipen
To creep into one’s favour=Zich behendig in iemands gunste wikkelen
To story=Verhaalen, vertellen

Topics: marriage, wisdom, reputation, debt/obligation

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