QUOTES FROM THE BARD

Unquiet meals make ill digestions

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors ACT/SCENE: 5.1 SPEAKER: Abbess CONTEXT: ADRIANA
It was the copy of our conference.
In bed he slept not for my urging it;
At board he fed not for my urging it.
Alone, it was the subject of my theme;
In company I often glancèd it.
Still did I tell him it was vile and bad.
ABBESS
And thereof came it that the man was mad.
The venom clamours of a jealous woman
Poisons more deadly than a mad dog’s tooth.
It seems his sleeps were hinder’d by thy railing,
And therefore comes it that his head is light.
Thou sayst his meat was sauced with thy upbraidings.
Unquiet meals make ill digestions.
Thereof the raging fire of fever bred,
And what’s a fever but a fit of madness?
Thou sayest his sports were hinderd by thy brawls.
Sweet recreation barred, what doth ensue
But moody and dull melancholy,
Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair,
And at her heels a huge infectious troop
Of pale distemperatures and foes to life?
In food, in sport, and life-preserving rest
To be disturbed, would mad or man or beast.
The consequence is, then, thy jealous fits
Have scared thy husband from the use of wits.
LUCIANA
She never reprehended him but mildly
When he demeaned himself rough, rude, and wildly.—
[to ADRIANA] Why bear you these rebukes and answer not? DUTCH: Zijn maal werd, zegt gij, met uw twist gekruid;
Onrustig eten stoort de spijsvertering.
MORE: Copy=Subject matter
Conference=Discussion
Venom clamours=Poisonous words
Upbraidings=Reproaches
To rail=To reproach, scold
Sauced with=Accompanied by
Sport=Entertainment, recreation
Brawls=Arguments
Distemperatures=Disorders
Compleat:
Copy=Afschrift, dubbeld, kopy
Conference=Onderhandeling, t’zamenspraak, mondgemeenschap
Upbraiding=Verwyting
To rail=Schelden
Venom=Venyn, vergif
Clamour=Geroep, geschreeuw, gekrysch
Sauced=Gesausd
To make sport=Lachen, speelen
Brawl=Gekyf
Distemperative=Ongeregeldheid, ongemaatigtheid Topics: emotion and mood, wellbeing, madness

Why, what an intricate impeach is this! I think you have all drunk of Circe’s cup

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 5.1
SPEAKER: Duke
CONTEXT:
SECOND MERCHANT
Besides, I will be sworn these ears of mine
Heard you confess you had the chain of him
After you first forswore it on the mart,
And thereupon I drew my sword on you,
And then you fled into this abbey here,
From whence I think you are come by miracle.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
I never came within these abbey walls,
Nor ever didst thou draw thy sword on me.
I never saw the chain, so help me heaven,
And this is false you burden me withal.
DUKE
Why, what an intricate impeach is this!
I think you all have drunk of Circe’s cup.
If here you housed him, here he would have been.

DUTCH:
Dit is een zaak vol wondervreemde raadsels!
Het schijnt, gij allen dronkt uit Circe’s nap.
Waar’ hij hier ingevlucht, hij zou er zijn;
En waar’ hij dol, hij pleitte niet zoo kalm

MORE:
Circe=A sorceress in Greek mythology; in Homer’s Odyssey, Circe transforms Odysseus’s men into pigs by giving them a magic potion.
Impeach=Accusation, reproach
Burden=Charge, accuse
Compleat:
To impeach=Betichten, beschuldigen, aanklagen
To impeach (or oppose) the truth of a thing=Zich tegen de waarheid van een zaak aankanten

Topics: law/legal, appearance, evidence, madness

Careful hours with Time’s deformèd hand have written strange defeatures in my face

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 5.1
SPEAKER: Aegeon
CONTEXT:
AEGEON
I am sure you both of you remember me.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Ourselves we do remember, sir, by you.
For lately we were bound as you are now.
You are not Pinch’s patient, are you, sir?
AEGEON
Why look you strange on me? you know me well.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
I never saw you in my life till now.
AEGEON
O, grief hath changed me since you saw me last,
And careful hours with time’s deformèd hand
Have written strange defeatures in my face.
But tell me yet, dost thou not know my voice?
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
Neither.
AEGEON
Dromio, nor thou?
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
No, trust me, sir, nor I.

DUTCH:
Door zorgvolle uren heeft de maag’re hand
Des Tijds mij vreemde trekken ingegrift

MORE:
Defeatures=Disfigurements
Careful=Full of cares, subject to anxiety, sorrow, or want
Compleat:
Disfigurement=Mismaaktheyd, wanschapenheyd
Carefull=Zorgvuldig, bezorgd, zorgdraagend, bekommerd

Topics: time, age/experience, sorrow, appearance, grief

Yet hath my night of life some memory, my wasting lamps some fading glimmer left

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 5.1
SPEAKER: Aegeon
CONTEXT:
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Ay, sir, but I am sure I do not, and whatsoever a man
denies, you are now bound to believe him.
AEGEON
Not know my voice! O time’s extremity,
Hast thou so crack’d and splitted my poor tongue
In seven short years that here my only son
Knows not my feeble key of untuned cares?
Though now this grainèd face of mine be hid
In sap-consuming winter’s drizzled snow,
And all the conduits of my blood froze up,
Yet hath my night of life some memory,
My wasting lamps some fading glimmer left,
My dull deaf ears a little use to hear.
All these old witnesses—I cannot err—
Tell me thou art my son Antipholus.

DUTCH:
Toch heeft
De nacht mijns levens nog herinnering,
Mijn kwijnend lampenpaar een schemerschijn,
Mijn oor, schoon doof, nog iets gehoors

MORE:
Feeble key=Weak and discordant tone of voice
Grainèd face=Furrowed, lined features
Grizzled snow=White beard
Wasting lamps=Dimming eyes (eyesight)
Compleat:
Feeble=Zwak, slap
Grainy=Korrelig
Grizled=Grysachtig
Wasting=Verquisting, verwoesting; verquistende

Topics: age/experience, memoryevidence

We came into the world like brother and brother, and now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 5.1
SPEAKER: Dromio
CONTEXT:
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Methinks you are my glass, and not my brother:
I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth.
Will you walk in to see their gossiping?
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Not I, sir. You are my elder.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
That’s a question. How shall we try it?
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
We’ll draw cuts for the signior. Till then, lead thou
first.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Nay, then, thus:
We came into the world like brother and brother,
And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.

DUTCH:
Neen, dan zij ‘t zoo:
Wij sprongen samen de wereld in, als broeders, met elkander;
Zoo gaan wij nu samen hand aan hand, en de een niet na den ander

MORE:
Glass=Mirror
Gossiping=Merrymaking, celebrations
Cuts=Lots
Compleat:
Glass=Spiegel
Gossiping=Op de slemp loopen

Topics: relationship, love, respect, resolution, equality

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