QUOTES FROM THE BARD

You are too absolute; though therein you can never be too noble

PLAY: Coriolanus ACT/SCENE: 3.2 SPEAKER: Volumnia CONTEXT: MENENIUS
Repent what you have spoke.
CORIOLANUS
For them! I cannot do it to the gods;
Must I then do’t to them?
VOLUMNIA
You are too absolute;
Though therein you can never be too noble,
But when extremities speak. I have heard you say,
Honour and policy, like unsever’d friends,
I’ the war do grow together: grant that, and tell me,
In peace what each of them by the other lose,
That they combine not there. DUTCH: Gij zijt te hoog van taal;
Wel toont gij dus uw adeldom te meer;
MORE: Absolute=Rigid, inflexible
When extremities speak=In a crisis, extreme situation “give ground” or concede something; when necessity requires
Unsevered=Inseparable
Policy=Stratagem, prudent or dexterous management
Compleat:
Policy (conduct, address, cunning way)=Staatkunde, beleid, behendigheid
Severed=Afgescheiden
Extremity=Uitspoorigheid; uiterste Topics: conflict, judgment, wisdom, honour

There’s many a man hath more hair than wit

PLAY: The Comedy of Errors
ACT/SCENE: 2.2
SPEAKER: Antipholus of Syracuse
CONTEXT:
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Yes, to pay a fine for a periwig, and recover the lost
hair of another man.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Why is Time such a niggard of hair, being, as it is, so
plentiful an excrement?
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Because it is a blessing that he bestows on beasts, and what he hath scanted men in hair, he hath given them in wit.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Why, but there’s many a man hath more hair than wit.

DUTCH:
Zoo, maar er zijn menschen genoeg, die meer haar hebben dan verstand.

MORE:
Proverb: Bush natural, more hair; than wit
Proverb: An old goat is never themore revered for his beard
Proverb: Wisdom consists not in a beard

Scanted=Been miserly with
Compleat:
Scant=Bekrompen, schaars
I was scanted in time=Ik had er naauwlyks tyd toe

Topics: intellect, appearance, insult, proverbs and idioms, wisdom

Our dearest friend prejudicates the business and would seem to have us make denial

PLAY: All’s Well that Ends Well
ACT/SCENE: 1.2
SPEAKER: King
CONTEXT:
KING
The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears;
Have fought with equal fortune and continue
A braving war.
FIRST LORD
So ’tis reported, sir.
KING
Nay, ’tis most credible; we here received it
A certainty, vouch’d from our cousin Austria,
With caution that the Florentine will move us
For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business and would seem
To have us make denial.
FIRST LORD
His love and wisdom,
Approved so to your majesty, may plead
For amplest credence.

DUTCH:
En waarschuwt, dat Florence om rasschen bijstand
Ons vragen zal; ja, onze waarde vriend
Spreekt reeds vooruit zijn oordeel uit en wenscht ,
Dat wij het weig’ren.

MORE:
By the ears=In a scuffle
Braving war=Defiant war
Vouched=Affirmed
Move=Urge
Prejudicates=Prejudges
Plead for=Serve as
Compleat:
To set people together by the ears=’t Volk tegen malkanderen ophitsen
To brave=Trotsen, braveeren, trotseeren, moedig treden
To vouch=Staande houden, bewyzen, verzekeren
To move=Verroeren, gaande maaken; voorstellen
Prejudicate=Vooroordeelig, vooringenomen

Topics: courage, conflict, wisdom, advice

To say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays

PLAY: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
ACT/SCENE: 3.1
SPEAKER: Bottom
CONTEXT:
TITANIA
I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again.
Mine ear is much enamoured of thy note.
So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape.
And thy fair virtue’s force perforce doth move me
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.
BOTTOM
Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for
that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep
little company together nowadays. The more the pity that
some honest neighbours will not make them friends. Nay,
I can gleek upon occasion.
TITANIA
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

DUTCH:
Mij dunkt, jonkvrouw, dat gij daar toch wel eenige
reden voor zoudt mogen hebben; maar toch, om de
waarheid te zeggen, rede en liefde gaan tegenwoordig al
heel weinig samen om; het is daarom wel jammer, dat
eenige brave buren de moeite niet willen doen om ze
bijeen te brengen.

MORE:
Shape=Appearance
Perforce doth move me=Compels me
Fair virtue’s force=Good qualities
Gleek=Joke
Compleat:
Shape=Gestalte, gedaante, vorm
Perforce=Met geweld

Topics: appearance, love, wisdom

I’ll yet follow the wounded chance of Antony, though my reason sits in the wind against me

PLAY: Antony and Cleopatra
ACT/SCENE: 3.1
SPEAKER: Enobarbus
CONTEXT:
CANIDIUS
Our fortune on the sea is out of breath
And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
Been what he knew himself, it had gone well.
Oh, he has given example for our flight
Most grossly by his own!
ENOBARBUS
Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then, good night indeed.
CANIDIUS
Toward Peloponnesus are they fled.
SCARUS
’Tis easy to ’t, and there I will attend
What further comes.
CANIDIUS
To Caesar will I render
My legions and my horse. Six kings already
Show me the way of yielding.
ENOBARBUS
I’ll yet follow
The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason
Sits in the wind against me.

DUTCH:

Ik volg de kreup’le kans nog van Antonius,
Schoon in den wind van mijn verstand

MORE:
Fortune=Advantage
Out of breath=Lost, exhausted
Are you thereabouts=Is that your thinking?
To ‘t=To get to
Wounded=Damaged
Chance=Fortunes
Reason=Judgement
Sits in the wind against me=Opposes (e.g. against my better judgement)
Compleat:
Fortune=’t Geval, geluk, Fortuyn
Out of breath=Buyten adem
To run himself out of breath=Uyt zyn adem loopen
Thereabouts=Daar omtrent
Wounded=Gewond, verwond, gequetst
Chance=Geval, voorval, kans
Reason=Reden, overweeging
To sail against the wind=In de wind op zeylen

Topics: risk, loyalty, wisdom

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