QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: Julius Caesar ACT/SCENE: 1.1 SPEAKER: Flavius CONTEXT: FLAVIUS
Hence! Home, you idle creatures get you home!
Is this a holiday? What, know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day without the sign
Of your profession?—Speak, what trade art thou?
CARPENTER
Why, sir, a carpenter.
MURELLUS
Where is thy leather apron and thy rule?
What dost thou with thy best apparel on?
—You, sir, what trade are you?
COBBLER
Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as
you would say, a cobbler.
MURELLUS
But what trade art thou? Answer me directly.
COBBLER
A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe
conscience, which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad
soles.
MURELLUS
What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty knave, what trade? DUTCH: Van hier, naar huis! gij, luie vlegels, voort!
Is dit een vrije dag? MORE: Mechanical=Labourer, working class
Thou=Use of thou signified familiarity or, as here, contempt
Rule=Punning on (1) ruler and (2) conduct
Cobbler=Punning on (1) shoemender and (2) bungler
Soles=Punning on (1) shoe soles and (2) souls
Compleat:
To cobble=Flikken, lappen, brodden; schoenlappen
Cobbler=(Cobler) Een schoenlapper, schoenflikker, broddelaar
Rule=Regel, lijn; bestieren, regeren

Burgersdijk notes:
Dat gij, als handwerkslieden, enz. Zulke bepalingen bestonden inderdaad, zoowel in Engeland als in
Duitschland . Topics: status, order/society, work