QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: All’s Well that Ends Well
ACT/SCENE: 5.2
SPEAKER: Parolles
CONTEXT:
CLOWN
Here is a purr of fortune’s, sir, or of fortune’s
cat,—but not a musk-cat, —that has fallen into the
unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he
says, is muddied withal: pray you, sir, use the
carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed,
ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I do pity his
distress in my similes of comfort and leave him to
your lordship.
PAROLLES
My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly
scratched.
LAFEW
And what would you have me to do? ‘Tis too late to
pare her nails now. Wherein have you played the
knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who
of herself is a good lady and would not have knaves
thrive long under her? There’s a quart d’ecu for
you: let the justices make you and fortune friends:
I am for other business.

DUTCH:
Edel heer, ik ben een man, die door Fortuin wreed
gekrabd is.

MORE:
Purr or pur=Piece of dung, pun on cat’s purr; asl pun on the knave in a deck of cards
Carp=(1) Fish and (2) Some who talks or complains a lot
Withal=From it, as a consequence
Musk-cat=Musk-deer, valued for its scent (also known as muscat)
Similes of=Comparative
Compleat:
Musk-cat=Civet cat
Carp=Karper
To carp=Bedillen, muggeziften
Simile=Gelykenis, vergelyking

Topics: consequence, fate/destiny