Cleopatra. His legs bestrid the ocean: his rear'd arm realms and islands were Cleopatra, Ant. & C., v. 2. Shakespeare has given two specimens of an entire dialogue where this kind of interruption is characteristically carried on. One is where the vulgar-minded and vulgar-mannered Parolles perpetually breaks in upon lord Lafeu's observations; while the old nobleman steadily cuts him and his intrusive nothings, by pursuing his own train of thought without noticing the fellow's ill-breeding. The dialogue commences thus: Lafeu. To be relinquished of the artists, Parolles. So I say; both Galen and Paracelsus. Lafeu. Of all the learned and authentic fellows,— Parolles. Right; so I say. Lafeu. That gave him out incurable,- Parolles. Why, there 'tis; so say I too, &c.—All's W., ii. 3. The other dialogue is where Pandarus endeavours to deliver Troilus's message to Paris; but is perpetually interrupted by Helen's banter, teasing the old go-between to sing. It runs thus: Pandarus. I have business to my lord, dear queen. My lord, will you vouchsafe m a word? But, marry, thus, my Helen. Nay, this shall not hedge us out: we'll hear you sing, certainly. Pandarus. Go to, sweet queen, go to:-commends himself most affectionately to you,- VARIATIONS. It has been complained, by sticklers for what they call consistency, that Shakespeare has given repetitions of certain sentences from previous scenes in some of his plays, with verbal variations that show inattention and negligence on the part of the author. To our thinking, they, on the contrary, show his attention to nature and his care to make his characters speak consistently with dramatic verisimilitude. In all the passages where these variations in wording occur, we shall find that there was some excellent reason for the dramatist's making the speaker deviate from strict accuracy of repetition; either to denote hurry, or agitation, or heedlessness, or purposed incorrectness in the person speaking. With regard to the first of the following passages, we must premise that the Folio copy and the Quarto copies vary in their version of the text; and that our version adopts one phrase from the Quartos. The phrase is, "what goes here?" which was originally misprinted 'who goes heare?' Just as, a little farther on in the scene, the Folio misprints who' for "what," where Mrs. Page exclaims, "What a taking was he in, when your husband asked what I was in the basket!" an unfrequent misprint. 'Who' for what' was formerly by no means Ford. How now! what goes here? whither bear you this? Mrs. Page. What a taking was he in, when your husband asked what was in the basket!-Ibid., iii. 3. Falstaff. Being thus crammed in the basket, a couple of Ford's knaves, his hinds, were called forth by their mistress, to carry me in the name of foul clothes to Datchet Lane: they took me on their shoulders; met the jealous knave their master in the door, who asked them once or twice what they had in their basket.—Ibid., iii. 5. That Ford challenges the contents of the basket is sufficiently indicated; and to object that Mrs. Page does not repeat the exact words of his inquiry, appears to us to show no better appreciation of the dramatist's intention than if objection were made at her observing "what a taking was he in, when," &c., on the ground that she could not see or know how dismayed Falstaff was, since he was hidden beneath the heap of linen. This mode of giving the spirit of a hurried incident, when related by the parties concerned, instead of its letter, is in accordance with Shakespeare's truth to nature and actual fact. "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves."-Mer. of V., ii. 7. "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.”—Ibid., ii. 7. "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.”—Ibid., ii. 9. "Who chooseth me shall have as much as he deserves."-Ibid., ii. 9. Because the inscription on the silver casket is three times worded with the word "get," it has been contended by critics that “have " should be 'get' the fourth time the inscription is cited; but we think that inasmuch as the speaker is here agitatedly quoting from memory the inscription previous to reading the "schedule," he does so most naturally with a slight verbal difference. Look on his letter, madam, here's my passport. [Reads] "When thou canst get the ring upon my finger, which never shall come off, and show me a child begotten of thy body, that I am father to, then call me husband.” -All's W., iii. 2. There is your ring; And, look you, here's your letter; this it says: Will you be mine, now you are doubly won ?—Ibid., v. 3. In the former instance Helena is reading the letter; in the latter she is quoting it; which points the dramatist has marked by putting the letter itself in prose, while he puts its quoted substance into blank verse, as forming part of her speech. But though one feels sure she knows its every cruel sentence by heart, yet the very inaccuracy of the cited words serves to indicate the quivering of the lip that repeats them, and the shaking of the hand that holds out the paper containing them. I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal: . . . unless you laugh and minister occasion to him, he is gagged.-Tw. N., i. 5. [Reads] "If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."-Ibid., ii. 5 (Letter). Fool, there was never man so notoriously abused: I am as well in my wits, fool, as thou art.-Ibid., iv. 2. Why," some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrown upon them." I was one, sir, in this interlude,-one Sir Topas, sir; but that's all one. By the Lord, fool, I am not mad"; but do you remember? "Madam, why laugh you at such a barren rascal? an you smile not he's gagged": and thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.-Tw. N., v. 1. It has been suggested that "thrown" should be 'thrust'; in order to consist (!) with the wording of the letter. Certainly not; the dramatist, making the whole speech a jocular taunt of the Clown to Malvolio, causes the wag to lightly quote a prominent sentence from the letter, with the same inaccurate wording that he uses when reminding the puritanical steward of certain other recent matters of grudge and reprisal between them. The salient expressions "barren rascal," "he's gagged," and the denial of imputed insanity are recalled; but with precisely that variation from exactness which we find in real life, and therefore in Shakespeare's page. Master, there is three carters, three shepherds, three neat-herds, three swine-herds, that have made themselves all men of hair,-they call themselves saltiers; and they have a dance. . . . Pray, let us see these four threes of herdsmen.-W. T., iv. 3. Because of these last words it has been proposed to change "carters" to 'goat-herds;' but it is thoroughly in characteristic accordance with nature that the farm-servant should know precisely what are the several callings of the rustics who personate these "men of hair," and should designate them specially; while the king, hearing chiefly the repetition words "shepherds," "neat-herds" and "swine-herds," speaks of the whole twelve as "these four threes of herdsmen." Lord Marshal, command our officers at arms Be ready to direct these home alarms.-R. II., i. I. The cause of his arrival here in arms.-Ibid., i. 3. Both who he is, and why he cometh hither Thus plated in habiliments of war.—Ibid., i. 3. Because the word "lord" is omitted before "marshal" in the second and third of the above passages, and because the omission would improve the metre, Steevens and others leave out "lord" in the first passage. But Shakespeare sometimes disregards the exact quantity. of feet in a line; especially where a title or a proper name occurs. Besides, it is not improbable that he made Richard say "Lord Marshal" in the first scene, by way of marking this officer's rank and form of title to the audience. Item, that the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine shall be released and delivered to the king her father' Uncle, how now! Pardon me, gracious lord; Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart, And dimm'd mine eyes, that I can read no farther.- [Reads] "Item, it is farther agreed between them, that the duchies of Anjou and Maine shall be released and delivered over to the king her father."—2 H. VI., i. 1. The variation in the wording of this item of the treaty has been objected to by Malone and others, who accuse Shakespeare of "inaccuracy" and "inconsistency." We believe it to be one of those inaccuracies and inconsistencies which the dramatist purposely commits for the sake of giving natural effect to certain passages, where varied wording is true to nature in the situation he is representing. In the present case, Gloster, while reading, gathers the main purport of the distasteful item, and blurts it out in abstract; while Winchester, bid to "read on," does so with more verbal precision. [Reads] "What fates await the Duke of Suffolk ?" By water shall he die, and take his end. [Reads] "What shall befall the Duke of Somerset ?" By water shall he die, and take his end, What shall betide the Duke of Somerset ?"—2 H. VI., i. 4. The questions in the above passage are first propounded to the spirit by Bolingbroke the conjuror; who, having made himself acquainted with their purport, words them rather according to their known substance than with verbal implicitness to the form in which the duchess has written them down. Although holding the paper in his hand, and formally appearing to read from it, yet he delivers the questions with just that want of literal exactness which is natural under such circumstances. The second time it is York who reads them from the paper where they are written, together with the answers that have been added from the spirit's rejoinder; and he, of course, reads verbatim what he finds penned down. This, we think, accounts for the variation between the forms of the same questions; and even shows a certain amount of dramatic propriety in the variation. If ever he have wife, let her be made More miserable by the death of him, Than I am made by my young lord and thee !—R. III., i. 2. When he, that is my husband now, Came to me, as I follow'd Henry's corse; When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his hands, Which issu'd from my other angel husband, And that dead saint which then I weeping follow'd; O, when, I say, I look'd on Richard's face, This was my wish, -"Be thou," quoth I, "accurs'd, For making me, so young, so old a widow! And, when thou wedd'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed; And be thy wife (if any be so mad) More miserable by the life of thee Than thou hast made me by my dear lord's death!”—Ibid., iv. 1. In the penultimate line of the last-cited passage, the Quarto copies give 'death' instead of "life," and give other minor differences in this sentence, which cause it to correspond more closely with the words previously used by Anne in act i., sc. 2, that she is now quoting. But the Folio reading, which we adopt, is in accordance with other variations which Anne here makes; for she not only repeats her own words with natural inexactness, she also describes herself as having addressed Richard, when, in fact, she addressed the corse of King Henry VI. How far off lie these armies ? Within this mile and half.-Coriol., i. 4. The citizens of Corioli have issu'd, And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle; Though thou speak'st truth, 'Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums: How could 'st thou in a mile confound an hour, In the first of the two above-cited passages Steevens proposed to omit the words "and half" from the conclusion of the line, because he complains that they disturb the measure, and because, he says, it is mentioned in the second passage that "'tis not a mile" between the two armies. But, not only does Shakespeare occasionally give lines of more or fewer than ten feet, he sometimes purposely gives these variations in reports of distance or numbers on a battle-field, as being peculiarly natural to the scene. Draw Benvolio; beat down their weapons. Hold, Tybalt!-Good Mercutio. -R. & Jul., iii. 1. Romeo he cries aloud, "Hold, friends! friends, part!" and, swifter than his tongue, And 'twixt them rushes.-Ibid., iii. 1. Here, in the account which Benvolio gives of the fray, he repeats Romeo's words with just that variation in literal precision which is in accordance with repetitions of the kind in real life. All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter.—Macb., i. 3. These weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with, "Hail, king that shalt be!"—Ibid., i. 5 (Letter). In his letter to his wife, Macbeth quotes the witches' prognostic with natural deviation from its exact wording. Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The spirits that know All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus,- Shall e'er have power upon thee.”—Ibid., v. 3. Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be, until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him.-Ibid., iv. 1. I pull in resolution; and begin To doubt th' equivocation of the fiend, That lies like truth: "Fear not, till Birnam wood Do come to Dunsinane."-Ibid., v. 5. In both the last-quoted instances, Macbeth repeats the oracular sentences of the apparitions summoned by the witches, with the slight verbal alteration that Shakespeare introduces on these occasions with so natural an effect. How look I, That I should seem to lack humanity So much as this fact comes to? [Reading] "Do 't: the letter That I have sent her, by her own command Shall give thee opportunity."-Cym., iii. 2 |