Shakespeare

Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.

12th Night — Feste Maria and Feste the fool have just finished speaking with each other. He pokes fun at her, and she calls him a troublemaker and exits. Feste is left alone on stage and tries to think up more funny, witty things to say. He then reflects on the made-up philosopher Quinapulus, saying that it is better to be witty and a fool than to simply be a foolish person. Feste is a crucial character in Twelfth Night. As the fool in the court, he has privileged information about and access toboth the masters and the servants. He is allowed to poke fun at those in higher social ranks without punishment, making him an important source of information and even a voice of reason throughout the play (as "fools" often are in Shakespeare's plays).Here he touches on the notion of the maddening aspects of love. Throughout the play, we will see the lovers behave foolishly in the name of love. In Feste's perspective, he would much rather be the Fool than be the foolish lover.

If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.

12 Night — Fabian After Malvolio tells the other servants that he is not of their "element," or is now above them in social class because he is supposedly worthy of Olivia's love, Fabian says this quote. Here he suggests that if this scene were a performance it would likely be considered fiction, as it is too ironic and unrealistic. Malvolio is chastising his fellow servants for being low class and stupid while he is dressed in the ridiculous clothing that the letter requested him to wear. Once again, performance becomes an important theme in this moment. Many of the characters in Twelfth Nightfeel the need to perform or hyperbolize their emotions. In this case, Malvolio is so convinced that Olivia plans to marry him (thus making him a nobleman) that he already starts acting arrogant and overconfident towards other. He has gone mad with love and the love of power, and has thus lost all sense of rationality. His story at this point thus seems too fictional for the stage—a throwaway comment that is also Shakespeare commenting on his own work in a slyly ironic way.

Now the melancholy god protect thee, and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal.

12 Night — Feste Feste sings a song to Orsino, and when Orsino asks him to leave, Feste sings this final segment, in which he mocks Orsino's melancholy nature. He calls upon Saturn, the Roman god associated with "melancholy," o protect him. He tells Orsino that he hopes he can find a tailor that can make him clothing that changes color, because his mind is "opal," an iridescent, cloudy stone, and he never seems to know what he wants. Because of his position as the fool, Feste has the ultimate freedom to poke fun at the masters without getting in trouble. Here he comments on the foolishness of Orsino's performative melancholy and sad, over-the-top musings on love. Yet Orsino is so involved in the song and his love that he doesn't notice the sarcasm. Love is all consuming for him. We also see here that Orsino's childish lamenting of love doesn't go unnoticed by members of the court, as well as his own fool.

I'll be revenged on the whole pack of you.

12 Night — Malvolio By the end of the play all of the disguises have been taken off and the deception has been revealed. While disguising oneself has worked in favor for Viola and even Olivia (who marries Sebastian), Malvolio realizes how thoroughly and cruelly he has been tricked, and remains a single negative voice among the happy lovers. In his last moments on stage, Malvolio says this line to the others and storms off, threatening to take revenge on those who embarrassed him. Malvolio's unresolved plot-line is the only thing disrupting the otherwise traditional comic ending to the play (i.e., everyone is happy, and everyone gets married). While love has worked out well for all the other main characters, Malvolio's love for Olivia ends up wholly unrequited, and his attempts to better his class situation are presented as foolish and laughable. He is undeniably an unlikeable character, but Shakespeare also uses his story to show how love can be cruel as well as pleasurable, and to remind the audience that the harsher realities of class and station remain in place in spite of the happy ending.

Why have you suffered me to be imprisoned, Kept in a dark house, visited by the priest, And made the most notorious geck and gull That e'er invention played on? Tell me why.

12 Night — Malvolio Malvolio continues to be called mad and is mocked by the members of the court—even locked in a dark room (a traditional "treatment" for mental illness at the time). During this moment, Malvolio finally confronts Olivia about the writing of the love letter. After this speech, Olivia discovers that it was in fact Maria who wrote the letter, forging her handwriting, and the Fool who was in fact the "priest" visiting Malvolio. Malvolio's plotline makes clear the connection between love and madness, and emphasizes the nature of revelry and wildness in the environment of Twelfth Night. At the same time, it also introduces some more troubling elements to the comedy—Malvolio is certainly arrogant, dull, and hates any kind of fun, but the punishment he suffers seems to far outweigh his "crimes," and the glee the other characters derive from his suffering often feels downright cruel. While the final revelation of the play's "disguises" is a cause for happiness among most of the characters, for Malvolio it only shows him how thoroughly he has been tricked and how cruelly he has been treated—and, as he says here, for seemingly no good reason.

Be not afraid of greatness: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.

12 Night — Malvolio Malvolio reads the love letter that he thinks is from Olivia, as Maria, its true author, hides in a tree with Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, watching Malvolio embarrass himself. This iconic quote happens toward the end of the letter as an attempt to reveal who the author could be. Malvolio interprets this section to mean that he is one who could "achieve" greatness by marrying the noble-born Olivia (one who was "born great"). Thus the joke being played on Malvolio isn't just getting him to think someone loves him, but also getting him to attempt to rise above his station—flattering his arrogance and sense of superiority. Maria is trying to lift Malvolio up in order to ultimately persuade him to embarrass himself in front of the whole court and Olivia herself. Here we see both the power of words and just how far the performance of love can go in Twelfth Night. Malvolio becomes smitten by his secret admirer simply from her hyperbolic and romantic words.

Go hang yourselves all! You are idle shallow things; I am not of your element.

12 Night — Malvolio Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian have entered the scene, all pretending to be concerned about Malvolio's state of mind (although they all know that he has in fact become the subject of a cruel joke). They express their concerns and Malvolio responds with this quote, telling them that they don't understand what he is going through. This shows that Malvolio is still as rude and arrogant as he was at the beginning of the play, and now even more so because of his sense of confidence in Olivia's love, and the letter's instructions to look down upon and criticize the other servants. The word "element" denotes social class, and as it is used here, Malvolio suggests that the other staff members are shallow and lazy, and that he is above them in both social and intellectual rank. The irony is that while he is behaving this way, he has also succumbed to Maria's trick and is currently dressed outrageously in his yellow stockings. He looks like a fool, and yet lectures the other servants on their own foolishness.

My purpose, indeed, is a horse of that color.

12 Night — Maria Malvolio enters and berates Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew for drinking in Olivia's home. After Malvolio leaves, Maria tells them that she has discovered a way to trick him. She will mimic Olivia's handwriting and write Malvolio a love letter. Sir Toby is thrilled by this plot, and Maria responds with this line. She confirms the layout of the prank, by agreeing that her "horse" or "idea" is exactly of the kind ("color") Sir Toby is probably imagining. This moment brings reveals how deception and disguise can be used against an individual, to hurt instead of the help. The prank provides an important counterpoint to the disguises already happening in the play, i.e. Viola as Cesario.

O world! how apt the poor are to be proud.

12 Night — Olivia Cesario and Olivia are alone. When Olivia asks him to introduce himself once again, he says he is a humble "servant." This leads Olivia into a series of wordplays on the idea of servitude, as she uses Cesario's own position as a servant as a mode of flirtation. Olivia admits her love for Cesario (not knowing he is actually Viola) and Cesario tries to politely turn her down. Olivia replies with this line, suggesting that the poor, or in this case, a servant, should not be too proud to accept the sexual advances of a noble lady like herself. Here, Olivia uses her higher social position as a device to woo Cesario. She tries to convince him to be with her by claiming that it is better to fall before the "lion" than the "wolf"; to fall in love with the noble beast (Olivia) over the wild forest animal (a fellow servant). Here Cesario and Olivia use class to their own advantages. On one side, Cesario tries to use his place as a servant as a way to fight off Olivia, while Olivia uses it as a way to convince him, suggesting that he take advantage of her nobility.

Give me thy handAnd let me see thee in thy woman's weeds.

12 Night — Orsino After finally identifying herself as a woman of noble blood to Orsino, Viola tells the court that she will return to the captain of her ship who will rightly identify her and return her clothes to her. Orsino then takes her hand and asks to see her in her "woman's weeds," or women's clothing. Here we see how fickle or performative Orsino's love for Olivia truly is. The moment Viola reveals herself and identifies herself as not only a woman but a high class woman, he falls in love with her. This could simply be a result of the fact that Orsino's love for Olivia was merely a performance, or it could be that through her disguise, Orsino has begun to learn so much about Viola, and to love her deeply as an effeminate male comrade, that he is instantly smitten when he discovers that she is actually a woman. Of course, there are also complex issues of gender at work here (particularly as during Shakespeare's time, all the female characters would have been played by male actors), which Shakespeare uses to complicate the theme of love and (heterosexual) desire, and plays up for comic effect.

This fellow's wise enough to play the fool, And to do that well craves a kind of wit.

12 Night — Viola Viola, dressed as Cesario, arrives at Olivia's home to speak to her on behalf of Orsino once again. When she arrives she meets Feste, who mocks Orsino's love for Olivia. After he exits, Viola says this line. Here, Viola comments on Feste's performance as a fool. She sees his behavior as an act, and she explains that only wise and witty people can be true "fools," as they see things that others can't see, and they are intuitive and insightful. Thus, the fools are very much un- foolish, quite possibly making them the wisest people in the court (as is often the case in Shakespeare). Shakespeare suggests in this moment that the disguises we put on, i.e. the wise man as the fool, or Viola dressed as Cesario, allow us to have the freedom to both see and tell (or in Feste's case comment on) the truth.

Now is the woodcock near the gin.

12th Night — Fabian Because of his self-righteous behavior towards the other servants, Maria decides to play a prank on Malvolio. She writes a love letter to him from an anonymous lover, but does so in Olivia's handwriting, and she riddles the letter with obvious clues that point toward Olivia as the author. Here Malvolio finds the letter, and Maria and the other servants hide in a tree to watch him read it. Fabian says then says this line in hiding, calling Malvolio a "woodcock." During Shakespeare's time the woodcock was known to be a particularly stupid breed of bird, and easy to catch in a "gin" or trap. Thus by calling him this, he is making fun of Malvolio's ignorance and stupidity. As with all disguises in Twelfth NIght, whether shielding themselves behind a tree or behind a letter, they help characters tell each other what they really feel and think. Related Characters: Viola (Cesario), Orsino (speaker)

What is love? Tis not hereafter; Present mirth hath present laughter: What's to come is still unsure.In delay there lies no plenty;Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty: Youth's a stuff will not endure.

12th Night — Feste Feste, Sir Toby Belch, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek are drinking and singing together, and Feste begins to sing a song about love. He sings about how love must be taken advantage of in the moment, as it is a youthful and passionate game. Feste's song on love is another example of the performative nature of love and desire in Twelfth Night. It also examines the difference in behavior between members of the court and the servants. Orsino performs his feelings of love through his flourishing, over the top, cliched language, and Viola does so with beautiful poetry. Here, Feste, a court fool, examines love through drunken song, viewing it as something natural and even funny, not such a serious, melancholy matter as Orsino seems to think.

He is very well-favored and he speaks very shrewishly; one would think his mother's milk were scarce out of him.

12th Night — Malvolio Disguised as a man (Cesario), Viola visits Olivia in order to woo her for Duke Orsino. Olivia's steward, Malvolio, tells Olivia that there is a young man at the door. Olivia asks Malvolio to describe him and he responds with this quote. Here, he tells Olivia that her visitor (Viola) is "well-favored" or attractive, and speaks in a high-pitched voice ("shrewishly") as if he were a child. In this moment, Malvolio notes the gender ambiguity of Cesario without realizing he is in fact a woman. He writes off Cesario's femininity as a product of youth. This is a comedic moment for the audience; we know Cesario is actually Viola but no one else does.

I may command where I adore.

12th Night — Malvolio In an effort to embarass Malvolio, Maria writes a letter in Olivia's handwriting, telling him that she is in love with him. The letter is only signed with what seems to be the letters of an initial. Here, Malvolio reads lines of the letter aloud, which he will later deconstruct, in order to find out if it was Olivia that wrote it. This line is the first major hint that it could be Olivia. The person who wrote the letter both commands and loves the same person, suggesting that it is a master who loves her servant (Malvolio). The love letter is a symbol of the performative nature of love seen throughout Twelfth Night. Characters feel that the only way to properly share their love or express it is through extreme and over-the-top behavior, whether that be song, poems, laments, or letters. So, while this letter comes at a surprise for Malvolio, he is not put off or shocked that someone would express their love in this way. This is also another moment of deception in the play, as Maria uses deception as a mechanism to embarrass and punish Malvolio for his mistreatment of other servants and his self- righteousness.

Why, this is very midsummer madness.

12th Night — Olivia Malvolio is love stricken with Olivia, and thinks that she has written him a love letter with instructions for how he should dress and comport himself (the letter was actually written by Maria). Here Malvolio enters, wearing yellow cross- gartered stockings and grinning from ear to ear (as the letter told him to do). Olivia, confused, asks Malvolio to stop, but he won't. Convinced her steward has gone mad, she then says this line. During Shakespeare's time the summer moon was thought to be a major influence on madness and insanity. Thus, having a "midsummer madness" was considered a kind of temporary insanity. Here Shakespeare shows us how easy it is to confuse love and desire with lunacy, as well as how easy it is for an individual to become a fool in the name of love.

Let still the woman takeAn elder than herself: so wears she to him,So sways she level in her husband's heart:For, boy, however we do praise ourselves,Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm,More longing, wavering, sooner lost and worn, Than women's are. Related Themes: Page Number: 2.3.48-53 Explanation and Analysis Feste, Sir Toby Belch, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek are drinking and singing together, and Feste begins to sing a song about love. He sings about how love must be taken

12th Night — Orsino Cesario (Viola) and Orsino sit listening to music, and Orsino asks Casario if he has ever been in love. Cesario says yes. Not knowing that under the disguise Viola is confessing her love for him, Orsino tells Viola-as-Cesario that whoever this woman is, she is not worthy of his love because she is older than he is. Orsino encourages Cesario to instead marry someone younger than himelf. The reasoning he gives for this is that men are more wavering with love, they become less attracted to older women, and their feelings change and are "unfirm." Orsino points out that men long for more than women do and they fall out of love quickly. Orsino pauses in his excessive, cliched speech to have a truthful moment with Cesario, but he does not see the irony in it. He is, in fact, discussing the wavering (but excessively powerful, he believes) nature of a man's love to Cesario, who is secretly a woman. He is blinded by Viola's disguise and speaks candidly and openly with her as Cesario, in a way that he never would if she were to appear as Viola.

So full of shapes is fancyThat it alone is high fantastical.

12th Night — Orsino In his first speech, Orsino laments the melancholy nature of love. He notes that love can manifest itself in many different ways, making it magical. Thus, he argues, love "alone" is the only true form of imagination. This moment gives readers an insight into Orsino's views on love, and also foreshadows the "shapes" and disguises characters will take on throughout Twelfth Night. Orsino's speech is dramatic and excessive. While he enjoys talking about love,we will learn that his feelings are actually quite fickle. He loves the idea of love as well as performing the act of being melancholy and heartbroken. In this speech he also sets the stage for love to be seen as a magical and deceptive undertaking, something that will appear more clear as Viola and Olivia begin their ownjourneysin the play.

If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.

12th Night — Orsino The play opens with Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, listening to music and lamenting about love. Twelfth Night is a play about excess, as during Shakespeare's time, people would celebrate Christmas for twelve nights, partying and drinking. It is also a play about the overbearing nature of love and the madness that comes from it. From the very first line of the play, Orsino's language is over the top. He desires so much love that it makes him melancholy, even sick. As he sits in his court, he stops the music playing in the background, claiming it makes him too sad to listen to. Listening to music and spewing cliches of love, Orsino seems to be performing the act of the saddened lover. Yet the irony here is that he also seems to be enjoying it. We will see that Orsino's vision of "love" is both fickle and performative. He loves the idea of love but may not truly know what it feels like yet.

Thy small pipeIs as the maiden's organ, shrill and sound, And all is semblative a woman's part.

12th Night — Orsino Viola has disguised herself as a young pageboy named Cesario, and now resides in Orsino's court. Orsino has begun to rely on Cesario for advice and information on Olivia. He asks her to go to Olivia's home and woo her for him using any means necessary. In this moment Orsino tells Cesario that she may be able to persuade Olivia because she resembles and sounds like a woman, suggesting that Olivia may be more comfortable in the presence of a prepubescent boy than Orsino himself. Here Shakespeare notes the confusing nature of Viola's disguise and how it plays to the advantage of Orsino. Olivia has sworn off the presence of men, so Orsino uses the femininity of Cesario (Viola) to his advantage. There is also a sense of freedom that comes for Viola-as-Cesario. As a man she can walk the court freely and be independent, and she can also have a friendship with Orsino as well as be his confidant. This allows her to see Orsino as he truly is from the start; something she never would have been able to do as a young woman.

After a failed attempt to woo Olivia, Sir Andrew tells Toby that he is going to leave Illyria. Toby asks him why, saying "Pourquoi," and Sir Andrew replies with this quote. Sir Andrew doesn't understand the meaning of the french word, and laments that he wished he had focused more on the arts. He has spent his time fencing and training dogs to kill bears for sport instead of learning the language of love or studying literature. Thus, he blames himself for his own inability to get Olivia to marry him. Here art, flourishing language, and impressive creative gestures are seen as way to a woman's heart. We've seen it with Orsino and now with Sir Andrew. Yet these things are merely performative, and we will learn that grand gestures don't always woo the woman. It's also ironic thatSir Andrew says this line incredibly dramatically, noted by the exclamation point at the end, suggesting that while he laments his lack of creativity and his time spent in the arts, he is in fact performing.

12th Night — Sir Andrew After a failed attempt to woo Olivia, Sir Andrew tells Toby that he is going to leave Illyria. Toby asks him why, saying "Pourquoi," and Sir Andrew replies with this quote. Sir Andrew doesn't understand the meaning of the french word, and laments that he wished he had focused more on the arts. He has spent his time fencing and training dogs to kill bears for sport instead of learning the language of love or studying literature. Thus, he blames himself for his own inability to get Olivia to marry him. Here art, flourishing language, and impressive creative gestures are seen as way to a woman's heart. We've seen it with Orsino and now with Sir Andrew. Yet these things are merely performative, and we will learn that grand gestures don't always woo the woman. It's also ironic thatSir Andrew says this line incredibly dramatically, noted by the exclamation point at the end, suggesting that while he laments his lack of creativity and his time spent in the arts, he is in fact performing.

I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.

12th Night — Sir Andrew Act 1 Scene 3 introduces us to Maria, a clever lady-in- waiting of Olivia's, Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle and a drunkard, and Sir Andrew, a rich, foolish man who hopes to marry Olivia. During this scene Sir Andrew and Maria enter into a verbal warfare, teasing and taunting each other's sexual appeal. After being outmatched by Maria's wit, Sir Andrew has a moment alone with Toby. Toby is shocked that Maria has outsmarted them both and Sir Andrew replies with this line. Calling himself an "eater of beef" is Sir Andrew's way of calling himself dimwitted. During Shakespeare's time it was believed that eating too much meat made an individual stupid or foolish.Twelfth Night reflects on how the excess of anything, particularly love, can make an individual behave foolishly. Similar to the meat Sir Andrew consumes, love can be all consuming, causing a person to behave uncharacteristically.

Make me a willow cabin at your gate And call upon my soul within the house; Write loyal cantons of contemned loveAnd sing them loud even in the dead of night; Halloo your name to the reverberate hills And make the babbling gossip of the airCry out 'Olivia!' O, You should not rest Between the elements of air and earthBut you should pity me.

12th Night — Viola In an attempt to get Olivia to fall in love with Orsino, Cesario (Viola) describes what he would do if he loved Olivia as much as Orsino. In a beautiful speech he tells her that he would write endless poems of his love, sing them through the night and scream her name so loudly that the air would echo the sound of "Olivia." In her speech, Viola-As- Cesario does something Orsino cannot; she says the right thing to make Olivia fall in love. Juxtaposed against Orsino's cliche speeches on love and lust, Viola's are much more creative and subtle. She performs less, and rather actually imagines what it means to be in love. She also uses natural imagery, suggesting that her love is simple and truthful. What is more, as a woman, Viola understands the needs and interests of other women. Being of the same gender, she is able to find ways to appeal to Olivia that differ from Orsino's.

Lady, you are the cruell'st she alive If you will lead these graces to the grave And leave the world no copy.

12th Night — Viola Viola enters Olivia's home dressed as Cesario, in order to attempt to woo her for Duke Orsino. The two begin a playful tete-a-tete. Here, Viola tries to appeal to Olivia by telling her how beautiful she is—so beautiful that it would be a disservice to the world not to produce an heir (and thus a new "copy" of her beauty). In a grand performance, Viola compliments Olivia's physical beautify in order to gain her trust and influence her to fall for Orsino. She also speaks in the convention of "poetic blazon," a form often used in sonnets, where the speaker itemizes and examines different parts of the body. Her speech mimics that of Shakespeare's own sonnets, revealing the poetic and hyperbolic nature of love and lust. Furthermore, in doing so, Viola-as-Cesario demonstrates a certain level of mystery and intelligence to Olivia that Orsino doesn't possess. She speaks in a genuine and advanced poetic way, whereas Orsino is often cliched

Viola: My father had a daughter loved a man, As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,I should your lordship.Orsino: And what's her history?Viola: A blank, my lord. She never told her love, But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud,Feed on her damask cheek: she pined in thought, And with a green and yellow melancholy She sat like patience on a monument, Smiling at grief. Was not this love indeed?

12th Night — Viola The self-absorbed Orsino tells Cesario (Viola) that no woman could ever love a man as much as he loves Olivia. Cesario disagrees. She then tells him her own story (of the love she has for Orsino) in a roundabout way, pretending it is the story of her sister. Orsino is blinded once again by Viola's disguise, unaware of the irony of the situation. She is confessing her love for him, but is shielded by the mask of Cesario. Her own love also mimics Orsino's in its strength and melancholy—but it's also suggested that, contrary to Orsino's sexist declaration about women's capacity for love, Viola's love for Orsino is more enduring and powerful than his love for Olivia.

I had forgot myself. Am I not king? Awake, thou coward majesty, thou sleepest! Is not the King's name twenty thousand names? Arm, arm, my name! A puny subject strikesAt thy great glory. Look not to the ground,You favorites of a king. Are we not high?High be our thoughts.

For a moment, Richard attempts to swing his emotions back upward, saying that in his despair he forgot himself. He asks himself rhetorically, "Am I not king?" He then proceeds to call out his own majesty for being asleep, and says that his name is worth twenty thousand regular names (the number of soldiers he's just lost). He characterizes Henry as a "puny subject" compared to his own great glory, and consciously uses the imagery of low to high that has been used to characterize his fall and Henry's rise. Richard tells himself not to look at the ground, since he himself is high (though he uses the royal "we" here to emphasize his greatness). He needs to think high to keep his high political position on the throne. However, he will soon be emotionally deflated, and ultimately he will fall and lose his crown.

O, but they say the tongues of dying menEnforce attention like deep harmony.Where words are since, they are seldom spent in vain, For they breathe truth that breathe their words in pain. He that no more must say is listened moreThan they whom youth and ease have taught to gloze.

Gaunt speaks these lines while deathly ill after his son's banishment. He says them to his brother York, after saying that he hopes to see Richard again before he dies to give him some final advice. The reason Gaunt believes this last meeting to be important is that "the tongues of dying men" (i.e. speeches from people who are about to die) carry more weight than those of regular, healthy people. Gaunt suggests that last words are rarely unimportant or spent in vain, and that they are most often important truths. Someone uttering their last speech, according to Gaunt, will be listened to more carefully than a young smooth talker ("someone taught to gloze"). Ultimately, though, Gaunt's illness is used as the reason for Richard to ignore Gaunt's dying speech.

I fear thou art another counterfeit;And yet, in faith, thou bear'st thee like a king: But mine I'm sure thou art, whoe'er thou be, And thus I win thee.

Henry IV — Earl of Douglas In this passage, Henry IV faces off against the Earl of Douglas, one of the rebels. On the battlefield that day, at least one man (Sir Walter Blunt) has already pretended to be the real king, thus protecting Henry's life. (The warriors are so covered with armor that it's easy to disguise one's identity.) Douglas here worries that Henry IV is another impostor--someone pretending to be the monarch in order to protect the "real" Henry IV. The passage is an important encapsulation of the ambiguities of kingship in the play. In one sense, it suggests that the only thing that really makes a king are appearances and external trappings--a crown, royal armor, etc. Thus any king at all could be a "counterfeit," and Henry's only right to the throne is the fact that he was strong enough to take it by force. But Douglas also admits that Henry bears himself "like a king," suggesting that there is something inherently royal about true monarchs. This connects to the idea of "divine right," or the belief that kings are naturally chosen by God to rule, and something in their very blood makes them royal and different from other men.

...you are too willful-blame; And since your coming hither have done enough To put him quite beside his patience.You must needs learn, lord, to amend this fault:Though sometimes it shows greatness, courage, blood— And that's the dearest grace it renders you,--Yet oftentimes it doth present harsh rage,Defect of manners, want of government,Pride, haughtiness, opinion and disdain...

Henry IV — Earl of Worcester In this passage, the Earl of Worcester confirms what we already knew about Hotspur: his hot-headedness is getting in the way of the group's plan to start a rebellion. Hotspur finds it nearly impossible to control his own warlike instincts. While such instincts may be useful on the battlefield, the Earl acknowledges, they need to be controlled during peacetime. As a result of his hot- headedness, Hotspur has already alerted Henry IV to the possibility of another rebellion--something that Henry wouldn't have been aware of had Hotspur just controlled his temper. In short, Worcester is trying to act as an informal mentor to Hotspur. Worcester wants Hotspur to be a great politician as well as a great warrior. If the rebellion is to be a success, then Hotspur will have to do a better job of masking his real ambitions and controlling his language.

It is not possible, it cannot be,The King should keep his word in loving us;He will suspect us still, and find a timeTo punish this offence in other faults:Suspicion all our lives shall be stuck full of eyes... Look how we can, or sad or merrily, Interpretation will misquote our looks... Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know,In any case, the offer of the King.

Henry IV — Earl of Worcestershire In this passage, the Earl of Worcester has returned to his fellow rebels, including Hotspur. Worcester has just learned that Henry IV will pardon the rebels if they surrender to him right away. Worcester doesn't quite trust that Henry will keep his word--he's sure that even if Henry doesn't kill the rebels, he'll still find ways to punish them and their families. Therefore, the rebels' only chance is to go through with their fighting. Nevertheless, Worcester is worried that if Hotspur finds out about Henry's offer of a truce, Hotspur will accept it. (Crucially, Worcester knows that he, Worcester, will be punished more harshly than Hotspur.) Therefore, he decides to keep Henry's offer of truce a secret, and instead to relay the message the Henry was crass and argumentative. Even at this late point in the play, war could be avoided if Worcester had just told Hotspur the truth about Henry IV. Worcester's decision to keep his information secret underscores the power of language and communication--a few sentences perhaps could have prevented battle altogether.

Tut, tut; good enough to toss; food for powder, food for powder; they'll fill a pit as well as better: tush, man, mortal men, mortal men.

Henry IV — Falstaff In this scene, Falstaff has assembled a ragtag group of soldiers to fight on behalf of Hal in the war with Hotspur. Falstaff introduces his troops to Hal, who immediately criticizes them for their meagerness and cowardice. Indeed, most of the troops Falstaff has recruited have paid off other people to fight in their place--with the result that Falstaff's troops are skinny, weak, and generally bad soldiers, but Falstaff himself has gotten richer. Falstaff defends his troops on the grounds that they're just as good as any other soldiers--all soldiers are mortal, after all. Falstaff's words have been interpreted in many different ways. Falstaff is making the argument that a man is a man, at the end of the day--in other words, a good soldier is basically the same as a bad soldier, because in the harsh reality of war, death comes to most, and it comes at random. Falstaff's phrase, "food for powder" implies that his troops are doomed to be nothing more than "food"--i.e., they're just pawns in a vast war. It's nobles like Henry and Hotspur who make all the decisions and win all the glory, while thousands of nameless soldiers just fight and die for their rulers' cause. In general, Falstaff shows himself to be cynically perceptive of the harsh realities of combat, even as he's also being incredibly callous.

Why, hear ye, my masters: Was it for me to kill the heir- apparent? should I turn upon the true Prince? why, thou knowest I am as valiant as Hercules: but beware instinct; the lion will not touch the true Prince. Instinct is a great matter; I was now a coward on instinct. I shall think the better of myself and thee during my life; I for a valiant lion, and thou for a true prince.

Henry IV — Falstaff Here we meet Falstaff, who has just come from a skirmish with masked attackers--whom we know to be Prince Hal and his friends. Falstaff boasts about winning his encounter with the attackers, and offers various details about the skirmish. After Falstaff has bragged enough, Hal coolly reveals to Falstaff that he knows the truth: he was the one who attacked Falstaff. Surprisingly, Falstaff has no trouble recovering from his rhetorical setback: he backpedals and boasts about being perceptive enough to recognize Hal in disguise, and showing mercy to him because he recognized that he couldn't hurt the "true Prince." Falstaff, is one of the most interesting characters in the play, famous for both his boorish comedy and his perceptive cynicism. Here he skillfully (if comically) "spins" his cowardice to look like discretion and intelligence, arguing that he's too honorable to touch Prince Hal. While some have interpreted Falstaff as a dishonorable, amoral character, it's difficult to deny Falstaff's charm--even when he's being a coward, Falstaff's gift for language entertains us. Moreover, Falstaff's deftness with language suggests that he's an important mentor for Prince Hal.

With many holiday and lady termsHe questioned me; amongst the rest demanded My prisoners in your majesty's behalf.I then, all smarting with my wounds being cold— To be so pestered with a popinjay!—Out of my grief and my impatienceAnswered neglectingly, I know not what—He should, or should not—for he made me mad To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet, And talk so like a waiting gentlewoman...So cowardly, and but for these vile gunsHe would himself have been a soldier.

Henry IV — Harry Percy In this passage, Henry IV tries to resolve a dispute with Hotspur, the young warrior for whom he has great respect. Hotspur has refused to turn over some prisoners of war to Henry IV. He explains that he's refused to turn them over because the messenger whom Henry IV sent to demand the prisoners was overly effeminate in his manner. Hotspur goes off, criticizing everything about the messenger. The passage suggests that Hotspur isn't as great and honorable a leader as Henry IV has imagined: on the contrary, Hotspur is easily angered, and he allows his anger to cloud his judgment. Hotspur can't stand being around men who seem effeminate or cowardly--in other words, he's a great soldier but a pretty horrible diplomat. Hotspur is, as his name suggests, too hot-tempered to ever be much of a leader, except perhaps on the battlefield.

Disgraced me in my happy victories, Sought to entrap me by intelligence,Rated mine uncle from the council board,In rage dismissed my father from the court, Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong, And in conclusion drove us to seek outThis head of safety, and withal to pryInto his title, the which we findToo indirect for long continuance.

Henry IV — Hotspur In this passage, Hotspur responds to Henry IV's peace offerings. Instead of submitting to Henry IV's authority, as Henry had hoped, Hotspur reiterates his hatred for the king: he explains that Henry IV has always mistreated Hotspur and Hotspur's family, sneakily breaking his promises to them in order to ascend to the throne. Now, Hotspur aims to defeat Henry and claim the throne of England for himself. Hotspur's response proves that it was perhaps a bad idea for Henry IV to offer Hotspur peace so late in the game. By this point in the text, Hotspur's mind is made up: he thinks he has to follow through with his plan to fight Henry to the death. Therefore, sending a messenger to offer truce accomplishes nothing. Furthermore, the peace messenger only makes Hotspur angrier, and sends the message that Henry IV is frightened and desperate. Hotspur takes an obvious pleasure in listing his "beefs" with Henry IV, and in fact puffs up his own courage and confidence in the very act of rejecting Henry's offer.

Well, 'tis no matter; honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in that word "honour"? What is that "honour"? Air. A trim reckoning! Who hath it? He that died o'Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. 'Tis insensible then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it. Therefore I'll none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon. And so ends my catechism.

Henry IV — John Falstaff In this passage, Falstaff--who's about to go into battle on behalf of Prince Hal--criticizes the concept of honor. Falstaff has been pressured to fight because of the principle of honor (i.e., Falstaff's loyalty to Hal, and his confidence in his own abilities). And yet Falstaff doesn't see the point of honor at all. Honor is a meaningless concept because it compels men to go to battle, causes them to be injured, and then doesn't act as a "surgeon." In short, honor demands a lot of people, and doesn't give anything back. Furthermore, Falstaff sees honor as a mere "scutcheon"--an ornamented shield--essentially, a fancy word to cover up the harsh realities of greed, ambition, and violence. Falstaff's speech seems pretty reasonable by modern standards: the old English code of honor (which compelled thousands of men to fight in silly wars and brutally lose their lives) doesn't hold much currency anymore. Of course, it's also important to note that Falstaff is really only criticizing the concept of honor because he's frightened of fighting. Falstaff is "wrong but right"--honor may be a sham, but Falstaff is still a hypocrite for boasting of his bravery and then fearing to fight.

...thou mak'st me sad and mak'st me sin In envy that my Lord Northumberland Should be the father to so blest a son—A son who is the theme of honour's tongue, Amongst a grove the very straightest plant, Who is sweet Fortune's minion and her pride— Whilst I, by looking on the praise of himSee riot and dishnor stain the browOf my young Harry. O, that it could be proved That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged In cradle clothes our children where they lay, And called mine Percy, his Plantagenet!

Henry IV — King Henry In this passage, King Henry IV criticizes his own child, who shares a first name with the child of Lord Northumberland: Henry. Half-seriously, half-jokingly, Henry IV wishes that his and Northumberland's children had been switched at birth: his own child is a disobedient youth, while Northumberland's child is proud and honorable. Little does Henry IV that his child, Prince Hal, will grow up to be arguably the greatest of all English monarchs, Henry V. For now, though, Hal appearsto be a disgrace to his family--he spends all his time goofing around and getting drunk. Henry IV is understandably upset that his child isn't a more accomplished leader, because he's thinking about his own legacy as a monarch; he needs a suitable male heir to ensure that his "line" will endure.

No more the thirsty entrance of this soil Shall daub her lips with her own children's blood; No more shall trenching war channel her fields, Nor bruise her flowerets with the armed hoofs Of hostile places...The edge of war, like an ill-sheathed knife,No more shall cut his master.

Henry IV — King Henry Bolingbroke At the beginning of the play, England has just finished a great civil war. Out of the civil war, Henry IV has emerged victorious, cementing his status as the unquestioned monarch of England. Henry IV's victory in the civil war is crucial, because it establishes him as the strongest force in the land, and therefore, presumably, the man most deserving of the title of monarch. But Henry IV does more than simply boast of his own military might. Rather, he frames his victory in the civil war as a victory for England as a whole. Cleverly, Henry presents himself as reinforcing the natural order of life, preventing his country's "children" from killing one another. In such a way, Henry plays the part of a kindly, loving father, implicitly accusing all his rivals to the throne of upsetting the natural order and causing undue bloodshed. (Henry's rhetorical maneuvers are crucial, because his own status as a monarch is rather questionable, since he began his career by overthrowing Richard II.)

Ill-spirited Worcester, did not we send grace, Pardon, and terms of love to all of you?And wouldst thou turn our offers contrary, Misuse the tenor of thy kinsman's trust? Three knights upon our party slain today, A noble earl, and many a creature else Had been alive this hour,If like a Christian thou hadst truly borne Betwixt our armies true intelligence.

Henry IV — King Henry Bolingbroke At the end of the battle, Henry IV and his troops have won, and the Earl of Worcester has been captured. Henry IV is surprised to learn that Worcester hasn't passed on his offer of peace to the other rebels--Worcester deliberately concealed the opportunity for a truce from Hotspur and the others. Henry IV points out that Worcester could have prevented mass slaughter if he'd just told the truth "like a Christian" instead of thinking only of himself. Henry IV's observation is right, but wrong. Henry is smart enough to respect the power of language and communication--because Worcester refused to pass along the message, many innocent people died. And yet Henry can't see that hehimselfalso could have avoided a rebellion. If he'd been more attentive to his people and his followers, he could have nipped it in the bud.

These things, indeed, you have articulate, Proclaim'd at market-crosses, read in churches, To face the garment of rebellionWith some fine colour that may please the eye Of fickle changelings and poor discontents, Which gape and rub the elbow at the newsOf hurly-burly innovation:And never yet did insurrection wantSuch water-colours to impaint his cause

Henry IV — King Henry Bolingbroke In this passage, Henry IV comes to negotiate with the Earl of Worcester, one of the rebellious aristocrats who have allied with Hotspur. Henry IV asks Worcester why he's rebelling, and Worcester "paints a picture" of Henry IV's traitorous behavior: as Worcester sees it Henry has caused the rebellion by provoking Hotspur's family for so many years. Henry's response to Worcester is interesting: instead of acknowledging that Worcester has a point, he just dismisses Worcester's points as a sob story. He essentially says that Hotspur is just greedy to be king, and so has concocted this story of grievances and declared it all over the country in order to make his grab for the throne seem sympathetic and legitimate. The passage reinforces the fact that Henry IV has seriously underestimated his own actions. Even now, he refuses to believe that he's mistreated his aristocrats in rising to the throne, suggesting that Henry believes in his own inherent right to rule--a serious flaw for a monarch, particularly one who himself only became king by overthrowing the previous ruler. Furthermore, Henry IV doesn't use his conversation with Worcester as an opportunity to negotiate at all--he just makes Worcester madder by refusing to accept Worcester's point of view. Henry IV is, in short, out of touch with his own followers--and that's why some of these followers have banded together against him.

Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war,And thus hath so bestirr'd thee in thy sleep,That beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow,Like bubbles in a late-disturbed stream;And in thy face strange motions have appear'dSuch as we see when men restrain their breathOn some great sudden hest. O, what portents are these? Some heavy business hath my lord in hand,And I must know it, else he loves me not.

Henry IV — Lady Kate Percy In this passage, Hotspur is preparing to instigate an all-out rebellion against King Henry IV. Hotspur's wife, Lady Kate Percy, notices that Hotspur is preparing for war of some kind, but doesn't understand what Hotspur is planning. Kate is perceptive enough to notice that Hotspur hasn't been himself lately: he's been sweating at all times, and making strange noises in his sleep. Kate's observations are interesting because they paint a picture of what Hotspur is like when he's not on the battlefield. Hotspur, as we might have guessed, can't turn off his warlike instincts, even when he's around the people he loves. Lady Kate has no problem telling that Hotspur is planning something; a clear sign that Hotspur has no gift for lying or deception. The success of Hotspur's plan depends on his ability to mask his feelings--thus, the passage suggests that Hotspur's plans won't amount to much.

...at my nativityThe front of heaven was full of fiery shapes, Of burning cressets; ay, and at my birthThe frame and huge foundation of the Earth Shaked like a coward.

Henry IV — Owen Glendower In this passage, Glendower has joined forces with Hotspur to conspire against Henry IV. Glendower insists that Henry has always had it out for him because he was born under a series of unusual signs: on the day Glendower was born the sky was full of fire, and the earth shook. Glendower doesn't just say that Henry IV treats him as dangerous because of celestial events; Glendower implies that he reallyis special because of the manner of his birth. Unlike Hotspur (or, we'll see, Hal), Glendower is highly superstitious, and believes that natural signs can be prophesies of the future. Glendower has been brought up to believe that he is special; that his birth was somehow divinely ordained, and he is capable of shifting the natural order of the country. In a way, Glendower's confidence in his own special powers is a self-fulfilling prophecy: because Glendower believes that he's special, he has the courage and the ingenuity to attempt to overthrow Henry IV. ...you are too willful-blame; And since your coming hither have done enough To put him quite beside his patience.You must needs learn, lord, to amend this fault:Though sometimes it shows greatness, courage, blood— And that's the dearest grace it renders you,--Yet oftentimes it doth present harsh rage,Defect of manners, want of government,Pride, haughtiness, opinion and disdain...

I am so good a proficient in one quarter of an hour, that I can drink with any tinker in his own language during my life. I tell thee, Ned, thou hast lost much honor, that thou wert not with me in this sweet action.

Henry IV — Prince Harry This passage is a great example of how Prince Hal's experiences as a drinker and "party animal" actually prepare him well for the monarchy. Hal spends a lot of time in taverns, but he uses this time as an opportunity to hone his skills as a politician, a negotiator, and a communicator. Hal has become so adept at making friends with strangers that he can bond with anyone over a beer in just 15 minutes. From the perspective of Hal's father, Henry IV, Hal's behavior is disgraceful, a mark of how far from the monarchy he really is. And yet we can already tell that Hal is a better politician than his father--he knows how to get along with his subjects and use words and rhetoric to get what he wants. Another important aspect of this is that he's hanging out with commoners--the kind of people the king actually rules, and who make up the majority of the country, but who in a typical monarchy have little to no contact with the royal court. Thus Hal seems surprisingly egalitarian and openminded in his ruling strategy, however "dishonorable" it might seem to the nobility.

So, when this loose behavior I throw off And pay the debt I never promised,By how much better than my word I am,By so much shall I falsify men's hopes;And like bright metal on a sullen ground,My reformation, glittering o'er my fault,Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes Than that which hath no foil to set it off.I'll so offend to make offence a skill, Redeeming time when men think least I will.

Henry IV — Prince Harry Here Prince Hal first demonstrates his status as a devious, skillful politician. Contrary to his father's beliefs, Hal is fully aware of his dishonorable behavior. Hal chooses to behave so badly, he claims, because ultimately his bad behavior will make his future honor and ascendancy to the throne of England more impressive. Basically, Hal wants to tell the best "story." An obedient, loyal child is no fun. But a disobedient child who becomes a great king--now that's a good story. It's possible to interpret Hal's words ironically, of course. Like so many spoiled rich kids who never amount to anything, Hal might just be telling himself that he'll turn a new leaf somewhere down the line, despite the fact that he has no real ability to do so--what he thinks is just an act may have become his real character.

...I will wear a garment all of bloodAnd stain my favour in a bloody mask,Which, wash'd away, shall scour my shame with it.

Henry IV — Prince Harry In this passage, Hal meets with his long-suffering father, Henry IV. Henry angrily chastises his son for being reckless and drunken in public. He urges Hal to act more honorably, like a proper monarch. Prince Hal, who's far smarter and more politically-minded than his father imagines, knows exactly what to tell the king. He promises to become a great warrior and defeat Hotspur, who is now leading a rebellion against the monarchy. Hal's speech, which emphasizes blood and carnage, is tailor-made to appeal to society's general idea of "honor" as being closely tied to success in battle. Just as he's planned all along, Hal is preparing to switch from lout to king overnight, pleasing his father and redeeming his reputation.

Arm, arm with speed: and, fellows, soldiers, friends, Better consider what you have to do Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue, Can lift your blood up with persuasion.

Henry IV — Prince Harry In this passage, Hotspur tries halfheartedly to rally his troops with language. Hotspur is a hot-headed youth, and loves a good fight, but he knows that he has no talent for words. Instead of trying to "pump up" his troops with rhetorical flourishes, Hotspur just orders them to go out and fight the enemy. The passage is another confirmation of Hotspur's weaknesses as a leader. Hotspur is a good warrior, but he doesn't know how to lead other warriors--doing so takes a talent for communication that Hotspur lacks altogether. In Henry V, the sequel to Shakespeare's Henry IV plays, we'll see a masterly example of how to whip a group of soldiers (a "band of brothers") into a frenzy with Hal's "Saint Crispin's Day" speech.

...the King hath sent to knowThe nature of your griefs; and whereuponYou conjure them from the breast of civil peace Such bold hostility, teaching his duteous land Audacious cruelty. If that the KingHave any way your good deserts forgot,Which he confesseth to be manifold,He bids you name your griefs; and with all speed You shall have your desires with interest,And pardon absolute for yourself and these Herein misled by your suggestion.

Henry IV — Sir Walter Blunt In this passage, Henry IV sends a messenger to Hotspur and his followers, who by this point in the text have instigated a full-out rebellion against the king. Henry asks Hotspur to reconsider his actions--he promises to forgive Hotspur for his act of rebellion and pay Hotspur's peers well if they declare their loyalty to him. In short, Henry IV is trying to avoid a bloody war--but too late. Henry IV's actions show that he's generally a good king, and prefers peace to bloodshed, even if it's "honorable" bloodshed. If he were as volatile as Hotspur, he certainly never would have offered any kind of apology or reparations, but would have immediately launched into battle. At the same time, were he as agile as Prince Hal, Henry might have been able to use rhetorical skill and timing in a better way, to actually prevent war.

But shall it be that you, that set the crown Upon the head of this forgetful manAnd for his sake wear the detested blotOf murderous subornation, shall it be,That you a world of curses undergo,Being the agents, or base second means,The cords, the ladder, or the hangman rather?

Hotspur confirms his status as an uncontrollable "loose cannon." Hotspur has just had a tense argument with Henry IV, the king. Now alone with his father, Northumberland, Hotspur continues to criticize the king, faulting him for being "forgetful" (forgetting how Hotspur's family helped him gain the crown) and traitorous. Hotspur is old enough to know that Henry IV has risen to power by killing the former king, Richard II. Hotspur even faults his own father for allowing himself to be humiliatingly "subordinate" to such a monarch. In short, Hotspur isn't much of a politician, let alone a rhetorician. His speech is full of elaborate mixed metaphors and angry declarations. Hotspur's behavior illustrates what Henry IV is up against: a nation of unruly citizens who don't trust their new king.

Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,It seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end,Will come when it will come.

In this scene, the audience can see the marriage of Caesar and Calpurnia in contrast with the marriage of Brutus and Portia. Opposing Brutus's secrecy, there is an open dialogue between Caesar and Calpurnia. Calpurnia tries to convince Caesar not to leave the house that day, listing the many omens that have been seen throughout Rome. To that list she adds her own prophetic nightmares in which she foresaw Caesar's death, linking her to the supernatural elements of the play. In this quote, Caesar says it is far better to die valiantly and honorably than to be a coward, as cowards suffer and "die" constantly. Caesar is trapped by his public persona. He is privately superstitious, and since he believes himself so important, he assumes that the omens are for him—but he cannot act cowardly without bringing about the "death" of the public Caesar and of his self-image. Caesar also reveals his opinion on fate: death is "a necessary end" that comes to everyone; there is nothing you can do to stop it. For this reason, he argues, death is nothing to be feared. Again, this opinion is paradoxical, because by accepting his death as fated and refusing to act to prevent it (by staying at home, for example), Caesar allows his "fated" death to occur. Ultimately, Caesar ignores Calpurnia's warning to save his public image and his self-image as fearless and infallible.

This was the noblest Roman of allAll the conspirators, save only he,Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; He only, in a general honest thought,And common good to all, made one of them. His life was gentle; and the elementsSo mix'd in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, "This was a man."

Julius Caesar — Antony Cassius is dead, and the conspirators' armies are defeated. Believing that he deserves to die, Brutus runs on his sword and commits suicide. He justifies his death, saying that it is not to avoid capture, but is rather honorable and a just punishment for his crimes. In the quote, Antony speaks after having discovered Brutus's corpse. Antony claims that Brutus was the only conspirator who truly believed he was acting with honor and for the good of Rome, saying that the others only envied Caesar. While he previously referred to Brutus as honorable ironically, here Antony is being genuine, and Brutus is given an honorable death rite. These lines make a good case that this play can be seen not as the tragedy of Julius Caesar, but rather as the tragedy of Brutus, as his death and failure are in ironic contrast to his virtuous character. Antony praises Brutus, saying that the elements were mixed in him especially well. By elements, Antony refers to the Renaissance belief in bodily "humors"—substances that governed one's temperament and character. His final sentence, attributed to nature, is enigmatic: "This is a man." Brutus is not a great man, or a much beloved one like Caesar, but neither is he described as evil. In the end, Brutus is characterized as simply a man. Recalling his desire to be a dog over a dishonorable Roman, Antony's characterization of Brutus as an honest man leaves Brutus's virtue and philosophy intact, though his army has fallen and his life is over.

Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war.

Julius Caesar — Antony Antony has entered and seen Caesar's dead body. He is overcome with emotion, offering his life to the conspirators, but he is also calm and strategic. Antony shakes hands with the (literally) bloody conspirators, pretending to make peace, and asks only to speak at Caesar's funeral. Cassius, who wanted to kill Antony from the beginning, thinks it is a bad idea, but Brutus, who is convinced that the assassination was for the good of Rome, agrees to let Antony speak on the condition that he does not speak badly about the conspirators. After the conspirators leave, Antony gives a soliloquy revealing his true intentions. He shows that he only acted civil with the "butchers" to allow for revenge. He predicts that war will break out because of the murder, and even suggests that Caesar's spirit will return to "Cry havoc" and unleash war so that his foul murder will be avenged. Antony is ultimately right about the return of Caesar's ghost and the war that will soon begin. He will soon harness his raw emotions in a public oration that will incite the very war he here predicts.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.The evil that men do lives after them;The good is oft interred with their bones;So let it be with Caesar. The noble BrutusHath told you Caesar was ambitious:If it were so, it was a grievous fault;And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest, —For Brutus is an honorable man;So are they all, all honorable men, —Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.He was my friend, faithful and just to me:But Brutus says he was ambitious;And Brutus is an honorable man.

Julius Caesar — Antony This quote is excerpted from one of the most famous speeches in Shakespeare's body of work. Brutus has already spoken to the public, beginning with "Romans, countrymen, and lovers." Brutus says that he loved and honored Caesar, but killed him because he loved Rome more. The public responds well, even to the point of wanting to crown Brutus. But Brutus makes the crucial mistake of leaving before Antony speaks. Antony, a powerful orator, makes an incredibly skillful speech in which he appeals to emotion, and turns the public against Brutus and the conspirators. He begins by referring to the public as his friends, stressing immediately his difference from Brutus. Antony then goes on to "bury Caesar," seeming to respect the wishes of the conspirators but actually reminding the public of their love for Caesar while simultaneously casting doubt on "Brutus and the rest." Antony repeats Brutus's name many times, and ironically suggests that Brutus is "honorable." By using his skill with language and making public displays of his private emotions—at one point he pauses in his speech theatrically because he is overcome with emotion and tears—Antony is able to refute Brutus and turn the populace against him, beginning the civil war he predicted in his soliloquy. He carefully reveals Caesar's will and describes the murder with gruesome detail, even displaying Caesar's bloodied body, until the people are so riled up that they begin to riot. All the while, Antony maintains a show of innocence, claiming that he is a bad speaker and doesn't want to cause a commotion.

There is a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their lifeIs bound in shallows and in miseries.On such a full sea are we now afloat;And we must take the current when it serves,Or lose our ventures.

Julius Caesar — Brutus Brutus and Cassius have both apologized to one another, and Brutus reveals that Portia, afraid that he would lose, committed suicide. Brutus is reminded of her death, but acts unaffected. In this quote, Brutus and Cassius are arguing again, this time about military tactics. Brutus thinks that they should strike now, while Cassius thinks they should allow the enemy to come to them. Here, Brutus makes an extended metaphor about Fate, comparing it to the tides and a swelling ocean. He suggests that human lives are governed by Fate, and that without good fortune men would live only in misery. Since fate is now in their favor, they need to strike now, before the tide turns on them. He also argues that waiting will allow Antony and Octavius to recruit more troops and grow their armies. Though he claims that he is unaffected by his wife's suicide, Brutus seems to be changed. Instead of arguing for the idealized, moral side, he is now using pragmatism (Cassius's usual domain). Brutus also now speaks of Fate as if events are predetermined, even though he was previously focused on reason and his own actions as he decided whether or not to kill Caesar. Ironically, though he turns towards Fate and suggests that fortune is on his side, Brutus will ultimately lose the war and commit suicide.

But this same dayMust end that work the ides of March begun; And whether we shall meet again I know not. Therefore our everlasting farewell take:For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius!If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;If not, why, then, this parting was well made.

Julius Caesar — Brutus Brutus has been haunted by the ghost of Caesar, and the opposing armies are about to meet. Brutus and Cassius and Antony and Octavius have exchanged taunts; the battle is about to begin. In private, Cassius says that though he has never before believed in omens, he now believes that the crows circling above are a bad sign. In this line, Brutus is saying his goodbye to Cassius in case they never meet again. Brutus once more evokes the soothsayer's prophesy and the assassination of Caesar. The two are afraid, fearing bad omens and fate, but are at peace with one another. Brutus acknowledges his uncertainty, not knowing how fate and his own actions will impact the results of the day. This is also their final interaction, as both of them die in the war that follows.

Remember March, the ides of March remember: Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,And not for justice? What, shall one of us That struck the foremost man of all this world But for supporting robbers, shall we now Contaminate our fingers with base bribes, And sell the mighty space of our large honours For so much trash as may be grasped thus? I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, Than such a Roman.

Julius Caesar — Brutus The two sides are preparing their armies: Octavius and Antony against Brutus and Cassius. But Cassius and Brutus are losing trust and getting frustrated with each other. In this quote, Brutus and Cassius are speaking in private: Cassius is mad at Brutus for punishing one of their officers for a small offense, and Brutus is accusing Cassius of taking bribes. Here he evokes the prophesy of the ides of March and the ideals for which they murdered Caesar: justice, honor, and the good of Rome. Brutus claims that they assassinated Caesar for being corrupt, and that it would be extremely hypocritical for them to be corrupt in turn. A man of honor and principles, especially Roman principles, Brutus claims he would rather be a dog than a hypocritical man. Like Caesar, who died in part because of his unwillingness to change his principles or sacrifice his self-image of invulnerability, Brutus begins to hurt himself by sticking so firmly to his principles. His insistence on being honorable and his firm belief that the killing was purely logical and justifiable is the reason that Antony was allowed to live, despite Cassius's objections. Now Antony has turned the people against the conspirators, and Brutus and Cassius are fighting amongst themselves because of Brutus's stubborn honor.

Et tu, Bruté? — Then fall, Caesar!

Julius Caesar — Caesar The conspirators have surrounded Caesar, each kneeling before him, pretending to plead for the reversal of Publius's banishment. Despite their pleas, Caesar refuses to change his mind, remaining "constant as the Northern Star." Beginning with Casca and ending with Brutus, the conspirators then rise one by one and stab Caesar. Supposedly, Caesar stopped defending himself when he realized that Brutus was in on the plot. Caesar then utters the beginning of this line in Latin, shocked at the betrayal of his dear friend Brutus. The Latin translates to "And you, Brutus?" or "You too, Brutus?" Caesar's final living sentence is the dramatic proclamation of his fall. He dies after speaking this line. Though Antony will ultimately defend Brutus at the end of the play, this deep betrayal of Caesar is the reason that Dante puts Brutus in the deepest circle of hell in his epic poem Divine Comedy. The conspirators justify the murder by reason and logic, seeing it as political necessity for the public good, but Caesar's last line suggests that he felt it instead as a private betrayal. This "rational" murder is also extremely bloody. After the conspirators stab Caesar in excess, they literally bathe in his blood, smearing it all over their arms and their swords to take ownership of the assassination. The scene is also extremely meta-theatrical, meaning that it shows awareness of itself as theatre. The quote, Caesar's final line, is dramatized by the use of Latin and the climatic final sentence. While the conspirators are bathing in Caesar's blood, Cassius says, "How many ages hence shall this our lofty scene be acted over in states unborn and accents yet unknown!" The line calls out attention to the fact that it is being spoken in a scene in a play. At the same time, it also shows how the characters felt during the historical events, reinforcing the idea that they lived on the public stage of Rome, and that their actions would be recorded and remembered as history. Finally, note that even though the play is named for Caesar, he dies at around the halfway point. The remainder of the play must work out tragic deaths for the conspirators.

Let me have men about me that are fat; Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.

Julius Caesar — Caesar The public event has ended, and Caesar and his train have re-entered the stage. While Cassius and Brutus plan to pull aside Casca and get details on "what the matter is," Antony and Caesar speak privately. Caesar notices a suspicious look on Cassius's face, saying that he is "lean and hungry." Here, "lean" is proverbially related to envy,and "hungry" and "fat" are meant figuratively. Caesar wishes that he was surrounded instead by "fat," lazy, well-groomed, predictable men who can sleep at night, because he wouldn't have to fear that such men might be plotting against him. The reference to men who can sleep at night also foreshadows Brutus's sleeplessness as he contemplates assassinating Caesar. Caesar characterizes Cassius as "dangerous," but Antony quickly responds, "fear him not." This moment shows Caesar's political insight, since Cassius is dangerous to him, and Antony's lack of experience and optimism. Also note the distinction that Caesar makes between what is rhetorically and politically dangerous, and what Caesar says he actually fears (nothing). Perpetually idealized and manly, Caesar clearly indicates that he is not afraid of Cassius. Rather, Caesar tells Antony what should be feared rather than what he does fear, explaining that "for always I am Caesar." While Caesar's bravery gives him an appearance of profound nobility, the play also shows how Caesar's public persona as an invulnerable, fearless leader has crossed over into his private life and his opinion of himself, making him blind to the danger actually facing him. He has, in a sense, become trapped inside his public persona, which forces him to continually reject his fears, superstitions, and the warnings and omens he sees and to behave in ways (like going to the Senate on that fateful day) that lead to his death.

But those that understood him smil'd at one another, and shook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me.

Julius Caesar — Casca This line is the origin of the common idiom "it's all Greek to me." Caesar and his train have left the stage, leaving only Brutus, Cassius, and Casca, the speaker of this quote. Casca is relating to Brutus and Cassius what happened during the public event while the two were plotting. He explains that the cheers they heard were caused by Antony offering Caesar a crown (three times). A cynic, Casca suggests that it was harder for Caesar to reject the crown each time it was offered. He then describes Caesar's epileptic fit, another infirmity ironically paired with power. The quote specifically refers to the public speech made in Greek by Cicero, a famous orator. Casca cannot summarize the speech because he doesn't speak Greek. Note that in this scene, Casca speaks in prose, while Brutus and Cassius continue to speak in verse (iambic pentameter), a sign that Casca is less educated and less skilled with language. The cheering people, the language barrier, and Cicero's public speech in Greek emphasize the growing divide in Rome, and the importance of controlling the public opinion. Public oration and persuading the common people to see a certain viewpoint will become extremely important when Brutus and Antony speak after Caesar's assassination.

Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

Julius Caesar — Cassius Talking in private away from the spectacle of "the order of the course," Cassius is carefully convincing Brutus to conspire against Caesar. Displaying skillful use of language, Cassius appeals to Brutus's sense of honor, morality, and love of Rome while belittling Caesar and ironizing his immortality and greatness. In this quote, Cassius suggests that he and Brutus are subservient to Caesar not because of fate or any particular excellence in Caesar, but because of their lack of action. This quote brings up the question of fate and reinforces the ambiguity that comes with attempting to answer it. Cassius does not say definitively that fate is meaningless. Instead, he insinuates that fate exists, but that people sometimes have the ability to thwart it. In this particular case, he argues, reason, action, and free will determine the outcome instead of fate and the stars. Cassius pairs this suggestion with an appeal to Brutus's sense of honor and duty to Rome in order to persuade Brutus to act and join the conspiracy.

I grant I am a woman; but withal a woman that Lord Brutus took to wife; I grant I am a woman; but withal a women well reputed, Cato's daughter. Think you I am no stronger than my sex, being so father'd, and so husbanded? Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose'em. I have made a strong proof of my constancy, giving myself a voluntary wound here, in the thigh: can I bear that with patience, and not my husband's secrets?

Julius Caesar — Portia In this scene, Brutus has decided that Caesar must die, and he and the other conspirators have planned to commit the murder at the Capitol the next morning. Portia (Brutus's wife) notices that her husband has been acting strangely, getting up at all hours of the night and seemingly pacing and musing at random. She sees that he is not physically ill, but rather has some "sick offense within [his] mind." She begs him to open up to her, and to share what is causing him and his many visitors (the other conspirators who have just come and left in the middle of the night) to act so strangely. Portia tells Brutus that as his wife, she can be trusted with his secrets. In order to prove herself, she gives the men around her as references for her status as a special woman. She concedes the contemporary belief that women are inferior to men, but claims that as the wife to Brutus and daughter to Cato (a famous Roman), she is "stronger than [her] sex." What's more, she stabs herself in the thigh to prove her manliness and her "constancy" (trustworthiness). Through this gesture, it becomes clear that in Ancient Rome, masculinity is associated with self-sacrifice and the endurance of pain, whereas femininity is considered weak. This self-inflicted wound also foreshadows both her suicide and her husband's eventual suicide at the end of the play.

Beware the ides of March

Julius Caesar — Soothsayer The soothsayer interrupts Antony's running of the course, a public demonstration, by shouting "Caesar!" The soothsayer then delivers this famous prophesy, before he is ignored by Caesar and sent on his way. At first Caesar does not hear the prophesy, but Brutus (his eventual killer) and the Soothsayer both repeat the line. "The ides of March" refers to the middle of the month, March 15. This quote is the first of many omens that appear, and it introduces the question about Fate that will continue to develop over the course of the play: do human reason and decision-making cause events, or are they governed only by predetermined fate? The soothsayer's ability to accurately predict Caesar's demise suggests the murder was fated, but since Brutus heard the prediction, it could also be said that his actions and decisions were what made the prophesy come true. The exchange surrounding this quote also gives a glimpse into one of Caesar's ailments (deafness), placing it in contrast with his projected image of invulnerability. Privately, Caesar is superstitious, as is revealed moments before this scene, when he asks Antony to touch Calpurnia for luck. But in public, Caesar projects arrogant manliness, and dismisses the Soothsayer without a second thought.

Caesar: The ides of March are come. Soothsayer: Aye, Caesar, but not gone.

Julius Caesar — Soothsayer & Caesar (dialogue) The conspiracy is under way. Caesar is now at the Capitol surrounded by conspirators, and will die in this scene. Caesar opens Act 3 by challenging the Soothsayer, suggesting that since it is now March 15 (the ides) and nothing bad has happened, the prophesy must have been wrong. The soothsayer's cryptic response is to remind Caesar that the ides of March are not over yet—there is still time for Caesar to meet his fate. This exchange reinforces Caesar's superstition. Despite his public dismissal of the soothsayer's prophesy, Caesar remembers and has clearly been thinking about the omen. As the play moves towards his climactic death, it seems more and more Fated. At the same time, the audience still wonders at how Caesar seems to know his death is coming and yet does nothing to stop it. This exchange is the final moment where the living Caesar is tied to the supernatural, foreshadowing his return as a ghost.

Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.He will not know what all but he do know.And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes,So I, admiring of his qualities.Things base and vile, holding no quantity,Love can transpose to form and dignity.Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

MND — Helena After Hermia and Lysander leave to elope, Helena gives this moving soliloquy. She notes that love causes people to see incorrectly and act irrationally. To make this point, Helena first compares two supposedly objective features: her beauty and Hermia's. She reasons that if so many people "thought [her] as fair" as Hermia, then Demetrius' perspective must be warped. He "errs" because he incorrectly favors Hermia though nothing about her would seem superior to Helena. Helena then applies the same type of criticism back on herself: Just as Demetrius' assessment of Hermia's physical beauty is marred by his love, so is Helena's assessment of Demtrius' character. What is "base and vile" becomes "form and dignity." Intriguingly, in this speech Helena shows herself capable of recognizing her limitations. She observes how warped her perspective has become. Yet, even as she is aware how love has affected her, she is unable to escape its power and continues to see Demetrius as all "form and dignity." Helena's use of imagery pertaining to eyes here is worth noting. She references how Demetrius focuses on "Hermia's eyes" as the basis for his love, yet observes that "Love looks not with the eyes"—for it does not correctly visually interpret the world. As a result, Cupid is "painted blind" because he represents a force that acts based on emotion rather than vision. Later in the play, however, the characters will fall in love when a potion is applied to their eyes—which will make them enamored with the first person they see. Helena's claim that vision is unimportant is thus both accurate and ironic, for Shakespeare will make literal sight the basis for love's metaphorical blindness.

We cannot fight for love, as men may do; We should be wooed and were not made to woo. I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell,to die upon the hand I love so well. (

MND — Helena Helena has followed Demetrius into the woods and continues to profess her affection. She reflects on how this behavior is not in line with traditional social norms, for such pursuits are normally the realm of men, not women. This passage shows how Helena is entrapped by traditional gender roles even as she tries to reject them. She describes, poignantly, how her active pursuit of Demetrius is something only "men may do." And the term "fight" casts the pursuit of love in military terms, reiterating how it is a traditionally masculine enterprise. Shes describes the roles as being strictly divided between "should be wooed" and "made to woo"—pursuer and pursued—showing that Helena has internalized the traditional divisions. Yet her response is, rather remarkably, defiance rather than defeat. She affirms first her own action "I'll follow thee" and then more radically "make a heaven of hell": This expression refers most simply to how she wants to improve her current horrific state of affairs. But more radically it implies that she hopes to invert the world order in which she cannot be the wooer. Indeed, her use of the violent reference to death places her in the traditional masculine role. Shakespeare thus presents Helena as a character who staunchly rejects the passive feminine role to which she has been assigned.

O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent To set against me for your merriment:If you we re civil and knew courtesy,You would not do me thus much injury.Can you not hate me, as I know you do,But you must join in souls to mock me too?If you were men, as men you are in show,You would not use a gentle lady so;To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, When I am sure you hate me with your hearts. You both are rivals, and love Hermia;And now both rivals, to mock Helena:A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,To conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyesWith your derision! none of noble sortWould so offend a virgin, and extortA poor soul's patience, all to make you sport.

MND — Helena Helena is now being pursued by Lysander and Demetrius after they have both been bewitched by the love potion. Believing that they are making fun of her, Helena spurns their advances and scolds them for this behavior. This soliloquy makes a sharp distinction between courteous and uncourteous forms of behavior. Helena considers Lysander and Demetrius' actions to do her "injury" and "mock" her because, she believes, their behaviors do not accurately represent how they feel. To support this point, Shakespeare uses the language of performance and play: The men act from "merriment," they act "in show," and it is all done "to make you sport." These descriptions corroborate the way Puck and Oberon have staged their own sport of romance in the play. Helena is correctly able to recognize the falsehood in the mens' behaviors, but she cannot recognize that they are merely characters acting out their parts. And, meanwhile, the men have become so overwhelmed by their "parts" because of the love potion, that they don't even know that they are in fact playing parts. Helena's speech also confirms the way she is ever-aware of gender role complexity. She implicitly denies Lysander and Demetrius's manhood by saying they are men "in show" rather than in actuality (which also would have been funny in Shakespeare's time, when women weren't allowed to be actors and so the actor playing Helena would, in fact, have been a man). And calling their behavior "A trim exploit, a manly enterprise" is a sarcastic way of saying that she finds their behavior manipulative and thus un-masculine. Similarly, she takes on the traditional role of "gentle lady" and "poor maid"—surprising considering that Helena had previously bucked gender roles by desiring to be the pursuer or wooer. Her new adherence to a division between manly and unmanly behaviors thus shows how rapidly the supernatural forest environment can shift the characters' identities. Just as Demetrius and Lysander have been bewitched into love and into the roles of pursuers, Helena has been metaphorically enchanted in this new, more passive position.

Ay me, for aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history,The course of true love never did run smooth.

MND — Lysander Hermia and Lysander discuss their troubling situation in the aftermath of the confrontation with Theseus. Lysander observes that their predicament is not unusual, for it is characteristic of troubles faced by other lovers throughout history. Lysander speaks in a grandiose tone that claims understanding of a wide range of context. "Ay me" expresses a strong sense of woe, while "for aught" is an emphatic expression that in contemporary English would be similar to "for all" or "in all." Lysander is thus referring to the sum total of narratives with which he has come into contact. He considers both written and oral texts, both fictions and histories—and arrives at this summarizing, grand pronouncement. Yet if the tone might seem to inflate the importance of his own romance, the content of the sentence normalizes it. To observe that "true love never did run smooth" in any of these tales is to show how his case with Hermia is consistent with those previous stories. Instead of seeing their love to be particularly woeful, he contends that it is characteristic of a common trend. Shakespeare thus places the story told in Midsummer Night's Dreamin a cultural history of other similar romantic stories. He presents the tale of Hermia and Lysander as typical of great romances, while implying that the characters themselves are aware of this similarity—and will act based on those older narratives. At the same time, the play, being a comedy, will play with and make fun of these traditional narratives of "fated lovers."

She, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

MND — Lysander Lysander speaks up and begins to defend his right to marry Hermia. He observes that Demetrius first won the favor Hermia's friend Helena and is therefore a fickle lover. To make his case, Lysander places Helena's piousness in opposition with Demetrius' capricious nature. In just two lines he says the word "dotes" three times to refer to Helena, each time with greater gusto. First, the verb is left unmodified; then he appends the adverb "devoutly" to underline the extent of Helena's commitment; and finally he adds "in idolatry" to cast her behavior as entirely subservient. Demetrius, in contrast, is "spotted and inconstant" because he has deviated in his love. "Spotted" makes use of a physical image to show that the love is marred or impure, while "inconstant" more directly refers to mercurial behavior. That Lysander sees this behavior as justification for why Demetrius should not be with Hermia offers insight into the moral sensibilities of these characters. Although they may prize romantic love, greater value is seen in a consistent affection. At the same time, however, Helena's affection as it is described here seems overly devout. The language used to describe her also offers a subtle allusion to earlier idea that Hermia may enter a nunnery rather than marry Demetrius. That Helena's love is presented in similarly religious terms shows how parallels exist in the types of devotion. Yet the one-sidedness of her "idolatry" calls into question its romantic efficacy. Thus while Lysander may charge Demetrius with overly fickle tendencies, he also subtly mocks Hermia for being too devoted. True romance, it seems, must exist between these two poles.

That will ask some tears in the true performing of it. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes. I will move storms. I will condole in some measure.—To the rest.—Yet my chief humor is for a tyrant. I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in to make all split.The raging rocksAnd shivering shocksShall break the locksOf prison gates.And Phoebus' carShall shine from farAnd make and marThe foolish Fates.This was lofty!—Now name the rest of the players.—This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein. A lover is more condoling. (12)

MND — Nick Bottom A set of fellow novice actors discuss their upcoming play Pyramus and Thisbe. One of them, Bottom, pompously describes his acting talents and presents a short monologue to back up that claim. Though the tone of this passage is difficult to capture in text alone, Bottom and his fellow actors are meant to be ridiculously comic, bumbling characters. His pronouncements are overly ornate and self-aggrandizing: He claims to be able to provide the "tears" desired by audience members, but also to "move storms" or physically change the environment. Despite his profession as a weaver, he claims to have a natural affinity for "a tyrant" and implies that the audience will need a measure of "condoling" after his performance because it will be so moving. The ridiculous quality of these claims is made more evident by the example monologue that Bottom delivers. His close adherence to the end-rhymes comes off as sing-song and childish in nature, while the brevity of each line sabotages the grand images he purports to convey. Some of the images are themselves nonsensical. Rocks do not rage, and shocks do not shiver; in fact it would be more logical to speak of shivering rocks and raging shocks. Similarly, it is Bottom who is far more "foolish" than the Fates. Shakespeare establishes the farcical quality of Bottom and his fellow troop. At the same time, through Bottom and his troupe, Shakespeare begins to good-naturedly mock the conventions of tragic romances as well as theater more generally.

I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about t'expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had—but man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. It shall be called 'Bottom's Dream', because it hath no bottom.

MND — Nick Bottom After the other characters have left, Bottom finally wakes. He can recall the events of the previous night, but considers them to be a dream. Although Bottom tries to explain the content of his dream, the majority of his description actually points out how inarticulable he finds his experience. That it is "past the wit of man" implies that it cannot be understood by human intelligence, and indeed he contends that a man would have to be "but an ass" and "but a patched fool" (both of which Bottom actually was during the night) if he believed he could describe the dream. The repetition of "methought" similarly undermines the certainty of what has transpired: Bottom presents each sentence as potential rather than certain. He then explores the limits of the human senses, contending that sight, sound, touch, taste, and even the emotional faculties of men are unable to make sense of what has occurred. These lines presents Bottom as newly humbled by his experience in the forest which he sees as beyond human control. They further divide the illusory experiences of the night with rational human faculties. His comments are also quite ironic, for Shakespeare himself has described the contents of the dream by writing this very play. Bottom's wish that his dream serve itself as fodder for Peter Quince's play directs the audience's attention to this exact incongruity. Shakespeare thus subtly differentiate between two processes: comprehending an event and conveying it through art. Though man may not be able to make sense of Bottom's dream, that dream can be transformed into art that might be able to give them a kind of access to the experience of the dream.

May all to Athens back again repair And think no more of this night's accidents But as the fierce vexation of a dream.

MND — Oberon Oberon at last feels pity for the way he has treated Titania and the other characters. He informs Puck to finish undoing his mischief and to allow the characters to depart the forest. These lines verify the sharp division between the play's urban and forest settings. Whereas the forest is seen as the place of fantasy and magic, the city promises a return to normalcy. Oberon's use of the word "repair" stresses how the character's return to Athens will restore order to the broken relations and return to normal any behaviors made strange by the forest. His strict delineation between the two spaces casts the events that have transpired in the forest as whimsical and temporary—and to have little relevance to the rest of the characters' lives. Oberon also addresses the importance of dreams in this play. Hoping the other characters will think of the events in the forest as only "the fierce vexation of a dream" means that they will consider them to have been a psychologically real experience but one that has no pragmatic effect on their lives. He thus aligns the forest environment with nighttime and dreams, whereas Athens is associated with daytime and "reality." These associations further emphasize that the romantic complications that have taken place in the forest are to be taken as illusory, for they should be seen as temporary and unreal. And yet, as becomes clear just a few lines later, the wild, magical, "unreal" events of the forest have actually untangled the romantic mess of the four lovers in a way that the law of Theseus and Athens never could.

When thou wakest, it is thy dear: Wake when some vile thing is near.

MND — Oberon Oberon has snuck past Titania's attendants as she sleeps. He places the love potion on her eyes and hopes she will spy something unpleasant when she wakes up. These lines describe succinctly the way the love potion will affect Titania. Whatever she sees when she stops sleeping will be her "dear": the thing she loves the most. And thus Oberon hopes that what she spies will be "vile," causing her to fall in love with some odious being. By rhyming "dear" with "near," he draws attention to the way that Titania's love will be predicated on proximity rather than real romantic sentiment. Indeed, the rhyme is important to note here, for it presents these lines as sonorous rather than actually sinister. As is characteristic of this comedy, the plot resists entering a truly negative realm. Even as Oberon moves to deceive Titania, his lighthearted tone presents the behavior to be a mere dalliance or game.

Not a mouse Shall disturb this hallow'd house:I am sent with broom before,To sweep the dust behind the door.

MND — Robin As the play draws to a close, Puck enters alone and reflects on its denouement. He avows to leave behind a tranquil environment. Earlier, Snug mistakenly worried that the audience of his play would mistake it for real. Here, Puck acts as if the play in fact is real and promises to sweep up after it andscrupulously clean the space of anything from the play that remains. Puck thus reiterates both how all that has occurred will soon fade into the past and be "unreal" to the audience that watched the play, but also that the play will leave remnants behind with the audience. In other words, he asserts both the plays unreality and its reality, and in so doing once again highlights the magic of theater, which is to find a common ground between reality and unreality in which actors, characters, and audience can co-exist. These lines also subtly allude to the physical space of a theater. After Shakespeare's play has ended, all will indeed be silent, and custodians will presumably have to sweep it with a "broom." Puck thus verifies that he has been playing the metaphorical role of stage assistant to Oberon throughout their play within this play. And he cleverly describes the very space in which the audience sits as "this hallow'd house." Shakespeare thus likens the ephemeral nature of this play to the broader experience of attending theater—in which great actions are staged for a moment but then soon return to quiet absence.

When in that moment, so it came to pass, Titania waked and straightway loved an ass.

MND — Robin The first being that Titania sees when she awakes is a bewitched Bottom who now has the head of a donkey. Puck explains those events to Oberon with what might be best described as delighted glee. These lines fulfill Oberon's earlier hope that Titania would spy something "vile" when she awoke. Indeed, his wish seems to have been fulfilled far beyond his hopes. For she has fallen in love not only with a "vile" human but actually a partial animal: an "ass" both in name (Bottom) and body. That Puck conveys this information with his characteristic singsong tone presents it to be lighthearted. But beyond that levity, he also adopts the distanced perspective of a theater director or storyteller. Puck describes Titania's actions—"so it came to pass"—as if they were performed by a character in a different tale. Thus he presents himself and Oberon as the creators of the plot events being watched by the audience. Shakespeare forefronts, in this way, how people can function as playwrights, scripting their lives and those of others from a distanced point of view.

Either I mistake your shape and making quite, You are that shrewd and knavish spriteCalled Robin Goodfellow.

MND — Robin/Puck Athens to the mystical forest. There, a fairy encounters another figure and inquires about his identity. Though this passage might seem to be a perfunctory interaction between two characters, it also develops important themes relating to deception and identity. The fairy, for instance, introduces recognition by way of mis- recognition: The line "mistake your shape and making quite" serves as an odd and inverted greeting. When the fairy does seek to identity Robin, he begins not with his name but with a description of how he is "shrewd and knavish"—both terms that connote deception and lack of predictability. Robin's name is itself rather slippery. The supposed moral constancy implied by the name "Goodfellow" directly contrasts with the previous description of him as being "knavish," and the fairy will soon bestow on this "Robin Goodfellow" the nickname of Puck. This interaction thus shows how fickle identity becomes in the forest setting. By directly juxtaposing Act One's urban affairs with this transition into the mystical realm, Shakespeare sets this space starkly apart—as an environment for the characters to take on new identities.

You, ladies, you whose gentle hearts do fear The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor, May now perchance both quake and tremble here, When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar.Then know that I, as Snug the joiner, am A lion fell, nor else no lion's dam.For if I should as lion come in strifeInto this place, 'twere pity on my life. (209)

MND — Snug The laborers perform their farcical version of Pyramus and Thisbe, much to the enjoyment of the other characters. Here, Snug enters playing the lion and reassures everyone that he isn't really a lion because he's worried he might scare the audience. Snug's speech epitomizes how the actors comically misinterpret the way audiences experience theatre. The laborers assume that others are unable to differentiate between theatrical lions and real lions - between what is real and what is pretend. As a result, Snug assumes the "ladies" present will fear his representation of a lion simply because they would fear a real lion. The scene is deeply comical—to the audiences both within and outside the play—because genuine theater is supposed to maintain illusions rather than shatter them. No audience, after all, would ever have legitimate concerns about a lion being real, but they pretend to think so to maintain the illusion of performance. Snug's speech thus becomes a farcical rift on theatrical conventions themselves. It is worth mentioning, however, that the play's characters did struggle in the forest to differentiate between reality and theater, between waking life and dream. Thus while Snug's speech may seem ridiculous, it also carries a poignant undertone that our borders of reality and illusion may not be quite so strict. And Snug's ridiculous belief in theater's potential to overwhelm the audience also hints at theater's real magic, which is an ability to feel real even as the audience knows that it isn't, an ability to make the audience feel the dream even when it isn't dreaming.

If he lose, he makes a swan-like end, Fading in music.

Merchant of Venice — Portia While Bassanio chooses between the lead, silver, and gold caskets to hopefully win Portia, Portia leads other members of her household in song, which will either provide Bassanio with "a swan-like end, / Fading with music" or will surround Bassanio's victory with appropriate fanfare. In this play, music will reappear in the context of Lorenzo and Jessica's moonlit love; music serves as an indicator of feelings which require a higher register in order to be truly expressed. Portia also relies on animal imagery, which reappears to either further denigrate characters such as Shylock or further elevate figures such as her ideal suitor Bassanio.

But earthlier happy is the rose distilled Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn, Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness. (76)

MND — Theseus Hermia asks Theseus what her options will be if she does not marry Demetrius. He explains that the only alternatives are to become a nun or to be put to death but recommends that she elect marriage. This quote displays the high value in the play placed on romantic love and on marriage. Theseus uses the image of "the rose" to stand for Hermia, and more generally for young women. To be "distilled" may mean literally to be purified and condensed into a single essence, but symbolically it means for her to select a single lover on whom to bestow her love. In this metaphor, "withering on the virgin thorn" means to remain celibate as she would in a convent. In that case, her life would be reduced to the simple progression of "Grows, lives, and dies" because it would be unmarked by significant amorous events. Thus life could be deemed a "single blessedness" because it would involve no meaningful shifts. Theseus recommends against such celibate monotony and encourages Hermia to instead marry Demetrius. By couching his advice in the metaphor of the rose, however, Theseus makes a comment not just on Hermia, but rather more broadly on womanhood and romantic relationships. His justification, intriguingly, comes from whether one will be "earthlier happy" rather than from any religious or legal framework. Theseus thus shows himself to be acting not only out of deference to Athenian laws, but also out of a personal belief in the merit of romantic love. Shakespeare thus establishes the centrality of romance to the way these characters will act and find meaning in the world.

More strange than true. I never may believe These antique fables nor these fairy toys.Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover, and the poetAre of imagination all compact.

MND — Theseus The lovers have recounted their tale to Theseus and Hippolyte. While Hippolyte is sympathetic to the story, Theseus believes it to be entirely fantastical, with no basis in reality. His explanation for their stories does not rely on magic or other forms of supernatural possibility. Instead, he contends that it is natural for the addled brains of lovers to experience reality in a warped way. He places in parallel first "lovers and madmen" and then "the lunatic, the lover, and the poet," contending that each sees the world in fantastical terms that have little to do with reality. Indeed, the similarity between insanity and romance is well-trod territory in Shakespeare's work—and the new reference to "the poet" is an enticing point. After all, Shakespeare is himself "the poet" of this work, just as Oberon and Puck were "the poets" of the performance in the woods. In both cases, it seems, this role gave them access to unique imaginative capacities. Theseus, however, sees little value in that mindset. By contrasting the verbs "apprehend" and "comprehends," he returns to the motif of visual perception, arguing that what lunatics see is distinctly different from the rational conclusions of "cool reason." He expresses a firm belief in logical rather than experiential knowledge. Yet this allegiance to rationality was unsuccessful at the play's onset in resolving the lovers' spat: Shakespeare thus shows the limitations of Theseus' perspective, implying that value remains in the poet, madman, and lover's practices, even if they are fundamentally irrational.

I know you two are rival enemies: How comes this gentle concord in the world, That hatred is so far from jealousy,To sleep by hate, and fear no enmity?

MND — Theseus Theseus has stumbled upon Lysander and Demetrius sleeping by each other. He wonders how their proximity is possible considering how they had previously battled for Hermia's favor. These lines return to the question of shifting identities, for Lysander and Demetrius' current behaviors are highly surprising in light of their previous ones. Theseus begins with the firm affirmation "I know" and then wonders how their deviation—"gentle concord"—from his knowledge of their rivalry would be possible. He wonders how the "jealousy" that they feel of each other would not inspire "hatred," for presumably if they did indeed hate each other they would fear "enmity" or some kind of negative retribution. His incredulous response shows that Theseus expects the two to have consistent identities and behaviors—and that he is surprised when Oberon's exploits have pacified them. Importantly, this conclusion requires an external viewer—Theseus—to make sense of the way these two men have changed. Others within the forest are similarly bewitched actors in Oberon's play and thus unable to rationally recognize how quickly they have shifted allegiances. But Theseus is able to stand apart from the action and thus offer this insight. Shakespeare thus makes him an analog for the audience—one who questions character development like any good interpreter. And yet, at the same time, Theseus's confusion at the change in Lysander and Demetrius's characters again emphasizes how a viewpoint based entirely around "law" and "reason" is insufficient to comprehend or affect a world full of the irrational human feeling of love.

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania some time of the night, Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in.

MND —Oberon After watching Helena and Demetrius' interaction, Oberon plots how to resolve their conflict at the same time as playing his prank on Titania. He describes to Puck his plan to make use of a flower that makes people fall in love. Oberon's language here is lush and evocative. He references a variety of different exotic plants at the site where the potion will be found, describing a scene of splendor and vibrance. Forming the speech from sets of rhyming couplets renders it deeply entrancing—thus foreshadowing the way the flowers' juice will bewitch the lovers. (Note how the eloquence of Oberon's rhymes is deeply in contrast with Bottom's in Act 1 Scene 2.) That Titania is "Lull'd in these flowers" similarly foreshadows how flowers will be the instruments of enchantment for those who sleep. Yet within this tranquil environment Oberon describes, the reference to the "snake" carries a slightly more insidious note—in particular since the following reference is to entrapment: "Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in." Oberon could be showing here how the enchanting and luscious environment can at once carry darker notes of entrapment. Yet the play will ultimately only make those darker notes instruments of enjoyable deceit rather than true manipulation.

Now, good my lord,Let there be some more test made of my metal, Before so noble and so great a figureBe stamp'd upon it.

Measure For Measure — Angelo

O cunning enemy, that to catch a saint, With saints dost bait thy hook! Most dangerous Is that temptation that doth goad us onTo sin in loving virtue. Never could the strumpet, With all her double vigor, art and nature,Once stir my temper; but this virtuous maid Subdues me quite.

Measure For Measure — Angelo After Isabella begs him to reconsider, and spare her brother's life, Angelo confronts his sudden passionate attraction to her. The tensions of the play begin to unravel; Angelo contemplates his lust "to sin in loving virtue" and claims that the "cunning enemy" uses "saints" to fulfill his aims. Sin and virtue become hopelessly entangled, as the "virtuous maid" incites him to the very acts which Claudio committed, and for which Angelo condemned him. Another contrast, that between reason and human impulse, becomes a flawed binary as well. Angelo has been our character of the law, our strict dictator who seems to wholly lack human passion. Yet he is the character who becomes infatuated so immediately, in an event which any reasonable individual would think could "never" occur.

But that her tender shameWill not proclaim against her maiden loss,How might she tongue me! Yet reason dares her no, For my authority bears of a credent bulk,That no particular scandal once can touchBut it confounds the breather. He should have liv'd, Save that his riotous youth with dangerous sense Might in the times to come have ta'en revenge,By so receiving a dishonor'd lifeWith ransom of such shame. Would yet he had liv'd! Alack, when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right—we would, and we would not.

Measure For Measure — Angelo Angelo and Escalus discuss the Duke's letter, which, written as the Duke, asks them to meet him at the gates of Vienna and to order citizens with complaints to present petitions on the street of the city. At the street, the common crossing- place of nuns, dukes, prostitutes -- all individuals -- the play's events promise to reveal themselves. After Escalus leaves, though, Angelo stops describing his confusion over the Duke's orders and instead provides this soliloquy about his own actions. His (supposed) sexual experience with Isabella weighs heavily on him; in his guilt, Angelo fears that Isabella might speak out against him (although he even thinks about this in a sexual way). Yet he placates himself convincingly, arguing that the solidity of his own reputation, gender, and social rank will protect him from any possible accusations she could present. He still has the appearance of a sinless man, although he believes he is merely another sinner -- like Claudio, the man he believes he condemned to death (and now regrets). Angelo is entrenched in misconceptions; he believes he has killed Claudio and taken Isabella's virginity, which gives deeper meaning to his statement "we would, and we would not."

Say what you can, my false o'erweighs your true.

Measure For Measure — Angelo Angelo ends his conversation with Isabella by refusing to be intimidated by her threat to share his offer to her with the rest of society. Angels knows that, in this social context, appearance would trump reality; Angelo has built up a solid reputation as an honest and moral character over time, and after so long, this reputation for goodness would be enough evidence to disprove any charges Isabella might place against him. Character can accrue over time, and individual circumstances are always compared and measured against past histories and records. Furthermore, as a woman in this society, Isabella's word is automatically considered less important and reliable than the word of a man, particularly a well-known nobleman like Angelo.

'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, Another thing to fall. I not deny The jury, passing on the prisoner's life,May in the sworn twelve have a thief or twoGuiltier than him they try. What's open made to justice, That justice seizes. What knows the lawsThat thieves do pass on thieves? 'Tis very pregnant, The jewel that we find, we stoop and take't,Because we see it; but what we do not seeWe tread upon, and never think of it.You may not so extenuate his offenseFor I have had such faults; but rather tell me,When I, that censure him, do so offend,Let mine own judgment pattern out my death,And nothing come in partial.

Measure For Measure — Angelo Angelo's reply to Escalus's suggestion for greater mercy and forgiveness becomes a detailed unpacking of many tensions. We are introduced to the notion that temptation and sin are two separate phenomena; again the inconsistencies between the internal and the external figure prominently. Angelo also directly addresses the prevailing concern that justice can only be partial and humans cannot punish all sinners, in order to fully act out heaven's rulings. To Angelo, this is certainly reality. Yet, he suggests that individuals who enforce justice are duty-bound to punish all sins which are revealed. Although a human society cannot fully act out heaven's justice, it can fully act out its own to the best of its abilities. It can fully enforce all wrongdoings it sees, undiluted by merciful tendencies, so that it completely acts out its own justice and "nothing" will "come in partial."

Might there not be a charity in sin To save this brother's life?

Measure For Measure — Angelo As Angelo attempts to convince Isabella to commit herself to sexual intercourse with him, he suggests that he would spare her brother if Isabella offers herself to him in this way. Before, Angelo expressed in speech the new entanglements between good and evil, virtue and vice, and appearance and reality; now, his actions (in his attempts to convince Isabella to engage in sexual actions with him) attest to these as well. Angelo suggests that, as a virtuous woman, Isabella has much to offer. She could choose to selfishly preserve it, until she fully commits to the nunnery and offers it to God, or she could use it to save her brother. Isabella could condemn her own soul through intercourse outside of wedlock, or she could condemn herself in order to un-condemn her brother. This suggestion does not merely use female virginity as a bartering tool; it suggests that moral depravity and consequence is transferable between individuals more broadly. Virtue and vice is entrenched in social networks and exchanges, as well as custom and law. The significance of the title "Measure for Measure" begins to become clearer, even as the moral compass of the play grows more confused.

We must not make a scarecrow of the law, Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,And let it keep one shape, till custom make it Their perch and not their terror.

Measure For Measure — Angelo As the play's second act opens, Angelo closely echoes the Duke's supposedreason for placing him in charge of Vienna. He describes the difficulties of enforcing laws and decrees; these rules become a mere empty framework, an impotent "scarecrow," unless human individuals are able to actively enforce them. Angelo seems willing to carry out this enforcing and ensure that "custom" does not continue to stray far from legalistic action. Angelo suggests that he will place law over mercy and reason over spontaneous human passion. This declaration is unsurprising given the prior events of the play, yet it will itself become a "scarecrow" in the upcoming act.

Heaven hath my empty words,Whilst my invention, hearing not my tongue, Anchors on Isabel; heaven in my mouth,As if I did but only chew his name,And in my heart the strong and swelling evilOf my conception. The state, whereon I studied, Is like a good thing, being often read,Grown sere and tedious; yea, my gravity, Wherein (let no man hear me) I take pride, Could I, with boot, change for an idle plume, Which the air beats for vain. O place, O form, How often dost thou with thy case, thy habit, Wrench awe from fools, and tie the wiser souls To thy false seeming!

Measure For Measure — Angelo Struck by Isabel, Angelo's distracted, guilty prayers do not fulfill their function and connect him to heaven. In this soliloquy, which Angelo utters as he is alone on the stage, Angelo becomes curiously close to Claudius in Hamlet, whose prayers did not reach heaven as well. Angelo only intends to experience sexual intercourse with Isabel, and only intends to kill Claudio, yet Angelo's speech here links him to Claudius -- the character in Hamlet who did have sexual intercourse with Gertrude and did kill the former King of Denmark, all while lamenting his own guilt as Angelo does here. This alludes to the darker nature of Measure for Measure, Shakespeare's final and darkest comedy. Angelo is now painfully aware of his heart -- but he is only aware of his impending vices, instead of his former transgressions (the acts which Isabella suggested that he should remember). He now must confront the central dualities of the play and decide whether he will act out his own impulses or act in service of his society's justice. He must decide whether he will maintain the pretense of a wholly reasonable and just individual or allow himself to reveal his newly emotional internal experiences.

Thus can the demigod, Authority,Make us pay down for our offense by weight The words of heaven: on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, so; yet still 'tis just.

Measure For Measure — Claudio As Claudio enters the stage, he is being taken to prison slowly and publicly. This is supposedly happening under Angelo's specific commands, as the provost tells Claudio when Claudio begins to (perhaps rightly) complain about this. Therefore, Claudio is being thoroughly and publicly punished for having sexual intercourse with his betrothed Juliet because of Angelo's whim and decision. Claudio protests the societal structures which bestow "Authority" on such individuals and allow capricious human actors to (try their best to) enforce the "the words of heaven" and heaven's infallible decrees. When human figures such as Angelo make the determinations, only some guilty individuals receive punishment; the decisions of heaven are only ever partially fulfilled. According to much of the world, though, "still 'tis just" -- this partial form of heavenly justice, which is mediated by the "demigod Authority" and lower human characters, largely seems to be a fair system, rooted in justice. Claudio can see its flaws, though, from his current position outside of the system. Claudio is being forced to "pay" for his sins, and here we again see this blending of justice and monetary circulation.

Ay, but to die, and go we know not where; To lie in cold obstruction, and to rot;This sensible warm motion to becomeA kneaded clod; and the delighted spiritTo bathe in fiery floods, or to resideIn thrilling region of thick-ribbed ice;To be imprison'd in the viewless windsAnd blown with restless violence round about The pendant world; or to be worse than worst Of those that lawless and incertain thought Imagine howling—'tis too horrible!The weariest and most loathed worldly life That age, ache, penury, and imprisonment Can lay on nature is a paradiseTo what we fear of death.

Measure For Measure — Claudio As Claudio speaks with his sister in his jail, he seems somewhat more than willing to die, when he claims "If I must die, / I will encounter darkness as a bride, / And hug it in mine arms." Similarly, he initially does not oppose Isabella's desire to stay pure instead of sacrificing her virginity for his life. Yet his resolve then becomes plagued by fear. "Death is a fearful thing," he first says, briefly, before continuing in this more fervent speech. Although we might associate the tragedy Hamlet more with death, here we briefly escape the worldly nature of this play, which focuses on the competing interests of human passions and reasons, and dwell upon the landscape of death. There is no one analogy that Claudio can use to describe it; Claudio cannot know death, and this mystery leads to his fear. His fear projects through the words, making this speech a passionate plea for his life. Through these attempts to describe death, Claudio attempts to reach through his sister's convictions.

Ay, but yet Let us be keen, and rather cut a little, Than fall, and bruise to death.

Measure For Measure — Escalus After Angelo declares that he will enforce justice, striving against sinful "custom" and ensuring that the very letter of the law is carried out, Escalus takes an antagonistic approach to this idea. Escalus advocates for mercy, suggesting that law enforcement must be balanced with forgiveness and care paid to each individual case. There is more to consider than an individual's actions; intention and internal development are significant as well. This exchange between Angelo and Escalus reminds us that Measure for Measure deals with intellectual tensions and philosophical issues as well as the struggles and successes of individual characters. As a "problem play," it is a comedy with intellectual force in addition to its romantic conventions and devices (which have not yet appeared in the play). As such, it does not let Escalus's comment rest without a response. Angelo immediately replies.

Because authority, though it err like others, Hath yet a kind of medicine in itself,That skins the vice o' th' top. Go to your bosom, Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know That's like my brother's fault. If it confess A natural guiltiness such as is his,Let it not sound a thought upon your tongue Against my brother's life.

Measure For Measure — Isabella As Isabella pleads her brother's case to Angelo, she begs Angelo to be merciful, but not always using wholly religious words such as mercy and forgiveness. Fittingly, she is the figure which reminds Angelo of his heart; she will again unintentionally do this when she unwittingly inspires Angelo to fall in love (or at least lust) with her. Though she is the individual with the most virtue, Isabella claims that Angelo also has a kind of virtue, a "kind of medicine" within himself. He can choose to refrain from making harsh choices. Isabella asks Angelo to recall his own "natural guiltiness" and past transgressions. She introduces the notions of human experience and emotion -- passion, frailty, and reality -- as she virtuously pleads for mercy in her brother's case.

O, were it but my life, I'd throw it down for your deliverance As frankly as a pin.

Measure For Measure — Isabella As Isabella speaks to Claudio in prison, she reveals that Angelo has offered to spare Claudio's life if Isabella will have sex with him. Claudio's immediate response is to state that Isabella will not "do't" -- she will not sacrifice her virginity for her brother's life. Isabella feelingly agrees, claiming that she would "throw it [life] down" "as frankly as a pin" in order to save her brother. Once again she values the soul far more than the body. Further, she only implies that she will not even consider saving her brother through having sex. This hesitancy to even speak directly about this topic suggests the layers of privacy and secrecy which surround female sexuality and religious chastity.

Better it were a brother died at once, Than that a sister, by redeeming him, Should die forever.

Measure For Measure — Isabella To Isabella, moral consequences are not easily transferred among individuals, as Angelo now suggests they are. She is not merely entrenched in systems of circulation and exchange; she is also dedicated to particular religious tenants. According to her Christian beliefs, the life of one's soul is far more important than the life of one's physical body. Thus it would be better for her brother to physically die than for her to spiritually die, thus condemning herself to an eternity in Hell. Isabella is repulsed to the suggestion that saving her brother's life would justify losing her virginity. Her sexual purity is an intrinsic aspect of herself which, lost, would alter her beyond measure.

The Duke is very strangely gone from hence; Bore many gentlemen (myself being one)In hand, and hope of action; but we do learnBy those that know the very nerves of state,His givings-out were of an infinite distanceFrom his true-meant design. Upon his place,And with full line of his authority,Governs Lord Angelo, a man whose bloodIs very snow-broth; one who never feelsThe wanton stings and motions of the sense;But doth rebate and blunt his natural edgeWith profits of the mind: study and fast.He (to give fear to use and liberty,Which have for long run by the hideous law,As mice by lions) hath pick'd out an act,Under whose heavy sense your brother's life Falls into forfeit; he arrests him on it,And follows close the rigor of the statute,To make him an example.

Measure For Measure — Lucio After we see the Duke disguise himself as a friar, Lucio goes to Claudio's sister Isabella, another individual who is only partially a member of the clergy. Isabella is in the process of becoming an authentic nun, however, so she acts as a model of piety and goodness. To Isabella, Lucio summarizes the situation so far: the Duke has left "very strangely" and mysteriously (disguising his "true-meant design") and his replacement, Angelo, has already sentenced Claudio to death for his generally minor offense of impregnating his betrothed Julia. Lucio echoes Claudio's conviction that human actors in command arbitrarily and unfairly use their own liberty to pick (or "pluck") sinful individuals. Then, these authoritative actors punish their chosen sinners, removing their sinners' liberty to "make" their sinners "an example" for the broader community. He also further characterizes Angelo, the figure who represents this flawed form of justice, as a man without spontaneous human feelings. Angelo seems to be a man driven only by law and reason, instead of the variations and ambiguities of human passion.

Why, what a ruthless thing is this in him, for the rebellion of a codpiece to take away the life of a man!

Measure For Measure — Lucio Lucio asks the Duke (who is disguised as a friar) for news about the Duke, and the "friar" declines to provide any, claiming that he knows nothing of the Duke's recent affairs. Lucio then details how Angelo had been acting in the Duke's absence -- that is, ruthlessly-- and indulges in the common speculation that Angelo is not an ordinary mortal and thus not susceptible to the lusts common to flesh-and-blood humans. Lucio exclaims that there is a "ruthless thing" in Angelo ("in him") which inspires this lack of mercy, this hardness towards the baser impulses and actions that are spurred by female sexuality (or innocence, in the case of Isabella). The "rebellion of a codpiece" here jokingly refers to male genitalia and its tendency to lead men into trouble -- something usually knowingly winked at and pardoned in a patriarchal society, but here inexplicably punished. Thus Angelo's judgment against Claudio is not just seen as a harsh punishment, but as an attack upon the worldview that allows sexuality (particularly male sexuality) to exist in a vague no-man's-land, universally known to all but outside of society's direct acknowledgement and condemnation.

Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging.

Measure For Measure — Lucio Shortly before the play ends, the Duke orders Lucio to marry the prostitute ("punk") whom he impregnated. This is how the Duke chooses to punish Lucio for speaking so slanderously about the Duke while the Duke was absent -- or so Lucio thought. (Of course, the prostitute herself never appears, and her feelings on the matter aren't considered.) Thus we end the play with sex and the law entwined, just as we began the play with Claudio being punished according the law because of his sexual "deviance." Here, a character is also being forced to confront a consequence for associating with prostitutes. Prostitution, a continuous undercurrent of the play, is now brought into contact with the Duke's public and authoritative proclamations.

Twice treble shame on Angelo, To weed my vice, and let his grow! O, what may man within him hide, Though angel on the outward side! How may likeness made in crimes, Making practice on the times,To draw with idle spiders' stringsMost ponderous and substantial things! Craft against vice I must apply.With Angelo tonight shall lieHis old betrothed (but despised);So disguise shall by th' disguisedPay with falsehood false exacting,And perform an old contracting.

Measure For Measure — The Duke After craftily conversing with characters through his disguise a friar, the Duke utters this soliloquy on false virtue. He focuses on Angelo's crimes, without considering the hypocrisy of his own deception and the way he is hiding his own truth underneath his priestly appearance. Here, the Duke also attempts to offer a solution to this play's problem of false appearances. He suggests that "craft against vice I must apply" -- supposedly, wit and intelligent plans might be enough to conquer the sin which grows when men use false "angel" appearances to hide their inner vice. The Duke's plans noticeably use their own form of false appearances, though; he will disguise Mariana, Angelo's own abandoned betrothed, so Angelo believes she is Isabella. Here, the Duke is harnessing female sexuality for his own uses.

Nor, gentle daughter, fear you not at all. He is your husband on a pre-contract:To bring you thus together 'tis no sin,Sith that the justice of your title to him Doth flourish the deceit. Come, let us go, Our corn's to reap, for yet our tithe's to sow.

Measure For Measure — The Duke As the Duke encourages Mariana to follow his plan, he uses the language of sin and virtue to appease any doubts or concern she might have. He tells Mariana to "fear ... not" because sexual intercourse with Angelo is supposedly not sinful; Angelo "is" Mariana's husband, at least "on a pre- contrast." This social relationship is, however, remarkably similar to that between Isabella and Claudio, who were also betrothed to marry. This underscores the ways that laws, and rules become altered and rewritten in the changeable social sphere of Measure for Measure.The Duke appeals to the "justice" of this social relationship and social contract as a reason that Mariana could have intercourse with Angelo without being sinful. Then, he closes the scene with a typical rhyming couplet, again alluding to the idea of "measure for measure," and seemingly unconcerned by the moral ambiguity his comment is creating.

The tongue of Isabel. She's come to know If yet her brother's pardon be come hither. But I will keep her ignorant of her good,To make her heavenly comforts of despair, When it is least expected.

Measure For Measure — The Duke The Duke makes this comment as his plan is rapidly developing. Although a fellow prisoner Barnadine is refusing to die in Claudio's stead, a pirateRagozine, who has recently died, looked similar enough to Claudio that his head can be sent to Angelo instead of Claudio's. The Duke is relieved by this lucky event, but decides that he will allow Isabel to believe that her brother has truly died, keeping her "ignorant of her good," as God might keep an individual briefly unaware of a lucky turn of fate. This situation reveals the Duke's power; it emphasizes his omnipresence and ability to choose how he shares his knowledge with others. Yet, his decision seems to derive more from a calculating will than from a beneficent spirit. He is intentionally allowing Isabella to suffer for the sake of his own whims. She might certainly draw closer to God from this situation, making "heavenly comforts of despair," but the Duke is also being duplicitous and manipulative. Yet again, his plan involves controlling a virtuous woman. It is left ambiguous whether the Duke is here acting more as a friar or as a friar- in-disguise -- he acts concerned with Isabella's spiritual life, but also seems to want to draw out the suspense of her ignorance in order to create more drama for his own enjoyment.

We have strict statutes and most biting laws (The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds), Which for this fourteen years we have let slip, Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave,That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers, Having bound up the threat'ning twigs of birch, Only to stick it in their children's sightFor terror, not to use, in time the rodBecomes more mock'd than fear'd; so our decrees, Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead,And liberty plucks justice by the nose;The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart Goes all decorum.

Measure For Measure — The Duke It turns out that Duke Vicentio has not left the play at all; after he is absent for one scene, the audience sees him again, as he converses with a friar. Fittingly, it is in this monastery that the audience may begin to understand why the Duke has left Vienna, spurring the action of the play. The Duke at least claims that he left not for love, but rather for the good of his people. For fourteen years, he has supposedly allowed the virtue of his city to slip; in the Duke's colorful description, even fathers and children become figures of sinfulness, as "quite athwart / Goes all decorum," and liberty takes control over justice.The Duke seems to believe that Angelo is better suited to restoring this virtue, as an individual not as entrenched in the political customs of the last few years. But perhaps we cannot believe the Duke's description completely. He only describes his city in these flawed terms after the friar questions the Duke's intentions, making the Duke defensively claim that he has "a purpose / More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends / Of burning youth." In the Duke's depiction of Vienna, we do, however, have a portrait of a city which plays out of many of the play's overall concerns: sin versus vice, romantic and familial bonds versus isolation, and collective versus individual action.

"Note this before my notes; There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting."

Much Ado — Balthazar Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio, and Balthazar have entered, causing Benedick (who was soliloquizing about marriage moments earlier) to hide behind some trees. The group notices him hiding, but they pretend not to. Don Pedro asks Balthazar to play music, and he agrees, but not before punning on nothing, noting, and musical notes. This pun recurs throughout the play and even in its title: chaos is caused because characters keep noting (noticing) nothings (lies and tricks). Balthazar says, essentially, notice this before my musical notes, there's not (another note pun) a musical note of mine that's worth listening to (noting) / worth anything (nothing).

What's yet in thisThat bears the name of life? Yet in this lifeLie hid more thousand deaths; yet death we fear That makes these odds all even.

Measure For Measure — The Duke The Duke, disguised as a friar, appears to Claudio in prison to provide him with counsel. After asking Claudio whether he hopes for pardon, and hearing that Claudio does indeed remain in hope to some extent, the Duke advocates that Claudio should lose all hope and "be absolute for death." The Duke labels life as a gift that "none but fools would keep" and details life's unpleasant contradictions (that young men desire riches and old men cannot derive pleasure from the riches that they have). Again we see the darker nature of this comedy. The Duke's description of life's many hidden deaths also recalls this play's tension between appearance and reality. The Duke does not suggest what exactly constitutes the "more thousand deaths" of life. Yet we might believe that these deaths-in-miniature are the consequences of pretense; they slowly accrue over one's life, as one adopts different identifies, leaving each personality and experience behind, and fails to see one's internal desires and motivations gain external representation.

For this new-married man approaching here, Whose salt imagination yet hath wrong'dYour well-defended honor, you must pardonFor Mariana's sake; but as he adjudg'd your brother— Being criminal, in double violationOf sacred chastity and of promise-breach,Thereon dependant, for your brother's life—The very mercy of the law cries outMost audible, even from his proper tongue,"An Angelo for Claudio, death for death!"Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure. Then, Angelo, thy fault's thus manifested;Which though thou wouldst deny, denies thee vantage. We do condemn thee to the very blockWhere Claudio stoop'd to death, and with like haste. Away with him!

Measure For Measure — The Duke The irony of the play is fully revealed on stage, by the city gates; the Duke openly states that Angelo has indeed committed the same crime for which he sentenced Claudio to death. And so, according to the "eye for an eye" (or, "Measure still for Measure") notion of retributive justice, Angelo should be condemned to death as well, receiving the same judgment that he doled out to others. It is no accident that the Duke, who has manufactured the play's entire plot, here reveals its fundamental irony. The Duke also seems to advocate for its "Measure for Measure" brand of justice. According to the Duke, it is "the very mercy of the law" which cries of "Measure for Measure"; he even curiously associates the term mercy with retributive justice. As we know well, however, the Duke's words are not always what they may seem to be. He is not actually planning to kill Angelo for this "fault," but he can exercise his power and momentarily pretend that he will carry out this threat.

By mine honesty,If she be mad, as I believe no other,Her madness hath the oddest frame of sense, Such a dependancy of thing on thing,As e'er I heard in madness.

Measure For Measure — The Duke The play's final scene opens by the city gates, with Isabella accusing Angelo to the Duke Vicentio, as the Duke himself (disguised in friar form) earlier bid her. Angelo attempts to suggest that Isabella is mad, but Isabella relies upon this play's tension between appearance and reality to make clear her sanity (and Angelo's guilt): "even so may Angelo, / In all his dressings, characters, titles, forms, / Be an arch-villain." This explanation seems to satisfy the Duke, who is no stranger to deception, as he himself was in costume throughout the play (except for the very first and very last scenes). Of course, the Duke does not actually need this explanation, as he has manufactured Isabella's petition and earlier told her what to say. In this scene, the Dukeis engaging in a deception of his own once again here; his vow "by mine honesty" does not signify much.

Look, here comes one; a gentlewoman of mine, Who, falling in the flaws of her own youth,Hath blister'd her report. She is with child,And he that got it, sentenc'd; a young man More fit to do another such offense Than die for this.

Measure For Measure — The Provost When the Duke comes to visit the prisoners in his friar disguise, the Provost introduces him to Juliet, revealing his personal sympathy for her plight. When he mentions how Juliet is pregnant, the Provost also shares the fate of her lover Claudio. These two lovers tend to be defined in relation to one another -- one of their crimes is easily explained by the other's crime -- and this suggests the way that one person's actions never exist in a vacuum, and thus one can never be completely culpable. It also suggests, however, that Claudio is more responsible than Juliet; he is to be killed immediately, and she is not.

I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano—A stage where every man must play a part; And mind a sad one

Merchant of Venice Antonio This is not our famous "All the world's a stage" moment in Shakespeare's "As You Like It;" it only briefly presents the view that men occupy different roles and does not present the seven general stages of a man's life. This statement is, however, an apt method of describing the broader pallor of emptiness which Antonio (who is the titular Merchant of Venice) introduces to the play's opening. According to this personal perspective, every individual "must play a part"; some must win, some must lose. The world is "but as the world," a bland reality that lacks imaginative possibilities, and, every man has "a part." Antonio is an individual, but he is also interpreted in association with other parts and is made up of a combination of various social, racial, ethnic, and religious categories. Tensions between these categories will develop as the play continues.

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

Merchant of Venice — Antonio As Antonio strives to procure a loan from Shylock, and Shylock displays the full force of his animosity, Antonio does not restrain himself from denigrating Shylock -- even as "the devil." Of course, Antonio is here providing a general saying, but the thinly veiled implication is that Shylock is functioning as the devilish figure in this interaction. Antonio has, at other occasions, more directly spat on Shylock or referred to him as a dog, so this wording is perhaps unsurprising. It also, though, emphasizes the extent to which the Jewish and Christian communities in this play isolate themselves from each other theologically. The devil is the common enemy of both religious traditions, but in this colloquial saying, Antonio is associating Shylock with the devil.

In sooth, I know not why I am so sad.

Merchant of Venice — Antonio The merchant Antionio begins this play, just as Portia will begin the following scene, by expressing sadness. Although Portia's sadness is easier to explain -- she is not truly weary of the world in general, but is tired of being pursued by suitors, who must follow her father's test in order to try for her heart -- Antiono's sadness is more inexplicable. He protests, to his friends, that he is not worried about his ships, which are spreading his wealth abroad (and would sink his wealth if they are ruined). He claims that he is not pining for love, either. We might blame other characters of the play -- the villain Skylock or Antonio's friend Bassanio -- for Antonio's sadness, but ultimately Antonio's emotions remain enigmatic as the play continues. They provide a fitting backdrop for this comedy, though; this melancholy opening puts a stale pallor over the action of the play, which can only be removed as characters form new social bonds or receive new material goods (or, occasionally, experience both of these processes together).

I am a tainted wether of the flock, Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit Drops earliest to the ground.

Merchant of Venice — Antonio When Antonio hears that his ships, and therefore his wealth, has been destroyed at sea, he delivers a seemingly Biblical description of himself as the "tinted wether of the flock" who is destined for death. Here, he describes himself using animal symbolism (a wether is a castrated male sheep), denigrating himself as he has earlier denigrated Shylock on so many occasions. Shylock here is in the position of authority, as the language of Antonio's defeat suggests. Finally, Antonio is no longer in a position of power, and we might guess, along with Antonio, that Shylock will take advantage of this new situation and make good on his desire to get revenge over Antonio.

There is no vice so simple but assumes Some mark of virtue in his outward parts.

Merchant of Venice — Bassanio As Bassanio chooses between the gold, silver, and lead caskets, he delivers an ornate speech about the deceptive nature of ornament -- in fields as diverse as law, religion, and beauty. In doing so, he connects these separate topics which resurface throughout the play, emphasizing the importance of substance over style. He interprets the caskets correctly, or as Portia's father would, at least, and and will choose the appropriate casket as he rejects "gaudy gold" in favor of "meagre lead." Of course, he is still drawn to Portia's beauty, and his speech is delivered with a sheen of eloquence, so the content of his speech is not entirely convincing,

In my school-days, when I had lost one shaft, I shot his fellow of the selfsame flightThe selfsame way, with more advised watch,To find the other forth; and by adventuring both, I oft found both.

Merchant of Venice — Bassanio Before Bassanio explains his desire to pursue Portia as a suitor, he discusses his pre-existing debts to his friend Antonio. Bassanio already owes Antonio (and others) a fair sum of money and gratitude, but he is about to ask for additional monetary assistance. Although Antonio will not withhold his money, and will be quite generous because of his friendship, Bassanio still provides an analogy that might convince Antonio to lend him money. Bassanio references how, once he lost an arrow, he would often shoot another arrow and more carefully watch the second arrow's flight, in order to find both arrows at once. Bassanio suggests that he will do the same with money; by paying more attention to the way he spends new loans, he will be able to repay his old and new debts to Antonio.

I never knew so young a body with so old a head.

Merchant of Venice — Duke of Venice In his letter to the court's judge, Doctor Bellario describes the young lawyer who will be replacing him. This lawyer is Portia in disguise-- a fact which the audience can realize but Bassanio and the rest of the court cannot. This description of Portia, then, deals with multiple layers of deception; it is associated with Portia's deception as a male lawyer and this supposed disguise of wisdom and maturity within a young body. In the crucial court scene, Portia will indeed live up to this weighty description; she delivers an eloquent, passionate speech about the power of mercy and also manages to use details of law and reason to spare Antonio's life. She lives up to the disguise she is inhabiting, temporarily transforming into an accomplished lawyer when the opportunity presents itself to her.

All things that are,Are with more spirit chased than enjoy'd.

Merchant of Venice — Gratiano Gratiano and Salarino converse as they wait for Lorenzo. Although Bassanio initially (in the play's first scene) commented that Gratiano tends to speak "an infinite deal of nothing," here Gratiano seems to arrive at a universal truth: individuals are more attracted to phenomena (or, in Gratiano's words, "all things that are,") while they are still pursuing them. People and objects become less fascinating once they are attained. This certainly applies to lovers -- particularly because the lovers Lorenzo and Jessica are about to appear onto the stage -- but also has relevance for financial and material pursuits. This fleeting comment calls into question all of the striving and seeking (for a lover, for a reputation, for greater material or financial well-being) that occurs throughout The Merchant of Venice.

But love is blind, and lovers cannot see The pretty follies that themselves commit.

Merchant of Venice — Jessica When Lorenzo comes to Jessica, Shylock's daughter and his beloved, they have a brief conversation before Jessica gathers the rest of her belongings and joins him in their elopement. Jessica is disguised as a boy, and she claims she is grateful that Lorenzo does not see her in such a strange costume. During this conversation, she also more abstractly comments that "love is blind" -- a statement that is not literally true in Belmont, where Portia has certainly noticed her suitors' appearances and ethnicities (although it could be argued that this is because she doesn't truly love them). Yet, lovers are, indeed, often unaware of "pretty follies that themselves commit." In this very play we will observe several instances where lovers are unaware of the tricks and devices which their lover plays on them.

Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart or in the head? How begot, how nourished?Reply, reply.It is engender'd in the eyes, With gazing fed; and fancy dies In the cradle, where it lies.Let us all ring fancy's knell;I'll begin it - Ding, dong, bell.

Merchant of Venice — Portia The song which Portia leads, while Bassanio is pondering and making his voice between the three caskets, is appropriately focused on true love, or "fancy." According to the song's words, love begins with visual cues or "in the eyes" -- which the Prince of Morocco knew as well, when he urged Portia to refrain from judging him based on his appearance (as he knew she was apt to do). Besides the song's content, the mere fact that Portia is fostering this music confirms that Bassanio is her suitor of choice; we are inclined to compare Portia's reaction to his suit to her earlier reactions to prior suitors, and we can measure the extent of her approval by this comparison. Act 3, scene 2 Quotes If he lose, he makes a swan-like end, Fading in music.

The man that hath no music in himself,Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;The motions of his spirit are dull as night,And his affections dark as Erebus.Let no such man be trusted.

Merchant of Venice — Lorenzo After musicians play for the lovers Jessica and Lorenzo, Lorenzo declares that people who are not moved by music are the worst kind, the kind who deserve the worst that others have to offer them ("treasons, stratagems, and spoils"). This exclamation does more than just continue to reflect on the properties of music, and music's associations with love and goodness; it invites questions about who might deserve violence, and why. Does one deserve violence for being an intrinsically malignant individual, a character such as Shylock who is unmoved by others' pleas? Or, does one deserve such negative consequences for specific actions, for breaking specific agreements? This play raises questions about who should be culpable, and why, but does not answer them -- even the relatively virtuous Bassanio and Gratiano (as well as Portia and Nerissa) break promises to their respective lovers.

They are as sick that surfeit with too much, as they that starve with nothing.

Merchant of Venice — Nerissa Nerissa, Portia's servant and companion, provides this saying while she is discussing Portia's downcast emotions. After Nerissa mentions that Portia is blessed with an abundance of gifts, she gives this adage and reminder that too much material wealth can be as unfortunate as too little. This also serves as a warning against greed; the lust to accumulate more wealth and possessions can be as damaging as these possessions themselves, as the character Skylock will demonstrate through his avarice. With these blunt words, Nerissa seems to offer her lady a similar sort of "economic" friendship as Antonio's friends have provided him. This underscores the importance of such fraternal bonds in The Merchant of Venice, which only develops its plot because a merchant is willing to share his wealth with another, in friendship.

I dote on his very absence.

Merchant of Venice — Portia After detailing her many suitors, and revealing her dislike of their behaviors and appearances, Portia declares to Nerissa that she will remain chaste as the goddess Diana, unless one of her suitors manages to win her in the way her father ordered before his death. Portia claims "I dote on his very absence," in reference to all of her potential suitors. Yet, after Portia makes this extravagant claim, Nerissa reminds her of Bassanio; surely Bassanio was deserving, according to Nerissa. Portia does indeed remember Bassanio, and agrees that he was the suitor she preferred most. We thus begin to see a possible relief from the play's current aura of banality and absence.

When he is best, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast.

Merchant of Venice — Portia As Portia and her handmaiden Nerissa discuss many of the suitors which are striving to marry her, Portia does not attempt to fabricate her opinions with any false positivity or pretense. She even compares the Duke of Saxony's nephew (one of her suitors) to an animal, introducing this play's focus on human and animal categories, and the arbitrary way we can decide who and who isn't a "man" or a "beast." Portia's suitors represent many of the world's ethnicities, races, and nations; in her opinions towards these men, we first see the stereotyping and classification that will pervade the play's action.

Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew?

Merchant of Venice — Portia As Portia is pretending to be a young lawyer, she asks one of the most simple yet central questions of he play: who is the Jew, and who is the merchant? This suggests that Jews are so defined by their religious and ethnic identities that their Jewishness obfuscates their professional roles; thus, we see the play's prejudices. More broadly, though, this moment captures the importance of societal functions in constructing an individual's identity. A person's identity is always somewhat questionable and ambiguous because it only exists in relation to other phenomena and systems of exchange larger than any one person. Arguably, Shylock is only the dehumanized "Jew" because society has forced him to play that role, while Antonio has been able to inhabit the more socially-approved role of "merchant."

We will answer all things faithfully.

Merchant of Venice — Portia Now that Portia and Nerissa have revealed their deception, Portia assumes that Bassanio and Gratiano are likely unsatisfied by their explanations thus far. So she urges them to go in, so that they may begin interrogating her and Nerissa. Here, Portia promises to be faithful in her answers about "all things." She seems to have quickly forgotten how Bassanio and Gratiano were themselves unfaithful when they gave away their rings at the courthouse, despite their prior vows to Portia and Nerissa that they would never part from these rings. We are left, at the play's end, with a promise for full disclosure in the future. This provides a fitting end to our beginning, when Antonio's sadness was unexplained and unclear. Now that these relationships have formed over the course of the play, they can perhaps begin to remove the secrecy and unrevealed nature of characters' internal experiences -- although these relationships themselves are framed by such uncertainty, because of their connections to Portia and Nerissa's rings, and any clarity must necessarily occur off the stage, beyond the edges of the play's artificial world.

The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.'T is mightiest in the mightiest: it becomesThe throned monarch better than his crown; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty,Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway,It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,It is an attribute to God himself;And earthly power doth then show likest God's, When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this,That in the course of justice none of usShould see salvation: we do pray for mercy;And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy.

Merchant of Venice — Portia Portia's eloquent speech describing and lauding the benefits of mercy extends beyond this theme to other notions which appear and reappear throughout the play. Here, in the courtroom, this speech is not exactly a defense of Antonio according to Venetian law; it instead transgresses into religious territory. It raises questions about public versus private duties, religious salvation versus worldly justice, Old Testament versus New Testament ideals, and antagonistic relationships versus social cohabitation. Yet Portia's speech addresses so many other concerns because it almost entirely consists of abstractions. Thus it's not surprising that Portia's words don't even begin to appease Shylock's lust for revenge, or his specific desire to attain a piece of Antonio's physical body.

All that glisters is not gold.

Merchant of Venice — Prince of Morocco As the Prince of Morocco opens the golden casket during his pursuit of Portia's hand in marriage, he uncovers the already common saying "All that glisters is not gold" (which was earlier expressed by Chaucer, among other writers). This trite warning against greed seems out of place at Belmont, where Portia's wealthy father has left her an expansive and an incredible quantity of money. It reminds us of this play's tension between love and the ownership of property -- a tension which Antonio faced in the first scene, when he decided to forsake his own property out of love for Bassanio (and to let his friend Bassanio hopefully win Portia's love and Portia's property, through Antonio's love and property). This warning against greed is written on a scroll within the casket, and this casket is the first of many objects to be associated with writing. Though the casket itself is a golden expression of wealth, the words written within it also make it an expression of love. Portia's father likely included the golden casket to prevent suitors from winning over Portia out of their desire for her inheritance. Gy forbidding suitors who chose the golden casket from attaining Portia through marriage, Portia's father protects his daughter through his writing.

Mislike me not for my complexion, The shadow'd livery of the burnish'd sun.

Merchant of Venice — Prince of Morocco The Prince of Morocco's first words to Portia are an earnest request to refrain from judging his physical appearance -- specifically, his dark "complexion," the physical aspect tied to racial and social categorization. He has clearly faced prejudice and dehumanization before, and so immediately apologizes for himself in the face of society's disapproval. But although the prince begins with this entreaty, he will adopt a more defensive and affirmative stance by the end of his speech: "I would not change this hue, / Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen." Here, the prince echoes Skylock's conflicting confidence and concerns over discrimination, suggesting that this process of adapting to stereotyping extends through the play's different forms of categorization and separation.

The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction.

Merchant of Venice — Shylock As Shylock closes his defense of his behavior, and his larger declaration that Jewish and Christian peoples are not as different as they seem to be in Venice, he claims that he has learned his lust for greed and revenge from the Christian individuals who have so mistreated him. He suggests that his own behavior is a reaction to the intolerance which he has faced and which he is currently confronting. He alludes to the fact that Venice's current social currents have been prefaced by prior stigmatization and discrimination, and this perspective certainly makes him a more complicated and sympathetic character than he may have initially appeared to be.

Many a time and oft In the Rialto you have rated me About my moneys and my usances:Still I have borne it with a patient shrug, For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe. You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,And all for use of that which is mine own.

Merchant of Venice — Shylock As in many other moments of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock here describes the type of prejudice and discrimination that he faces, and that "all our tribe" faces, in Venice. Yet here Shylock also explains that the very individuals who denigrate him as a "misbeliever" or "cut- throat dog," also use him as a money-lender, borrowing his own funds -- "that which is mine own." Shylock exposes the unfortunate contradiction that Venetians mistreat the individuals whom they need, the money-lenders who fulfill an essential and respectable function in society. The injustices he lists here also serve to make Shylock a more complex character -- one who is portrayed as a caricatural villain, but who has possibly been made that way by the prejudice of a "Christian" society.

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.

Merchant of Venice — Shylock In the street, Shylock converses with Salanio and Salarino. He discusses his daughter Jessica's sudden leaving, and Salarino asks whether Antonio has lost his wealth at sea, from shipwrecks. Shylock comments that he will indeed seek a pound of Antonio's flesh if Antonio cannot repay his debt. After Salarino expresses his surprise, asking how Shylock could actually use Antonio's flesh for any purpose, Shylock quickly replies that Antonio's flesh could bait fish -- and suit his lust for revenge. Shylock describes that he has a drive for revenge, as any other individual supposedly does, and then gives us this famous declaration that Jewish individuals are largely the same as any others. This plea for the Jewish people is thereby inscribed within Shylock's lust for revenge, and should not be taken out of context. Although The Merchant of Venice does certainly include Shylock's passionate defenses of himself and of his people, this message against stereotypes is tainted by its association with Shylock's individual bloodthirsty personality. The play does not form a clear platform for crying out against anti-Semitism, although it certainly depicts the prejudice that confronts a people of individuals, which perhaps unfortunately includes Shylock.

If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.

Merchant of Venice — Shylock Salarino claims to be "sure" that Shylock will not take Antonio's flesh because there is no clear use for Antonio's skin and blood (as Salarino implies with his blunt question "what's that good for?"). Shylock glibly comments that Antonio's flesh could be used to "bait fish," before he more directly claims that Antonio's flesh would "feed my revenge." It would allow Shylock to finally avenge the way that Antonio and others mistreat him (and other members of the Jewish community). By claiming that acts of vengeance would "feed" his revenge, Shylock implies that revenge is a natural human desire, like sexual desire or physical hunger -- and it is sated not by anything technically "useful," but only by inflicting more pain and spreading one's bitterness to others.

I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you.

Merchant of Venice — Shylock Shylock utters these words during his first interaction with Antonio and Bassanio in the play, an interaction which reveals how complicated a figure Shylock will become in The Merchant of Venice. He will have more pitiful moments like this, despite his more general role as antagonist who seems to literally seek Antonio's flesh and blood. Here, as Shylock describes the rules he follows as he interacts with society, he also expresses the categorical isolation he feels as a member of the Jewish community, who is largely excluded from social aspects within the Christian Venice. He can participate in the public space of the marketplace and engage in commerce (and "buy," "sell," and "walk" with others), but he cannot (or willnot)enter the more intimate spaces (to engage in worship or participate in meals). Here, though, Shylock is delivering these words in a public street; we cannot be sure whether he is accurately describing his own feelings of isolation, or merely harnessing this social reality to suit his needs in this conversation.

Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that: You take my house when you do take the prop That doth sustain my house; you take my life When you do take the means whereby I live.

Merchant of Venice — Shylock Once the Duke has declared that half of Shylock's wealth will go to Antonio and the other half will go to the state, Shylock, in his dismay, provides a powerful description of the connection between one's life and one's wealth. He claims that his property sustains his life, so taking his property is the same as taking his life. Similarly, for Shylock, his wealth sustains his property, so an individual takes his property by taking his wealth. Here, Shylock articulates an indirect but powerful link between his life and his wealth, a direct correspondence which is not surprising given Shylock's generally greedy nature and concern with material possessions. Yet, after Shylock utters this statement, Portia immediately asks Antonio what "mercy" he might render Shylock, continuing to insert the notion of mercy into the courtroom even while simultaneously doling out arguably cruel, unmerciful punishments to Shylock.

Let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me.

Merchant of Venice — Shylock While Shylock is bartering with Antonio and Bassanio in order to arrange their new loan, he decides to ask for an unusual form of repayment, should Antonio default on the loan: a pound of Antonio's flesh. This strange request captures the way that human actors are intrinsically associated with their financial means in this play, but it also provides a platform for subsequent reflections on honesty (would Antonio truly allow his blood to be spilt over a legal agreement?), mercy (might Shylock be overcome with mercy shortly before he would witness Antonio become injured), and violence (would this act of violence be enough to satiate Shylock's lust for revenge)?

My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, The penalty and forfeit of my bond.

Merchant of Venice — Skylock Shylock is the first to respond to Portia's famous speech about the benefits of mercy. As Shylock advocates that Antonio's flesh should indeed be cut, he justifies his desire by appealing to "the law." As he disguises his craving for revenge as a case of "I crave the law," he suggests the connection between volatile personal emotions and the authoritative, ever impersonal realm of the law. Shylock specifically longs for "the forfeit of my bond." He also elicits questions of ownership and possession; Shylock had a legal claim to Antonio's flesh -- the skin that only physically belongs to Antonio.

"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me; and he that is less than a man, I am not for him."

Much Ado — Beatrice This scene opens with Antonio, Leonato, Beatrice, and Hero discussing Don John's attitude and comparing him with Benedick. Beatrice jokes that Don John talks too little and Benedick talks too much, saying that a good husband would be somewhere in the middle. After this joke Leonato tells Beatrice to be careful so that she can find a husband, at which point Beatrice says that she's happy that she doesn't have one, especially because she hates beards. Thus begins a discussion here about beards, in which Leonato suggests Beatrice marry a beard-less man. Her response, given in the quote, is that someone with a beard is more than a youth, and someone with no beard is less than a man (boyish). She doesn't like bearded men, but beardless men are merely boys who cannot handle her. Beards become more and more important in the play as symbols of manliness. Note also that this discussion has an extra level of irony because, in Shakespearean times, female parts were played by beard-less youths. When a young actor's beard came in, it was an indication that he could begin to play adult male parts instead of boys and women on stage. The original speaker of this line would have been a young man without a beard dressed as a woman.

"O! that I were a man for his sake, or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into courtesies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie and swears it. I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving."

Much Ado — Beatrice The Friar has concocted a plan in which Hero will pretend to be dead while Leonato gets to the bottom of her accusation, the hope being that it will make Claudio even more thrilled to marry her when he finds out she is actually alive (though modern audiences might object that Hero might not want to marry Claudio after he mistrusted and then shamed her). Now, Beatrice and Benedick are alone on stage; the pair has just admitted they are in love with each other, and Beatrice is upset by what has happened to Hero. Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio for her. When Benedick refuses, Beatrice speaks the lines quoted. She wishes that she were a man so that she could kill Claudio herself, or that Benedick would be a man and do it. But, she laments, classical manliness has faded, and devolved into only language. Valor, she says, has become nothing more than lying and false oaths. Since she cannot be a man simply because of her wish to become one, she concludes that she'll die as a woman because of her grief. Beatrice's criticism of manliness and the prevalence of language over action speaks to the theme of the play, in which nothing really happens but talk and falsity. It also inspires Benedick to agree to kill Claudio.

"I was not born under a rhyming planet."

Much Ado — Benedick Benedick speaks this line in a soliloquy after he has sent Margaret to get Beatrice. He sings a little song, attempting to find a way to communicate his feelings to Beatrice, and laments his poor singing ability. Because he wasn't "born under a rhyming planet," meaning he doesn't have any natural ability rhyme or write poetry, he says he can only come up with bad rhymes. First, Benedick's reference to the planet under which he was born echoes Don John's assertion earlier in the play that he is evil because he was born under the planet Saturn. In each case, these men argue that their natures are determined by the stars; that they couldn't change or learn even if they wanted to. They proclaim, therefore, that their true natures are set no matter the perception of them. Meanwhile, Benedick's struggle with writing poetry speaks to the limitations of language brought up by the play, the way that it frustrates and confuses.(Benedick's struggle with rhyming is also ironic, since it is written by Shakespeare, a master poet.) At the same time, Benedick has been engaging in a war of wit and language play with Beatrice for much of the play, so it's not clear that he actually does have limitations with language. Perhaps, instead, he is making excuses for finding it difficult to express his love through language, which would then be another indication that love, like a toothache, is more profound, more of the body, than language can evoke.

"One woman is fair, yet I am well; another is wise, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well; but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace."

Much Ado — Benedick In this scene Benedick soliloquizes in Leonato's garden. Benedick is frustrated that Claudio, whom he considered to be a perennial bachelor like himself, has become a lover and is getting married. Like Beatrice's response to Hero's engagement, in which the former starts to entertain the idea of marriage, Benedick begins to wonder if he will ever change his mind and get married. But like Beatrice, he constructs for himself a scenario in which he'll never find a suitable bride. Here, he lists different desirable traits in potential wives: "fair," "wise," and"virtuous." Benedick then concludes that until all of these graces is combined in one perfect woman, he will not get married. Whereas earlier he refused to even consider marriage, now, given the social pressure of Claudio getting married, he can consider getting married, but still protects himself by deciding that he could only ever marry an idealized woman. Recall that he even criticized Hero, the woman who inspired Claudio's "perfectest" joy.

"...get thee a wife, get thee a wife: there is no staff more reverent than one tipped with horn."

Much Ado — Benedick The drama of the play has been resolved, with all plots and confusions rectified. Hero's innocence has been established, and she and Claudio have married.Beatrice and Benedick learn that they have been tricked and set up by their friends, but nonetheless agree that they are truly in love and agree they too will wed.Benedick's views on marriage have changed: he excitedly insists on music and dancing, and even advises Don Pedro to get married. Benedick tells Don Pedro that he seems sad, and repeats the idea that he should get a wife. It seems, then, that the play has resolved completely in favor of marriage. Yet Benedick's line that"there is no staff more reverent than one tipped with a horn" complicates things. A man who had horns was the standard description of a cuckold - a man who's wife has been unfaithful. What exactly Benedick is saying here is not clear. He may be implying that all women will eventually be unfaithful, and so all married men are essentially cuckolds. He may be suggesting that married men, because they are vulnerable to being cuckolded if their wives are unfaithful, love their wives (are "more reverent") more than they would otherwise. And he may just be joking about the idea that women are likely to make men cuckolds. Nonetheless, even as the play ends happily, with a marriage complete and another to come, it continues to complicate the very idea of love and marriage with male anxiety about female infidelity and the associated shame.

"Well, every one can master a grief but he that has it."

Much Ado — Benedick This scene begins with the discussion of Claudio's upcoming marriage, and with Don Pedro saying that after the wedding he will spend time with Benedick, who is always merry and impervious to cupid's arrows. To this assertion, Benedick says "I am not as I have been," indicating he has changed and fallen in love. Leonato and Don Pedro think that Benedick is sad or just needs money, but Claudio correctly asserts that he is in love. Benedick says that he has a toothache, and when the other men suggest that his sadness seems inappropriate for only a toothache, Benedick delivers the quoted line. He essentially says that it is easy to give suggestions on how to get over sadness, but difficult to get over it yourself. This line also speaks to the way that romance and emotions are crossed between characters. Don Pedro courts Hero for Claudio, and a whole group is conspiring to make Beatrice and Benedick fall in love. It is easy for them all to intervene in each other's love lives, but many of the characters face difficulties when dealing with their own situations. Note also that Benedick's appearance and reality are changed at once. He is not as he has been, emotionally, but he has also shaved his beard, changed his attire, and put on perfume. His appearance as a man changes with his inner shift towards love.

"Seest thou not, I say, what a deformed thief this fashion is? how giddily he turns about all the hot bloods between fourteen and five-and-thirty?"

Much Ado — Borachio Conrade and Borachio (two henchman of Don John) are talking about Don John's plan, all the while being overheard by the watchmen. After saying that he received money from Don John for his part in the plan, Borachio begins talking about fashion. In the quote, he describes fashion as a "deformed thief," commenting on how true identities and forms are obscured by the fickle, changing appearances of fashion. This line of thinking relates to the themes of perception, masquerade, and disguise, which are all explored in the play, but here it functions primarily as a source of comedy. Humorously, a night watchman misunderstands Borachio and believes he is talking about a person, a third thief named Deformed. Because of this misunderstanding, the watchmen arrest Borachio and Conrade who are actually guilty of framing Hero.

"Friendship is constant in all other things Save in the office and affairs of love: therefore all hearts in love use their own tongues; Let every eye negotiate for itselfAnd trust no agent; for beauty is a witchAgainst whose charms faith melteth into blood."

Much Ado — Claudio Don John and Borachio have just tricked Claudio into thinking that Don Pedro is in love with Hero and is wooing her for himself. After telling their lie, Borachio and Don John leave Claudio alone on stage; it is then that he offers his response to the false news in the form of a soliloquy. Claudio says that friendship is constant and can be trusted in all areas except love and courtship. He concludes then that "all hearts in love use their own tongues," meaning he should speak for himself and not send a disguised surrogate to woo for him. He also says "let every eye negotiate for itself / And trust no agent." According to Claudio, love enters through the eyes, which in this play symbolize the senses in general. Thus a lover must trust only his own senses, and never the information and help of others. This notion is slightly ironic, since Claudio comes to this conclusion based on information he got from others who happened to be lying. Also note how Claudio speaks about beauty as a "witch." There is an implication again that while Claudio loves Hero he is deeply afraid of being in love, and more specifically of being "tricked" into love by feminine beauty.

"Oh what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do, not knowing what they do!"

Much Ado — Claudio Hero and Claudio are about to be married, but Claudio has been tricked by Don John into thinking that Hero has been unfaithful, and he plans to break off the wedding. It is with this line that he first indicates to the Friar, Leonato, and Hero, as well as all in attendance at the wedding, that something is not right. When the Friar asks Claudio if he knows any reasons the pair should not marry, Leonato says "I dare make his answer, none." To this line Claudio responds with dramatic flair: "Oh what men dare do!" and so on. His over the top exclamation points to his own doubt and confusion, and to the confusion that accompanies disguise, trickery, and altered perception: no one knows what they are doing. The quote is also an outburst against the men he believes have slept with Hero.

I think they that touch pitch will be defiled.

Much Ado — Dogberry In this scene the constable Dogberry and the night watch are introduced. The quote is Dogberry's (ridiculous) reasoning for leaving criminals alone: touching something dirty makes you dirty, so it's safer to let criminals do what they want. Yet the fact that Dogberry's logic is so obviously ridiculous only highlights the incredible fact that this line also relates to the way that characters in the play view shame. Claudio is willing to publicly shame Hero to distance himself from her, since by appearing with her and marrying her when she is ashamed, he would become tainted ("defiled") and become shamed as well. Throughout this scene Dogberry shows his incompetence and hilarious lack of intelligence, as he constantly misuses words, misunderstands situations, and advises his men to allow criminal behavior. Dogberry's position allows for a humorous dramatic irony and for the plot of the play to be extended. Later in the scene, Dogberry and his men will learn about Don John's plans, but the incompetence of the nights watch will prevent them from making this discovery known until the very end of the play.

"O that he were here to write me down an ass! but, masters, remember that I am an ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass."

Much Ado — Dogberry This scene is comic relief from the intense emotions around the false accusal and shaming of Hero. Dogberry and his men are failing miserably at interrogating Borachio and Conrade, with Dogberry himself constantly misusing words, confusing things, and focusing on minor details. After Don John's plot to fake Hero's infidelity has been revealed, Conrade calls Dogberry an ass. At this insult Dogberry launches into a tirade, from which the quote is excerpted. Here he obsesses over the idea of one of his men writing down that he is an ass. He repeats the line over and over again, constantly reminding his men not to write it down, but all the while making himself seem more and more like an ass with his continual denials and repetitions. There is an echo in Dogberry's concern about his reputation of Claudio and even Leonato's concern about their reputations after they have come (with little evidence) to believe that Hero was unfaithful. And once again, Dogberry's ridiculousness implies that these men, so concerned with their own reputations above all, are ridiculous too.

"There is not chastity enough in language Without offence to utter them."

Much Ado — Don John Don John and Don Pedro are supporting Claudio's claims, since they all witnessed the evidence of Hero's infidelity together (though of course this was by Don John's design). When Don Pedro begins recounting what they saw and heard, Don John interrupts and tells him not to speak of it, since there "is not chastity enough in language" to say out loud what he knows. By saying this, Don John at once suggests that Hero's crimes are too horrible to be uttered, and prevents Don Pedro from revealing the fabricated details which might be easily shot down by Hero or her family. As we know, Don John's tactics are more rooted in theatricality, performance, and sight than in language. Part of his act is what he

"Even she: Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero."

Much Ado — Don John Having failed to stop the courtship and engagement between Claudio and Hero, Don John now seeks to stop their impending marriage. To do so, he plans to put together a fake scene of Hero and a lover in the window to convince Claudio that his fiancee is being unfaithful. When Don John says that she has been disloyal, Claudio clarifies with, "who, Hero?" to which Don John responds with the quote, "Even she." The end of the sentence is devastatingly simple: "Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero." By mentioning Leonato, Don John makes the claim specific to Hero herself, by mentioning Claudio he makes the claim personal to Claudio, and with "every man's Hero" he delivers the harsh accusation that many men have been with her. Claudio and Don Pedro remain unconvinced, but decide to shame Hero together if they find out that the claims are true. The simplicity of Don John's speech is well aligned with his tactics. While other characters (like Hero herself) stage false conversations to be overheard, Don John stages a false image to be seen. His deception relies on the eyes instead of ears; he insists that they witness visually. This insistence might be loosely related to Othello's demand for "ocular proof" when he believes his wife is unfaithful in Othello. Perhaps love can be generated by one sense alone, either sight or hearing (or overhearing exactly what someone wants to you hear), but infidelity and heartbreak need to be verified with proof - the senses must be checked against one another. Meanwhile, note how quickly Don Pedro and Claudio decide to shame Hero if they think she has been unfaithful. Love in the play turns quickly to misogynistic rage, again suggesting just how anxious men are with the idea of love, language, and fear of their wive's possible infidelity. It is also worth noting that the word "Nothing" was also used in Shakespearean times to refer to a woman's sexual parts. And so the title of the play refers to the fact that the plot of the play involves much ado about sex, about virginity, and about all the misunderstandings ("nothings") about such "nothings."

"I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain."

Much Ado — Don John This scene begins, like many Shakespearean scenes, with one character asking another why he is so sad. Conrade asks Don John why he is so melancholy, to which Don John first responds with the astrological response that he is born under Saturn and cannot hide what he really is, and then with this quote. In the quote, Don John states his belief that he cannot hide, much less change, his true interior, and that he is a villain. The quote turns out to be true, as Don John goes on to act villainously for no good reason through the rest of the play. Don John would rather be himself and be hated than act falsely and pretend to be happy or kind. Thus he deems himself a "plain-dealing villain" in great contrast to the whimsical, love-struck characters who are constantly pretending and playing tricks. Soon after this proclamation Don John learns about his brother Don Pedro's plan with Claudio to woo Hero in disguise; Don John immediately decides to attempt to mess up his brother's plan and prevent the courtship of Hero. He does this not out of desire to court Hero himself. Instead, he just wants to make everyone else as unhappy as he is.

"Speak low, if you speak love."

Much Ado — Don Pedro After Beatrice tells Hero that courtship is like a dance, the partygoers all arrive wearing masks. Don Pedro, pretending to be Claudio, immediately approaches and begins dancing with her. The two exchange some flirtations, before Don Pedro offers this romantic line: "Speak low, if you speak love." After this line, the pair moves aside and begin to whisper. Don Pedro's words seem to imply that courtship should be secretive and done in whispers, which is ironic since he is pretending to be Claudio - it's a really secret courtship, with secrets kept even from Hero. However, while there is a romance to the secrecy of courtship, the play will also show how such secrecy can be destructive and leads to jealousy in general, and men's fear of being cuckolded more specifically, that can be particularly dangerous for women. Even in this scene, Claudio worries that Don Pedro is actually wooing Hero for himself. Later, Don John will make it appear that Hero has secretly been seeing other men, which causes Claudio to abandon Hero. So, just to make it clear: here Claudio is part of a scheme in which another man woos Hero for him, but later he immediately condemns Hero for allegedly seeing other men. The "secrecy" of love therefore seems to create a space not just for romance but also for masculine anxiety about love, and perhaps also misogyny toward women.

"Well, as time shall try: 'In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.'"

Much Ado — Don Pedro Don Pedro has entered whil Claudio and Benedick are speaking about love.Benedick immediately reveals to Don Pedro that Claudio is in love with Hero. Though Claudio tries at first to deny it, ultimately he admits to his love. With a dramatic statement about being burned at the stake, Benedick claims that Hero is unworthy of Claudio's love. This point causes Don Pedro to accuse Benedick of being a "heretic" of love. Don Pedro then says these words, a proverb, to suggest that Benedick will eventually fall in love himself. The proverb says that eventually, even the "savage bull" will "bear the yoke," playing on Benedick's own assertion that married men are like beasts of burden. Note that the proverb is a line of iambic pentameter though the rest of the dialogue is in prose. This small detail helps underscore Don Pedro's prediction, which eventually comes to pass at the end of the play.

"...of this matterIs little Cupid's crafty arrow made, That only wounds by hearsay."

Much Ado — Hero Most of the characters are now conspiring to get Beatrice and Benedick to fall in love. Here, Hero sends Margaret to get Beatrice and to say that she has overheard Hero and Ursula gossiping. Hero then tells Ursula that they must get Beatrice to overhear them talking about how Benedick "is suck in love with Beatrice." By overhearing this, they hope, Beatrice will then fall in love with Benedick. Hero claims that it is moments of gossip like this one that comprise Cupid's arrows, which "only [wound] by hearsay." Hero's theory of how love works seems to be generally upheld by the events of the play, as Benedick and Beatrice do end up falling in love, but the theory also applies more generally to information and the way that characters view the world, in this play and in most Shakespearean comedies. Errors, misunderstandings, mistaken identities, gossip, and lies become the substance of reality for comedic characters; confusion abounds until the play concludes and the thick layers of mistakes and untruths are unwoven.

"For there was never yet philosopher That could endure the toothache patiently, However they have writ the style of godsAnd made a push at chance and sufferance."

Much Ado — Leonato After the long speech, Antonio calls his brother childish, to which Leonato responds with the lines in the quote. He claims to be only "flesh and blood," saying that he is only human. He says that there has never been a philosopher who could "endure the toothache patiently," no matter how well he wrote and philosophized about fate, chance, and human suffering. Again, he is arguing that language and reason are insufficient to alleviate mortal suffering and pain. Recall also how Benedick complained in Act 3, Scene 2 of a toothache when he had fallen in love. This echo links love and suffering, and asserts that both are deeper than language, that they belong to the body in the way that a toothache does, beyond language. After this point, Antonio responds by suggesting that Leonato seek revenge on Claudio, Don Pedro, and Don John. Leonato agrees, since he has come to believe that someone is lying about Hero's supposed infidelity.

"Shall I never see a bachelor of threescore again?"

Much Ado — Leonato Don Pedro and his men, including Benedick, have arrived at Leonato's house, Benedick and Beatrice quickly begin their verbal sparring, both saying that they are completely resistant to the charms of the opposite sex. Leonato then invites everyone to stay at his house for a month. Claudio subsequently tells Benedick that he is in love with Leonato's daughter, Hero. Benedick and Claudio then begin a conversation about Hero, love, marriage, and freedom, in which Benedick utters the quote shown here. Benedick claims to cherish his status of bachelor, suggesting that marriage would constrict his freedom. He says that he isn't attracted to Hero, and he turns all of Claudio's praises into mockeries and insults to women and marriage in general. In this line, he asks, jokingly, if he'll ever see a 60-year-old bachelor again, since most men are so eager to get married. He claims that not enough men are committed to the bachelor life, comparing marriage to wearing a yoke like a beast of burden. Benedick's comment also adds humor and irony to the play, as a significant part of the rest of the play involves other characters trying to trick him into falling in love.

"A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers."

Much Ado — Leonato Leonato, Governor of Messina, speaks this line near the beginning of the play. He and a messenger are discussing a recent battle, saying that Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedict, all men from different countries, have emerged victorious together with very few lives lost. Leonato comments that a victory is doubly valuable when the winner comes home without losing any men. This military victory which precedes the play is, in a sense, the only real event in its plot; what unfolds on stage is a series of misunderstandings, disguises, mistaken identities, and "nothings" that lead to the marriages at the end of the play. These lines also introduce the theme of warfare, which is used as the metaphorical language of courtship during the play. The victory in the military war will be ultimately echoed in the conclusion of the 'war of wits' and the "victories" on the battlefield of love.

"Charm ache with air and agony with words."

Much Ado — Leonato This profound line is offered in a long speech made by Leonato, in which he responds to his brother Antonio's attempts at consoling him. In the dramatic speech, Leonato says that those who aren't suffering can't possibly understand or help those who are. These people who aren't suffering think they can "charm ache with air and agony with words," but Leonato insists they can't. Thus, while he is focusing on grief, his speech is also about the limitations to the power of language. Language can cause people to fall in love and can deceive people, but according to Leonato language alone is insufficient to heal a deep wound or to cure suffering.

"But mine , and mine I lov'd , and mine I prais'd, And mine that I was proud on, mine so muchThat I myself was to myself not mine,Valuing of her; why, she— O! she is fallen Into a pit of ink..."

Much Ado — Leonato Hero has fainted at Claudio's accusation of her infidelity, and after briefly being unconscious as been revived. Leonato seems to be upset that she's still alive, supposing that she had died of shame at the accusations. Here Leonato laments the shame brought to him by his own child. He begins with the fact that she is his with "mine" and slowly builds, repeating mine and adding new modifiers with increasing length: "mine I lov'd, and mine I prais'd, and mine that I was proud on." He concludes the crescendoing list with the stunning assertion that she was so much his daughter that "I myself was to myself not mine," suggesting that he completely lost himself in his role as her father. When he finishes by saying that this daughter, inextricably tied to him, has "fallen into a pit of ink," he is saying that she is tainted, and recalling Dogberry's line "they that touch pitch will be defiled," that now he is tainted and shamed as well. Note again how quickly, and with how little evidence, men - this time Hero's father - believe that a woman has been unfaithful. Throughout the play there is a current of just how mistrustful men are of women, just how much men fear and believe that women are always on the verge of betraying them sexually (and of course the sense that men have that they should naturally have control over women's sexuality). It really is remarkable that in a play so focused on love, there is this constant sense of men's mistrust and misogyny toward women.

"There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they never meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them."

Much Ado — Leonato Leonato's niece Beatrice asks the messenger about Benedick, one of Don Pedro's officers. She argues with the messenger and makes fun of Benedick, and in the process displays her ability with language, her wit, and her sharp sense of humor. In the line here, occurring just after Beatrice's interaction with the messenger, Leonato explains the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick in military terms: they are engaged in"a kind of merry war;" there is "a skirmish of wit between them." Thus Leonato frames courtship (even if Beatrice and Benedick don't yet realize that they are courting) as battle, an idea that is very common in renaissance love poetry, and that will animate the rest of this play. It's worth noting, though, that while here the war of love is described as being "merry," the events of the play will show that like war it can bring victory and joy but also pain, despair, and even death.

"Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much."

Much Ado— Claudio Convinced by Don John that Don Pedro loves Hero, Claudio appears sad and upset. Don Pedro questions him, but ultimately reveals that the marriage between Claudio and Hero has been arranged and approved. At this point Claudio's hesitations about Don Pedro seem to vanish, but he is speechless. Beatrice even needs to say, "Speak, count, 'tis your cue," a joke that Claudio has missed his cue (which of course would be doubly funny in a performance of the play, as the audience would be reminded of that fact that it is watching a play).

Lord, what fools these mortals be!

Puck has just seen Helena being pursued by Lysander—and both are about to enter the stage with Demetrius. He correctly expects that the two will compete for her love and looks forward to the show. This line corroborates the way Puck sees himself as a theater director for the events that transpire—as opposed to a character directly involved in the narrative. Describing the other characters as "mortals" sets up a clear divide between the supernatural forest creatures and the normal humans. And considering them to be "fools" places them in a position of subservience: They are following the pre- designed games of Oberon and Puck rather than acting of their own independent accord. As a result, Puck is able to look on the behavior of Helena and her two new lover's with pure whimsy, for their issues exist in a distanced and, for him, meaningless realm. Shakespeare thus shows that adopting a removed perspective allows one to aestheticize and find humorous what might otherwise be a dramatic or painful series of events. And, of course, the audience of the play gets an extra thrill of delight as they - the ultimate viewers with a removed perspective - watch Puck watching the "mortals."

If you crown him, let me prophesy The blood of English shall manure the ground And future ages groan for this foul act,Peace shall go sleep with Turks and infidels,And in this seat of peace tumultuous wars Shall kin with kin and kind with kind confound. Disorder, horror, fear, and mutinyShall here inhabit, and this land be calledThe field of Golgotha and dead men's skulls. O, if you raise this house against this house, It will the woefullest division prove That ever fell upon this curséd earth!

Richard II — Bishop Carlisle After saying that technically, Henry cannot be crowned or pass sentence on Richard, Carlisle here offers his prophesy as to what will happen if Henry somehow is crowned. He says that the blood of the English will spill onto the ground, and that future generations will despise the foul deed of crowning Henry. Other lands will find peace while England becomes home to wars, where the family fights itself and people slaughter each other. Chaos and horror, he says, will rule England, if one house (family) rises against another. Dramatically, Carlisle says that it will be the worst split to ever occur on earth. This vivid, intense prophesy, audiences would know, will ultimately come true in later plays in the extremely blood Wars of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York. We can note that part of the horror of this war is that it is a war between two sides of one family. Here the family drama is elevated to a royal scale, and to deadly effect.

That power that made you kingHath power to keep you king in spite of all.

Richard II — Bishop Carlisle Carlisle speaks these lines after Richard delivers a speech addressed to the land of England itself, urging it to fight against Henry. Carlisle says this quote to remind Richard of the supposed source of his power as king: God. Here he suggests that the power that made Richard king (i.e. God, since Richard rules by divine right) has the power to keep Richard king no matter what the odds against him (since God is omnipotent). Carlisle's reasoning reflects Richard's own belief in the source of his status as monarch, as well as the thinking of many in the play, including Gaunt (at first) and York, but the notion that God will keep Richard king ultimately falls flat and fails to keep Richard's confidence up for long. We can also note that Carlisle here gives the more medieval, opposite perspective of Henry (and his supporters), who would argue the more modern notion that subjects can hold their king accountable for his actions on the throne.

What subject can give sentence on his king? And who sits here that is not Richard's subject?

Richard II — Bishop Carlisle Carlisle speaks these lines in protest after Henry is all but officially crowned king Henry IV. Carlisle again offers the more medieval perspective that a king rules solely by divine right, and that subjects of the king, no matter how dissatisfied with the monarch's rule, do not have the power to pass sentence on a king or depose a king. And everyone but the king, he says, is a subject. The logic of these lines is what frustrated Gaunt at the beginning of the play, and is essentially the same as Richard's logic when he said that not all the waters of the oceans could wash away his kingliness; only God or a king can dethrone or pass sentence on a king.

Finds brotherhood in thee no sharper spur? Hath love in thy old blood no living fire? Edward's seven sons, whereof thyself art one, Were as seven vials of his sacred blood, Or seven fair branches springing from one root....Ah, Gaunt, his blood was thine! That bed, that womb, That metal, that self mold that fashioned theeMade him a man; and though thou livest and breathest, Yet art thou slain in him.

Richard II — Duchess of Gloucester The Duchess of Gloucester delivers these lines to her brother-in-law, John of Gaunt, in order to convince him to act against Richard. Gaunt has expressed his frustration at wanting to act against Richard for killing his brother Gloucester, but also feeling a religious obligation not to speak out against Richard since he is king. The Duchess of Gloucester tries to use vivid imagery to convince Gaunt that his familial obligation is greater than his obligation to a king. She says that all of Gaunt's brothers are like seven vials of Edward III's sacred blood. Here blood symbolizes both familial bonds and the royal lineage. Gaunt and Gloucester shared the same blood. What's more, the Duchess argues, they shared the same bed and womb, and were formed by the very same parents. And though Gaunt is alive, she says, he has also been killed through the death of Gloucester. This final point has a dual meaning. First, as Gaunt and Gloucester share the same blood (and all of the other imagery) they are presented as essentially the same. Gaunt loses a bit of his own blood and dies when his family members die. But the Duchess also suggests that by refusing to speak against his brother's killer, Gaunt dangerously opens himself up to attack.

Shorten my days thou canst with sullen sorrow, And pluck nights from me, but not lend a morrow. Thou canst help time to furrow me with age,But stop no wrinkle in his pilgrimage,Thy word is current with him for my death,But dead, thy kingdom cannot buy my breath.

Richard II — Gaunt Gaunt speaks these lines in anguish after his son's sentencing. He says that he only supported the idea of banishing Henry to appear impartial, and that he (Gaunt) will most likely die before Henry returns to England. Richard attempts to comfort Gaunt and tell him that he's mistaken, but here Gaunt makes an important distinction about the limitations of a king's speech. Richard's speech has the power of action; with one word he could sentence Gaunt to death, basically killing him with words. But Gaunt notes that Richard is powerless to grant him life, to undo or slow time. Like time, Richard can use his word to kill Gaunt, but once Gaunt is dead, no royal words, nor the entire kingdom of England can be used to bring him back to death. This power to give life is one reserved only for God, an important limitation to the speech powers of a king who is understood as God's substitute on earth.

This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,This other Eden, demi-paradise,This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war,This happy breed of men, this little world,This precious stone set in the silver sea,...England,This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings, Feared by their breed and famous by their birth, ...This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land, Dear for her reputation through the world,Is now leased out—I die pronouncing it—Like to a tenement or pelting farm.

Richard II — Gaunt Gaunt speaks this lengthy, powerful monologue on his deathbed, moments before Richard enters. In it, he gives a grand list of epithets for England, employing the literary device anaphora, which means a series of lines beginning with a repeated word or phrase (in this case the repeated word is "this"). England itself is characterized as a throne, a beautiful, royal island, a majestic place, and a second garden of Eden. Gaunt also speaks to the natural defenses of England, which is guarded by water on all sides like a "precious stone set in the silver sea," an image of both nature and of jewelry making. This double image is fitting, since Gaunt characterizes Nature as the builder of the fortress that is England. He continues, transitioning to family imagery, characterizing England as a "nurse" and a "teeming womb of royal kings." England, which we can note is emphasized on a line by itself in the middle of this long speech, is a maternal nurse figure for Gaunt. It is extremely important to him, evidenced by his four-time repetition of the word "dear." With his dying breath, Gaunt wants to proclaim that the country that he loves and has just described in all of its majesty is now merely leased out like a farm. The leasing he refers to with obvious disappointment is Richard's decision to lease out royal lands in order to fund the war with Ireland.

Can no man tell me of my unthrifty son?'Tis full three months since I did see him last.If any plague hang over us, 'tis he.I would to God, my lords, he might be found. Inquire at London, 'mongst the taverns there,For there, they say, he daily doth frequentWith unrestrainéd loose companions,

Richard II — Henry Bolingbroke Henry speaks these lines to Henry Percy and some other nobles at the beginning of a scene. He has officially been crowned king by this point in the play. The excerpt is the first (and only mention) of Henry's own son during the play, which partly focused at the beginning on Henry's relationship with his father, Gaunt. Henry describes his son Hal (though unnamed here) as "unthrifty," and notes that he hasn't seen him in three months. If anything can threaten his crown, he says, right now it's this prodigal son, who can be found, most likely, at a tavern in London with wild companions that sometimes even commit robberies. This depiction of Hal is proved exactly accurate in the following play, Henry IV Part 1, which focuses in part on the father-son relationship between Henry and Hal. It's fitting that Henry has this conversation with Percy, since in the next play Henry will even say that he wishes Percy were his son instead of Hal. It's also fitting, though, that Henry concludes the discussion of his son by saying that he sees sparks of hope in the boy, and that he might grow up and become a son of whom he can be proud. Henry's prediction is also proved true by the rest of the tetralogy. In fact, Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2 and Henry V can even be seen as three plays telling the story of Hal's transition from miscreant prince to the successful King Henry V.

They love not poison that do poison need, Nor do I thee. Though I did wish him dead,I hate the murderer, love him murdered.The guilt of conscience take thou for thy labor, But neither my good word nor princely favor. ...I'll make a voyage to the Holy LandTo wash this blood off from my guilty hand.

Richard II — Henry Bolingbroke These lines are exerpted from the final speech in the play, delivered by Henry, which is traditional, since often the most powerful figures receive the last word in Shakespeare's plays. Henry speaks these lines after finding out that Exton has murdered Richard. While Exton claims that he did so under order from Henry, the new king tries to make it clear that he never ordered such a killing. He says that no one loves poison that needs it, and that he doesn't love Exton. By this he means that though he desired the death of Richard, he would never order or enact it, and though Exton performed a difficult, needed service, he did so without the support of the king. Essentially, this is a paradox. Henry loves that Richard was murdered, but hates the murderer. He must take this position to ensure the legitimacy of his crown. He doesn't want to get himself into the same position that Richard was at the start of the play, where everyone knew that he was implicated in the death of Gloucester. At the same time, though, Henry does admit some guilt, saying that he needs to make a pilgrimage or crusade to the Holy Land in order to wash the blood from his guilty hands (even though a "crusade" typically means spilling more blood). Though Henry didn't literally kill Richard, the situation is enough to put figurative blood on his hands, representing his guilt. Ultimately, though, he will not end up making this journey in the following plays.

How long a time lies in one little word! Four lagging winters and four wanton springs End in a word; such is the breath of kings.

Richard II — Henry Bolingbroke (Hereford) Henry speaks these lines after Richard banishes him for ten years and then reduces his sentence to six years. Like Mowbray's response, the lines indicate the power and importance of language in the play. However, rather than saying that language is important to Henry, who is more action oriented than speech oriented, these lines refer to the specific power of a king's speech, which can be understood as a speech act. Again characterizing speech as breath, Henry notes that one word from Richard's mouth can change the course of his life. By uttering one sentence, Richard takes four long years off of Henry's banishment. Richard's speech can be understood as an act because when a king speaks a punitive sentence, it is immediately law. Just saying the words "you are banished for six years" enacts the banishment.

What I speakMy body shall make good upon this earth Or my divine soul answer it in heaven. Thou art a traitor and a miscreant.

Richard II — Henry Bolingbroke (Herford) These are among Henry Bolingbroke's first lines of the play. They are spoken in front of King Richard II, and they precede Henry's formal accusation of Thomas Mowbray, whom Henry believes is a traitor and a murderer. Here, Henry stresses that what he says with language, he will make true with action (with his body). If he is wrong, he says,

Wrath-kindled gentlemen, be ruled by me. Let's purge this choler without letting blood. This we prescribe, though no physician.Deep malice makes too deep incision.Forget, forgive; conclude and be agreed, Our doctors say this is no month to bleed.— Good uncle, let this end where it begun; We'll calm the Duke of Norfolk, you your son.

Richard II — King Richard II After Henry and Mowbray have made their accusations, argued, and offered to fight one another, King Richard intercedes in an attempt to placate both men and resolve the matter without violence. He tells them to "be ruled by [him]," emphasizing that at this point his position on the throne is still secure. He hopes to end the situation without blood being spilled. The symbol of blood is used most basically here with a literal meaning; violence causes blood to spill. But Richard also evokes bloodletting, an early medicinal practice of letting someone bleed in order to heal them. Richard, we see, rules with language, and favors figurative imagery to make his points. We can also note the sage advice in "deep malice makes too deep incision," which suggests that hatred often plunges too deep. Richard advises the men to forgive and forget the matter, and if they had listened to him, Richard's downfall might have been prevented.

With mine own tears I wash away my balm, With mine own hands I give away my crown, With mine own tongue deny my sacred state, With mine own breath release all duteous oaths. All pomp and majesty I do forswear.My manors, rents, revenues I forgo;My acts, decrees, and statutes I deny.God pardon all oaths that are broke to me.God keep all vows unbroke are made to thee.

Richard II — King Richard II In these powerful lines, which utilize anaphora, the literary device in which multiple lines begin with the same word or words (here, "with my own"), Richard officially transfers his powers as king over to Henry. These lines are significant because, while it seems that Henry's perspective on the ability of subjects to pass sentence on kings has won, the notion that only a king can dethrone a king is not disproven. Rather, it is reinforced, as Henry's coronation cannot be made official until Richard himself transfers the power. Thus it is crucial that Richard washes the "balm" (his anointment) with his own tears, gives the crown with his own hands, speaks the transfer with his own mouth, and makes Henry king with his own breath. It is also tragic, however, that his last speech act as king is to uncrown himself through the coronation of his foe.

Here, cousin, seize the crown. Here, cousin.On this side my hand, on that side thine.Now is this golden crown like a deep wellThat owes two buckets, filling one another, The emptier ever dancing in the air,The other down, unseen, and full of water. That bucket down and full of tears am I, Drinking my grief, whilst you mount up on high.

Richard II — King Richard II In this climactic moment, the transition of power from Richard to Henry is made through the physical object of the crown, which symbolizes power and the throne itself. Both men hold either side of the crown, while Richard characterizes it as a deep well with two buckets alternately rising (when empty) and falling (when full of water). While Richard passes his power to Henry, he envisions Henry as a higher bucket pouring sorrows, grief, and tears down to a lower bucket that is Richard. It is fitting that as his fall is enacted and Henry's rise to power is made official, Richard uses more low and high imagery with himself occupying the lowly figure.

Yet I well remember The favors of these men. Were they not mine? Did they not sometime cry "All hail" to me?So Judas did to Christ, but He in twelveFound truth in all but one; I, in twelve thousand, none.

Richard II — King Richard II Richard says these lines just before officially turning his crown over to Henry. He laments that all of those who used to be his subjects and used to praise him are now supporting Henry as king. Richard likens this betrayal and the frustration of their shallow loyalty to Judas's betrayal of Christ. But, as always, Richard expands the example to a kingly scale, saying that he has been betrayed by thousands, as opposed to only one (Judas) who betrayed Jesus. And what's more, Judas was only one out of twelve apostles who betrayed, whereas Richard claims that none of his thousands were truthful to him. This final point though, is a little over the top, as only moments before these lines are spoken Carlisle has been arrested for treason against Henry for supporting Richard.

My brain I'll prove the female to my soul, My soul the father, and these two begetA generation of still-breeding thoughts,And these same thoughts people this little world, In humors like the people of this world,For no thought is contented.

Richard II — King Richard II Richard speaks these confusing lines while imprisoned by Henry. Part of the dramatic irony here is that Exton has already said that he intends to murder Richard, but Richard doesn't know that he will be killed (though he does consider himself to be as good as dead). After saying that he cannot compare his prison to the world because he is so completely alone, Richard speaks the difficult excerpted lines. He says that his brain will be "female" to his soul, and that his soul will be a father, and that together brain and soul will produce self-reproducing ("still-breeding") thoughts and ideas. These thoughts will people the prison, meaning that they'll stand in for the people out in the world to end his loneliness in prison. The people in the world are then characterized as miserable, since none of his thoughts are content in his pain. This complex figurative language is an example of Richard as a contemplative, language-oriented king, contrasted starkly by direct, action-oriented Henry.

Alack the heavy day, That I have worn so many winters out And know not now what name to call myself. O, that I were a mockery king of snow Standing before the sun of Bolingbroke,To melt myself away in water drops.—

Richard II — King Richard II Richard speaks these lines as a subject, having transferred away his kingly power to Henry IV. This excerpt speaks to the loss of identity that Richard feels upon losing the throne. After so many years alive, he doesn't know what to call himself, since he has only been king thus far. After using "winters" for years, Richard uses another winter image and reverses the imagery that he has previously used to describe himself as king. Throughout the play, Richard characterizes himself as the sun, but here he wishes that he were a fake king made of snow standing before the sun that is Henry, so that he could be melted away into water. This image at once clarifies the reversal of power roles and shows Richard's deep despair and wish to melt away into water drops, reminiscent of Hamlet's desire to "melt into dew."

Exton, thy fierce hand Hath with the King's blood stained the King's own land. Mount, mount, my soul. Thy seat is up on high,Whilst my gross flesh sinks downward, here to die.

Richard II — King Richard II Richard speaks these lines in prison amidst an attack by Exton and a few other murderers. Richard manages to kill two would-be murderers, but Exton gains the upper hand and fatally wounds the former king. The excerpted lines are Richard's last words before death. He first tells Exton that he has stained the King's land with the King's own blood. This image shows that in his dying moments, Richard still thinks of himself as the rightful king. Exton has also stained the king's land with king's blood in two senses, since the blood most likely spilled on the literal ground, and on the figurative ground of England in the body politic, which might be considered as Richard's skin. With his final words, though, Richard speaks only to his soul. Even though he submitted to Henry and even used the low / high image motif to place himself as the lowly bucket in the crown passing scene, here Richard seeks to embody both the low and the high. While his body and flesh (and potentially England itself) goes downward to die, completing his tragic fall from the throne, his soul is sent upward to heaven, granting him a final victory or respite in death.

Not all the water in the rough rude sea Can wash the balm off from an anointed king. The breath of worldly men cannot deposeThe deputy elected by the Lord.For every man that Bolingbroke hath pressedTo lift shrewd steel against our golden crown, God for His Richard hath in heavenly payA glorious angel.

Richard II — King Richard II Richard speaks these lines in self-reassurance after being reminded by Carlisle (and Aumerle) that he is king by divine right. Despite the fact that his chances against Henry look bad, they say, God is on his side. Employing his heavily figurative language, Richard says that not all of the water in the sea can wash away his kingliness, nor can all the breath (speech) of every human depose a king who has been chosen by God. Humans and nature, he argues, simply do not have the power to dethrone God's appointed substitute. For every soldier that Henry has gathered to fight against the crown (representing the throne and position of king), Richard says that God has an angel who will fight on his side.

But now the blood of twenty thousand men Did triumph in my face, and they are fled; And till so much blood thither come again Have I not reason to look pale and dead?

Richard II — King Richard II These lines are the first in one of many of Richard's dramatic shifts of emotional state. In this scene he constantly goes from high to low, mirroring his political fall that is currently taking place. Aumerle asks Richard why his face looks so pale after finding out that the Welsh soldiers he thought were going to fight for him have dispersed. Richard responds with the excerpted lines, saying that he is pale because the blood of twenty thousand men (referring to the Welsh soldiers) once suggested that he'd triumphed, but now has fled from his face. Until so much blood (so many men) comes back to his face, of course he will look pale. Throughout these lines, Richard plays on dual uses of blood and the notion of the body politic, in which the king's body is figured as the country itself. The soldiers (who all have blood in their bodies as humans) have fled his country, which, since he is king, is his second body. The flight of the soldiers from this second body is then mirrored in the flight of his own blood from his face, causing him to go pale at the bad news.

The purest treasure mortal times afford Is spotless reputation; that away, Men are but gilded loam or painted clay. A jewel in a ten-times-barred-up chest Is a bold spirit in a loyal breast.Mine honor is my life; both grow in one. Take honor from me, and my life is done.

Richard II — Mowbray Mowbray offers these lines in what is basically a refusal to do as Richard suggested and let the matter go. He says that he must fight Henry's accusation, because otherwise he'll lose honor and hurt his reputation. A good reputation, he says, is the most important thing to human beings. Without a reputation, even a good man is just good because he is painted or "gilded," suggesting that reputation is about more than just appearing honorable; instead, reputation is something internal. Mowbray emphasizes the importance of honor when he goes on to say that his honor is his life. He suggests that if his honor is taken away from him, he will literally die. This dramatic assertion could just be an example of Mowbray using dramatic and elevated language to make his case—and indeed, we can notice that these lines all rhyme—but soon after being banished, Mowbray will in fact die, forcing us to question if honor really is required for him to stay alive.

The language I have learnt these forty years, My native English, now I must forgo;And now my tongue's use is to me no moreThan an unstringéd viol or a harp, Or like a cunning instrument cased up,Or, being open, put into his handsThat knows no touch to tune the harmony. ... What is thy sentence then but speechless death, Which robs my tongue from breathing native breath?

Richard II — Thomas Moybray Mowbray delivers these lines after his near battle with Henry. As the two are about to fight, Richard interjects and decides instead to banish both men. Here, Mowbray reacts to the pain of being banished from England. His primary complaint about banishment is that he will no longer be able to speak his first language. He has spoken and learned his native English for forty years, and now, since he must live in a different country, he will not be able to speak it, rendering his tongue (with a pun on tongue meaning language) as useless as a broken musical instrument, or, he says, an instrument in unskilled hands. What's more, Mowbray characterizes this sentence as "speechless death," suggesting that going without speaking English (like being robbed of his honor) will lead to his death. Speech then, is given the utmost importance. Speaking is (repeatedly) characterized as breathing; it is an essential component of staying alive. But Shakespeare also emphasizes and elevates his own English language in particular, rather than just praising language itself.

He is come to openThe purple testament of bleeding war;But ere the crown he looks for live in peace, Ten thousand bloody crowns of mothers' sons Shall ill become the flower of England's face, Change the complexion of her maid-pale peace To scarlet indignation, and bedewHer pastures' grass with faithful English blood.

Richard says these lines to Henry in a proud speech. In it, he demands that his subjects treat him with the respect a king deserves, and he reminds these subjects that he is ruler by divine right. Here, he addresses Henry directly to say that he will fight to keep the throne. Richard says that Henry is causing a bloody war, and that before he can take the crown he wants in peace, ten thousand bloody crowns (heads) of mother's sons will stain the face of England, which is figured both as a maiden and as a garden. Richard plays on the two meanings of crown here, and he returns to the image of the blood of thousands of men and the face of England. Though instead of the blood rushing from his own face as above, in Act 3 Scene 2, here the blood will be spilled and will stain the pale face of the body politic.

They shall be satisfied. I'll read enough When I do see the very book indeed Where all my sins are writ, and that's myself.

Richard speaks these lines after officially transferring his powers to Henry. The last thing that Henry and his men require of Richard is a formal reading of all the accusations against the former king. They bring him a list and ask him to read the crimes. Instead, Richard requests a mirror, wherein he will look at his reflection and report the faults he sees there, which are all in himself. In one way, these lines suggest the way that Richard has internalized his faults, and the way that sin and dishonor appear to be a matter of one's interior, as opposed to matters of appearance alone. But we can also note a clever, multi-language pun. Richard says that in the mirror he'll see the book where all his sins are written, and that book is his self. This line plays with the Latin word "corpus," which means both body and book.

If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumbered here While these visions did appear.And this weak and idle theme,No more yielding but a dream, Gentles, do not reprehend,If you pardon, we will mend.And, as I am an honest Puck,If we have unearned luckNow to 'scape the serpent's tongue, We will make amends ere long,Else the Puck a liar call.So, goodnight unto you all.Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends.

This final monologue verifies the parallels that have been made between the performance of theater and the experience of a dream. Puck likens the actions to "visions" and trivializes the action by describing it as a "weak and idle theme"—as something that would appear ephemerally, in one's dream. In that case, it would be easy to "mend" any offense because the consequences of that offense would be non-existent. Puck insists on his own honesty, and he challenges the audience to call him a "liar" if the play indeed does not fade away like a dream. These lines thus corroborate that the events are supposed to be seen as transitory, a perspective that would allow one to view from a distance, as art, all that has occurred. By invoking his original name "Robin," Puck also marks the shift back from the forest dreamscape into reality. Recall that the fairy bestowed that name on him in the first supernatural scene in the play. Thus by taking back his own original identity, Puck signals to the audience that they will now resume their normal human endeavors beyond the confines of Shakespeare's work. In this way, Shakespeare presents the theater as itself a way to escape normal human concerns for a moment—to take on new identities in a metaphorical dreamscape or forest environment, before returning to reality.