Hey, Winston, some of the definitions given in the lexicon are not appropriate to the puns Shakespeare makes; Act I Scene II:
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
I have some marks of yours upon my pate, Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders, But not a thousand marks between you both. If I should pay your worship those again, Perchance you will not bear them patiently.
The lexicon uses marks in the sense of money only, not in the marks one gets from being hit, which is the implication of the pun made here...
So.
Minor quibble about the lexicon.
Major question: don't you think the whole situation is a wee bit contrived? I mean, I know it makes for humor and mistaken identity here, but the two pairs of twins divided by a storm at sea? Not terribly likely, I think.
Good catch. I checked out several of the definitions, but I guess I skipped that one. I'll compare it with the definitions in the version I'm using, and if I find discrepancies, I'll post them.
Oh, yes - the whole thing is about as contrived as the old Mouse Trap game. But I don't care. As I wrote, Shakespeare wrote mainly to entertain, even though through his writing we get some of the keenest and most pointed observations about human nature that one can find anywhere.
Hey, Winston, some of the definitions given in the lexicon are not appropriate to the puns Shakespeare makes; Act I Scene II:
ReplyDeleteDROMIO OF EPHESUS
I have some marks of yours upon my pate,
Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders,
But not a thousand marks between you both.
If I should pay your worship those again,
Perchance you will not bear them patiently.
The lexicon uses marks in the sense of money only, not in the marks one gets from being hit, which is the implication of the pun made here...
So.
Minor quibble about the lexicon.
Major question: don't you think the whole situation is a wee bit contrived? I mean, I know it makes for humor and mistaken identity here, but the two pairs of twins divided by a storm at sea? Not terribly likely, I think.
Your thoughts, my friend?
Laurel
Laurel,
ReplyDeleteGood catch. I checked out several of the definitions, but I guess I skipped that one. I'll compare it with the definitions in the version I'm using, and if I find discrepancies, I'll post them.
Oh, yes - the whole thing is about as contrived as the old Mouse Trap game. But I don't care. As I wrote, Shakespeare wrote mainly to entertain, even though through his writing we get some of the keenest and most pointed observations about human nature that one can find anywhere.
Thanks, good find. Are you able to put a "sticky" link to this reference somewhere on your blog page?
ReplyDeleteRusty,
ReplyDeleteI tried to put up a links section, but following the instructions yielded nuthin'. Maybe I'll try again.
And entertain he does well, ol' Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteRead on, MacDuff...
:-)
Laurel