Totally Random Daily Shakespeare

2026-11-10T05:15:45.177-08:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

You cannot show me.

Anne Bullen

King Henry the Eighth Act I, Scene iv, Line 48

There’s a bit of a party going on at the palace with a bunch of ladies in attendance. One of them is Anne Bullen (that’s Will’s spelling of Boleyn). Today’s Totally Random Line is a part of a back and forth between Anne and Lord Sands. She calls him a merry gamester, to which he replies,

Yes, if I make my play.

Here’s to your ladyship: and pledge it, madam,

For ‘tis to such a thing,--

To which she replies with Today’s Line, You cannot show me.

So, what do you make of that? The confusing part is and pledge it, madam, for ‘tis to such a thing. I’m at a bit of a loss as to what Lord Sands means by this, but I’m afraid I’m a bit entrenched right now, otherwise I might get up try to find some help with this line in one of my other compilations. As it is, getting up would require quite the effort, so you're going to have to take your best guess on this one.

Okay, granted that the pc balanced on the books and the blanket keeping me warm wouldn't be the hardest things to move, but see that lump in the red blanket in the bottom center of the picture? That lump is named Mojo, and you know what they say about sleeping dogs: something about letting them lie.

2026-11-09T05:32:02.553-08:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

I brought High Hereford, if you call him so,

But to the next highway, and there I left him.

Duke of Aumerle

King Richard the Second Act I, Scene iv, Line 3

We did observe. --Cousin Aumerle,

How far brought you high Hereford on his way?

There; that’s lines one and two of the scene, spoken by King Richard, and that’s what the Duke of Aumerle is responding to with Today’s Totally Random Lines which are lines three and four. High Hereford is Harry Hereford, aka Henry Bolingbroke.

One of the things that can make Will’s works hard to read, particularly the histories, is the fact that many of the royal characters go by more than one name. Take Harry Hereford/Henry Bolingbroke for example. As if he wasn’t already confusing enough, by the end of this play he will be known as King Henry IV.

It's way too confusing, Mr. Blagys. It’s one of the reasons I tend to favour the tragedies. Besides, if I'm being candid, I find the histories a bit pedestrian.

Is that right, Mojo? Pedestrian?

2026-11-08T04:59:58.016-08:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Thy thoughts I cleave to. What’s thy pleasure?

Ariel

The Tempest Act IV, Scene i, Line 165

This is Ariel appearing at Prospero’s command:

Come with a thought!—I thank thee, Ariel, come!

Pretty good, eh? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a servant show up at your command, especially with Ariel’s words and attitude? He cleaves to Prospero’s thoughts. My goodness!

Let's just leave it at that for today.

Sometimes I feel like this guy is cleaving to my thoughts. Lord knows he gets physically close enough to them.

2026-11-07T05:24:51.786-08:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

For competence of life I will allow you,

That lack of means enforce you not to evil:

And, as we hear you do reform yourselves,

We will, according to your strength and qualities,

Give you advancement.- Be it your charge, my lord,

To see perform’d the tenour of our word.—

Set on.

[Exeunt KING and his TRAIN]

King Henry the Fifth

King Henry the Fourth Part II Act V, Scene v, Line 71

This is at the very end of the play. Recall that much of the two Henry the Fourth plays were about Henry the Fourth’s son, Prince Henry, aka Hal. Now, here at the end of the play, Henry IV has died, and Hal has become Henry the Fifth. Recall also that during much of the two Henry IV plays Prince Henry/Hal spent much of his time carousing with Falstaff and the boys. Finally, recall that on Henry IV’s deathbed Prince Henry/Hal promised his father, the king, that he would become a Henry the Fifth that his father would be proud of.

Okay, got that?

Now, here in this final scene the new King Henry the Fifth is processing through the streets, and Falstaff in in the crowd. Falstaff cries out,

God save thy Grace, King Hal! My royal Hal!

Hal/King Henry V stops and addresses Falstaff as the commoner that he is,

I know thee not, old man: fall to thy prayers;

How ill white hairs become a fool and jester!

That’s gotta hurt Old Falstaff. The king goes on to say that he’s dreamed of an old man like Falstaff, but that now that he’s awake, he despises that dream. He tells Falstaff to shape up and that he, King Henry the Fifth, has turned away from what he was, and who he hung out with, when he was Hal. Further, he banishes Falstaff and his buddies, and on pain of death tells him not to come within ten miles of him, the king. Then he finishes up with Today’s Totally Random Lines, in which King Henry is saying that if Falstaff shapes up, he might be treated a bit better.

And that’s about it. Falstaff tries to tell everyone around him that the king doesn’t mean what he’s saying, and that he just has to talk like that in public. He maintains that King Henry will send for him in private. Unfortunately for Falstaff, Henry does mean what he’s saying, and he won’t send for the old man in private; and everyone knows that. It’s a little bit of a sad ending for Falstaff, but it’s necessary to set Hal up as the heroic King Henry the Fifth that he’s going to be in the next play.

Oh well, I guess it can't be helped.

Disown you like Falstaff got disowned by Hal?

Of course not, Mojo! I would never abandon you.

Don't be ridiculous!

2026-11-06T05:08:23.166-08:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

A traveler! By my faith, you have great reason to be sad: I fear you have sold your own lands, to see other men’s; then, to have seen much, and to have nothing, is to have rich eyes and poor hands.

Rosalind

As You Like It Act IV, Scene i, Line 23

This is part of an exchange between Rosalind and Jacques that opens this scene. I’m going to do something a little different here; I’m going to give you the whole exchange. It’s a couple of pages long, but only a small part of the scene. It’s very easy to understand and quite interesting, and if I can get you to read a bit of Shakespeare than I feel I will have accomplished something for the day. I need the typing practice anyway, and if I can type the whole thing, the least you can do is read it.

Jaques - I prithee, pretty youth, let me be better acquainted with thee.

Rosalind - They say you are a melancholy fellow.

J - I am so; I do love it better than laughing.

R - Those that are in extremity of either are abominable fellows, and betray themselves to every modern censure worse than drunkards.

J - Why, ‘tis good to be sad and say nothing.

R - Why, then ‘tis good to be a post.

J - I have neither the scholar’s melancholy, which is emulation; nor the musician’s, which is fantastical; nor the courtier’s, which is proud; nor the soldier’s, which is ambitious; nor the lawyer’s, which is politic; nor the lady’s, which is nice; nor the lover’s, which is all these;- but it is a melancholy of mine own, compounded of many simples, extracted from many objects, and, indeed, the sundry contemplation of my travels, which, by often rumination, wraps me in a most humorous sadness.

R - A traveler! By my faith, you have great reason to be sad: I fear you have sold your own lands, to see other men’s; then, to have seen much, and to have nothing, is to have rich eyes and poor hands.

J - Yes, I have gain’d my experience.

R - And your experience makes you sad: I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad; and to travel for it too!

And then Orlando enters, and Rosiland finishes the discussion.

Orlando - Good day and happiness, dear Rosalind!

Jaques - Nay, then, God b’wi’you, and you talk in blank verse!

Exit Jaques

Rosiland - Farewell, Monsieur Traveller: look you lisp, and wear strange suits; disable all the benefits of your own country; be out of love with your nativity, and almost chide God for making you that countenance you are; or I will scarce think you have swam in gondola. Why, how now, Orlando!

Now then, other than getting you to read a bit of Shakespeare (which is always a good thing), I thought it quite ironic that I would come up with this passage having just returned from some significant travels of mine own (see the post from two days ago on 11/4).

So, I’m not going to get into an in-depth analysis of this passage, my travels, or how one relates to the other. I would rather you just read it carefully and give it due thought. Enjoy the beauty of Will’s language, and consider what meaning the words might have for you.

Who knows, it might be the best thing you do all day.

Mojo and I both like to travel.

This is us waiting for our plane to begin boarding at JFK.

Or was it MSP?

Maybe LAX?

2026-11-05T05:00:15.728-08:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

But, soft you, let me be: pluck up, my heart, and be sad! Did he not say, my brother was fled?

Don Pedro

Much Ado About Nothing Act V, Scene i, Line 200

This line is a bit of a poser, even when you know exactly what’s going on in the scene. I know this play, and I listened to this particular scene this morning, just to be clear about what’s going on. So I’ll tell you, but I have to warn you that it’s going to be a bit long.

At the center of what’s going on is the fact that Claudio’s fiancé, Hero (a funny name for a woman, isn’t it?) has killed herself (well, not really; but everyone thinks she has). She did this because Don Pedro’s brother, Don John (he’s the bad guy in this story, and played by Keanu Reeves in the Branagh movie, if you can believe it), tricked everyone into believing that Hero had been unfaithful to Claudio, and so she was disgraced. Now Benedick has come to tell Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero was innocent. He left in a huff, after challenging Claudio to fight. Claudio and Don Pedro, are now discussing what to make of Benedick. They still believe that Hero is guilty of being unfaithful, but now Don Pedro is trying to make sense of the news that his brother, Don John, has fled.

But, soft you, let me be:

He’s telling Claudio to shut up because he’s thinking

Pluck up, my heart, and be sad!

Buck up, buddy, and be sad about your dead fiancé! I’m not sure why he’s telling him to be sad about his dead fiancé.

Did he not say, my brother was fled?

He’s coming back to the thought of why his brother fled. We know why he fled: because he’s guilty of Hero’s death.

And that’s today’s line. I told you it would be a bit long.

A bit?

How about, waaayyy too long?

2026-11-04T04:24:47.348-08:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

To heave the traitor Somerset from hence;

And fight against the monstrous rebel Cade,

Who since I heard to be discomfited.

Duke of York

King Henry the Sixth Part II Act V, Scene i, Line 61

Well now, per MW online, the word discomfited means to put in a state of perplexity, or to frustrate the plans of. However, MW gives the archaic meaning as to defeat in battle. I would suspect that Will is going for that latter meaning, since these lines are followed immediately by the stage direction

Enter IDEN, with CADE’s head.

So, I won’t bother getting into who is Cade, or Iden, or Somerset, or even the Duke of York. Suffice to say that the three Henry the Sixth plays are full of civil strife and fighting twixt the factions of the royal family, and also that Cade has been sufficiently discomfited.

We’re almost to the end of Henry VI Part II with this line, but the strife just continues into Part III and then into Richard the Third. It more or less ends in that latter play with Richard’s death, the last British Monarch to die in battle, if I’m not mistaken.

Now, I'll bet you're wondering where I've been, seeing as this is the first Totally Random Daily Shakespeare post since mid-October? Well, I’ll tell you where I've been: I just returned yesterday from a three-week tour of Portugal. Yes, that’s right, Portugal.

Lovely Country! Wonderful people, stunning vistas, great wine and food… and the history! Castles, Cathedrals, Roman ruins, medieval town centers and walled cities. Fabulous! And, of course, I found Shakespeare, or at least his name, and it was in the most unlikeliest of places.

Our last three nights in Portugal were spent in a fairly modern and very, very quirky place on the coast, north of Lisbon. The rooms didn’t have numbers, they had names. Ours was No Set Schedule. It was written in Portuguese, but I’m not going to try to remember that. You’ll have to settle for the English. Every time we wanted to charge something to the room we had to say No Set Schedule, and they understood. In addition, all the doors had different quotes or words of wisdom written on them. Ours had a quote from, believe it or not, William Shakespeare. If that’s just not amazing, what is?

To attest to the quirkiness of the place (as if Shakespeare on the door wasn’t enough), here are a few pics.

Here's Patrice walking down the stairs to our room. That's the Atlantic straight out above her. She was not fond of those stairs.

This is our bathroom. Yes, that's a fireplace at the end of a jacuzzi tub. This room reminded me a little of the Turkish prison in Midnight Express.

And this isn't quirky, but I had to include it. Patrice and I spent the better part of a late afternoon sitting on that bench and taking in the view of the Portuguese shoreline. Again, fabulous.

And here is the door to our room, No Set Schedule. I was able to find the English for this quote.

Time is too slow for those who wait,

Too swift for those who fear,

Too long for those who grieve,

Too short for those who rejoice;

But for those who love,

Time is not.

Now here's the thing: It's not Shakespeare. Yes, I had to google it. Turns out that it's a quote from a fellow named Henry Van Dyke, written in Saratoga Springs, NY in 1904, and inspired by a sundial. Apparently it is often misattributed to Will. Some think it was inspired by a line from Richard II, a play that has a lot to do with time.

In any event, I didn't have the heart to tell them at the hotel that it wasn't Will's lines. Besides, it's a really good quote, and the perfect words to sum up our vacation, and especially the afternoon spent on the bench looking out on the Portuguese Coast.

For those who love, Time is not.

2026-10-12T07:30:08.165-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

I am sure,

Though you can guess what temperance should be,

You know not what it is.

Wherefore is this?

Mark Antony/Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra Act III, Scene xiii, Line 122

That’s Mark Antony with the first part, and Cleopatra answering Wherefore is this? Remember, wherefore is why, it has nothing to do with where. I’m not quite sure if Cleopatra is talking to Antony, asking why she doesn’t know what temperance is, or whether she’s talking to herself and saying why is he ranting? I’m pretty sure it’s the former because Antony does answer her, though I’m not quite clear what he’s saying in that answer. It’s for sure that he’s ranting, though, and pretty much telling her what a whore she is, so it would make perfect sense that she would be talking to herself.

Well, I listened to this scene, and I’m still not one hundred per cent sure if she’s talking to Antony or to herself. Wherefore is this? Well, it’s because…um…I’m not sure; I just don’t know.

The lighting on this elephant that's marching across the window sill on the other side of the room from where I was sitting this morning, really struck me.

Wherefore is this? Again, I'm not sure; I just don't know.

2026-10-10T06:31:07.582-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Why, here walk I, in the black brow of night,

To find you out.

Hubert De Burgh

King John Act V, Scene vi, Line 17

This is a short scene, the second to last scene of the play. Hubert Du Burgh and Bastard (the guy’s name is Philip Faulconbridge, but since he is supposedly the bastard son of King Richard the Lionhearted he is simply referred to as Bastard in the text) are roaming around alone in the dark in an open place near Swinstead Abbey. I took that last part from the notes at the beginning of the scene.

I believe that Hubert is saying to Bastard, in reply to the latter’s question of what he’s up to, that he was actually looking for him. So they end up having a little chat about what’s going on, but it seems absolutely pointless to fill you in on what’s happening because, as I said, there’s only one more, relatively short scene left in the play. So what am I going to do? Sum up all that’s happened so far? I don’t think so.

I will say that I like the phrase black brow of night: very poetic. I think it’s mostly the word brow. It’s giving a human feature to night. I’ve really gotta find a way to remember this one so I can use it. But I'm pretty sure I won’t.

I'll help you, Mr. Blagys.

Look! There's the black brow of night outside the window behind me!

Thank you, Mojo.

2026-10-08T05:49:18.954-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

King Henry

King Henry the Fifth Act IV, Scene iii, Line 61

Yes, that’s right, we randomly picked this line. Actually, it was my second choice because I just did not feel like dealing with the first line I picked. It was from All’s Well That Ends Well. It was the scene where Parolles gets tricked into proving what a coward he is, and we’ve done that scene a few times before. I very rarely refuse a line, but I did this morning, and so we’ve ended up here.

This is one line in Henry’s famous speech before the battle that’s over fifty lines long. Of course, you recognize it for the Band of Brothers show about WWII. It’s probably also the genesis of the USMC tagline, The Few, The Proud, The Marines. It’s just a really famous line.

Though you’re probably familiar with the show and the USMC usage, you may not be familiar with Shakespeare’s use of it. This is part of Henry’s pep talk to his troops before the battle of Agincourt. It’s pretty much the denouement of the play. The Brits are outnumbered by the Frenchies by a lot (I forget the actual numbers. I could look it up but…). Henry is telling them all…well, heck, here’s the YouTube link. You can listen to the speech yourself. It’s less than five minutes. I’m a little disappointed that Branagh actually cut a few lines of the speech; he’s usually one for being a Shakespeare purist, but it’s still well worth the watch. Yes, here’s how Shakespeare is meant to be enjoyed: he wrote it to be performed, to be seen and heard, not read.

Enjoy!

Henry V - Speech - Eve of Saint Crispin's Day - HD

BTW, just in case you didn’t know, or were in doubt, the Brits do win the battle, and with amazingly few losses. It had to do with the use of the long bow, but that’s a story for another time.

Ahh, yes, the long bow. I know it well.

2026-10-06T15:08:09.275-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Did ever Dian so become a grove,

As Kate this chamber with her princely gait?

O, be thou Dian, and let her be Kate;

And then let Kate be chaste, and Dian sportful!

Petruchio

The Taming of the Shrew Act II, Scene i, Line 252

This is Petruchio at his first meeting of Kate (the titular shrew). Everyone else thinks Kate is the worst, the shrewest woman in town. They don’t really talk so much about her appearance as they do her temperament, so I don’t know what they think of her looks. Petruchio meets her and immediately decides that she is beautiful in and out. In this first scene together they go back and forth quite a lot, he telling her how beautiful she is, and she telling him that he’s crazy.

This is a bit of a tough play for 2026, because Petruchio dominates, and ultimately can be said to tame, Kate. Still, I think there’s more to it than meets the eye. In the same way that The Merchant of Venice can be viewed as an antisemitic play, this one can be viewed as wholly misogynistic; but I think both assumptions are too simplistic and basically wrong. On the other hand, what do I know.

Wait, was that a rhetorical question?

2026-10-05T16:36:46.798-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Prepare there,

The duke is coming: see the barge is ready;

And fit it with such furniture as suits

The greatness of his person.

Sir Nicholas Vaux

King Henry the Eighth ActII, Scene i, Line 97

The duke referred to above is the Duke of Buckingham, and he has just been sentenced to death. The barge they’re talking about is the barge that will take him to his execution, presumably at the Tower of London. The duke is still well loved, and Sir Nicholas is trying to make sure he is still being treated as befitting his state, but the duke will have none of it.

Nay, Sir Nicholas,

Let it alone; my state now will but mock me.

When I came hither, I was lord high constable

And Duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun.

Edward Bohun: that name certainly does not have the regal ring to it that the Duke of Buckingham does. But Edward/the duke is being realistic; he knows that his goose is cooked. It’s hard to imagine being so accepting of one’s fate as he is. What’s even harder a lot of the time, at least I think it is, is knowing when to accept, and when to fight to change it. It gets back to that saying: Give me the strength to change what I can, the patience to accept what I can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference. Gotta have the wisdom. I guess Edward Bohum’s wisdom tells him his fate is sealed. Poor guy.

2026-10-04T07:09:17.905-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?

Queen Elizabeth

King Richard the Third Act IV, Scene iv, Line 419

Elizabeth is talking to Richard, and the devil she is referencing is Richard himself. I’ve lost track of who Richard has killed, but I know that right now he is trying to talk Elizabeth into helping him woo her daughter. This is in spite of the fact that he’s already killed one or two of her kids. Elizabeth is understandably reluctant as is evidenced by her words above. I’m pretty sure, at least I hope, that I would be more than reluctant. Here’s the next few lines of the exchange Between Elizabeth and Richard,

Elizabeth- Shall I be tempted of the devil thus?

Richard- Ay, if the devil tempt thee to do good.

E- Shall I forget myself to be myself?

R- Ay, if your self’s remembrance wrong yourself.

E- But thou didst kill my children.

R- But in your daughter’s womb I’ll bury them;

Where, in that nest of spicery, they shall breed

Selves of themselves, to your recomforture.

E- Shall I go win my daughter to thy will?

R- And be a happy mother by the deed.

E- I go.-Write to me very shortly,

And you shall understand from me her mind.

R- Bear her my true love’s kiss; and so, farewell.

[Exit Queen Elizabeth]

R- Relenting fool, and shallow, changing woman!

Oh my goodness! How about that last line; two seconds after the woman leaves the room.

Relenting fool, and shallow, changing woman!

I’m sorry, but I’m going to go current on you, just to show you how timeless this behavior (both Queen Elizabeth’s and Richard’s) is, and how relevant Will’s works are to current time. Here goes…

I can’t help but see the parallel here between Elizabeth and the supporters of the Orange Guy, especially, especially those supporters who were so adamant about the absolute lack of any positive aspects (to say the very least) of the Orange Guy a few years ago. Did they ask themselves, in the interim, the question, Shall I forget myself to be myself? Did they decide that it was okay to go ahead because by not doing so their self’s remembrance would wrong themselves? REALLY!?!

I just can’t buy it. I’ve long ago moved past my disgust for Richard, the one in 1590 as well as the one we seem to be stuck with in 2026. But I cannot, I cannot, understand Elizabeth and all the other supporters. I can’t understand them in 1590, and I certainly can’t understand them in 2026. And yet, as improbable as they are in 1590, they’re there. And if you read or see the play and say to yourself that it’s not realistic, just take a look at what we’ve got in 2026. It stretches credulity, and yet, there it is.

I’m not sure if Will gives us any answers to the questions of how this can be; probably not, since he is better at posing questions than he is at providing answers. But I would sure love an answer...if there is one.

The same world that brings us those kind of impossible questions also brings us the beauty of this sunset.

Ain't that a kick in the head.

2026-10-02T07:22:38.684-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

‘Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be

But I am pigeon-liver’d, and lack gall

To make oppression bitter; or, ere this,

I should have fatted all the region kites

With this slaves offal:- bloody, bawdy villain!

Hamlet

Hamlet Act II, Scene ii, Line 586

Today’s Lines are from the middle of the O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! soliloquy. We’ve picked from this speech before, but it was towards the beginning of it. Today we’re right in the middle. Recall that this speech is Hamlet lamenting that he’s not taken action yet against his uncle, the king, for murdering his father. The slave he’s referring to is his Uncle Claudius, the king/murderer.

Further on from here, in this same speech, he decides he needs a little more proof that Claudius is guilty, and he decides to have the players do a scene which reenacts the murder. He believes Claudius’s reaction to seeing this will prove his guilt. He then ends this soliloquy with the famous lines

-the play's the thing

Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.

Well, how about that: we’ve actually and randomly picked a line from a very famous Shakespearean soliloquy. I guess it’s bound to happen occasionally.

Pssst, you know what they say, Mr. Blagys: even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

Thank you for that amazing insight, Mojo.

2026-09-30T05:50:27.453-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Straight satisfy yourself:

If she be in her chamber or your house,

Let loose on me the justice of the state

For thus deluding you.

Roderigo

Othello Act I, Scene i, Line 141

Roderigo and Iago have woken up Brabantio in the middle of the night to tell him that his daughter, Desdemona, has run off with Othello. Brabantio has told them that they are liars, and Roderigo is telling him in Today’s Line to go see for himself if his daughter is at home. As you can see above, this is line 141 of the first scene in the play. Iago is wasting no time in getting around to making trouble for Othello.

A few lines earlier he said to Brabantio

I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor (that’s Othello) are now making the beast with two backs.

That’s an interesting turn of a phrase, making the beast with two backs. It’s one that’s not very much heard in this day and age. Perhaps it was a common expression in 1590; I don’t know. I do know that it’s something that no father is going to want to hear about his daughter.

Iago just loves to stir it up. Oh, how he loves it.

Hold on there...you didn't think we were gonna give you a picture of the beast with two backs, did you?

This blog is PG rated, folks.

2026-09-29T15:17:40.393-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

What’s thy passion?

Domitius Enobarbus

Antony and Cleopatra Act III, Scene x, Line 6

This is a scene where Enobarbus and Scarus are witnessing and discussing a sea battle in which Antony is being routed. Enobarbus started with a description of how Antony’s forces,

With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder:

Scarus enters, remarking,

Gods and goddesses,

All the whole synod of them!

To which Enobarbus responds with Today’s Line,

What’s thy passion?

Scarus replies,

The greater cantle (segment) of the world is lost

With very ignorance; we have kist away

Kingdoms and provinces.

I’m pretty sure that when Enobarbus asks Scarus about his passion, he’s asking him what’s upsetting him. Apparently Scarus feels that Antony’s losing the battle is the beginning of the end for all of them, and that’s what he’s upset about.

Of course, today if somewhat asks you what their passion is, the answer is usually writing, or football, or something like that. So it’s definitely a little bit funny, or different from us, the way Enobarbus uses the word passion. Yet, it makes sense if you think about it for a minute or two.

Would you be willing to think about it for a minute or two?

We're thinking. Can't you tell?

2026-09-28T06:52:06.342-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Yea; and you knew me, as you did when you ran away by Gadshill: you knew I was at your back, and spoke it on purpose to try my patience.

Prince Henry

King Henry the Fourth Part II Act II, Scene iv, Line 310

I guess there’s a bit of context needed here, and I’m just not sure I’m up to it. This is Hal talking to Falstaff and they’re at the Boar’s-Head Tavern. Well let’s just talk about Hal for a moment.

A major part of the Henry IV plays revolves around Henry V. To clarify, Henry IV is Bolingbroke, the guy who unseated Richard II. As such Bolingbroke/Henry IV has quite a major role in King Richard the Second. But when we move into the Henry IV plays (there’s two of them), we find ourselves spending more time with Prince Henry (That’s Henry IV’s son, also known as Hal to Falstaff). Conversely, when we get to King Henry the Fifth (there’s only one Henry V play) that play is all about Henry V (formerly Prince Henry/Hal). Then, just to finish this thought off, when we move on to the Henry VI plays (there’s three of them, believe it or not), the only Henry we deal with is Henry VI (Henrys IV and V are dead before the Henry VI plays start). Of course, in those plays there are lots of very major players, but none of them are Henrys other than Henry VI.

I guess the point is that whilst Bolingbroke/Henry IV has a pretty major role in King Richard the Second, he doesn’t have that big a role in King Henry the Fourth Parts One and Two. Those, as well as King Henry the Fifth are dominated by Prince Henry/Hal/Henry V and, to a lesser degree, Falstaff. And a lot of their time together takes place at, you guessed it, the Boar's-Head Tavern.

Is that clear?

More to the point, does anybody care?

Honestly, Mr. Blagys, NO. I really don't give a rat's fanny about any of those Henry guys.

I’m much more concerned about this little princess right here, and -MORE TO THE POINT, as you would say- What is she doing, Where is she taking me, and WHY AREN’T YOU STOPPING HER?!?

2026-09-27T06:13:18.682-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,

To touch Calphurnia; for our elders say,

The barren, touched in this holy chase,

Shake off their sterile curse.

Caesar

Julius Caesar Act I, Scene ii, Line 7

Antonius (that’s Marc Antony) is about to run the Lupercal Race. Superstition says that the touch of a runner in this race will ward off sterility. That’s pretty random, isn’t it? I don’t remember Calphurnia’s (that’s Caesar’s wife) sterility being an issue in this play, but I don’t know the play all that well. I saw it performed at the Shakespeare Theater in Stratford (that’s Stratford, Connecticut) in 1972. I think that’s the only performance of it I’ve ever seen, and that was fifty-four years ago.

Antony’s reply is, I shall remember; When Caesar says ‘Do this,’ it is perform’d, and it just struck me, reading Antony’s line, why they decided to perform this play, a few years back, with Caesar dressed as Orange-Man.

Now, this post could go one of three ways from here: it could spiral down the Orange-Man rabbit hole (that’s a mighty big hole, and nobody wants that), it could pull up and get into some other Shakespearean aspect of the lines, or it could meander off in some other completely random direction.

Well?

So, where do you suppose Will came up with this bit about the Lupercal race and sterility? I think this is one more instance that gives credence to the Edward DeVere theory, but that’s a whole ‘nother rabbit hole that I’m not going down. Anyway, I don’t think Caesar even mentions Lupercal, he just refers to this holy chase. Lupercal is mentioned only in the notes (as far as I know), and they’re not Will’s notes. I should look in Asimov’s book on Shakespeare, but that’s not readily available. Perhaps I should get off my fat ass, because not readily available means that’s what I’d have to do. Oh boy. So now we’re talking about the size of my ass, which isn’t all that large. It’s the belly that’s the problem.

Okay, so I think we’ve successfully steered the discussion away from politics, but at what cost? Hey, I wonder if the touch of these Lupercal runners would do any good shaking off the fat belly curse? But, where would I come up with a Lupercal Race runner anyway?

Well it just so happens, Mr. Blagys...

No way, Mojo!

2026-09-26T07:57:06.523-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Since death of my dear’st mother

It did not speak before. All solemn things

Should answer solemn accidents.

Guiderius

Cymbeline Act IV, Scene ii, Line 191

I’ll give you Guiderius’s full speech in a minute, it’s only six lines, but first I’ll give you some context.

Without going into the full story, Guiderius is talking to his father Belarius. These two, and Guiderius’s brother Arviragus, live in a cave. The two young men are actually sons of the king, and they ended up being raised by this guy Belarius in a cave. Don’t ask me how, I don’t remember the full story; just go with it. Anyway, as I said, Guiderius and his father are standing outside the cave, and they begin to hear solemn music being played in the cave where Arviragus is. When Guiderius says It did not speak before, he’s talking about the musical instrument (no, I don’t know what kind of instrument). Now, here’s the full six lines.

What does he mean? Since death of my dear’st mother

It did not speak before. All solemn things

Should answer solemn accidents. The matter?

Triumphs for nothing, and lamenting toys,

Is jollity for apes, and grief for boys.

Is Caldwell mad?

Oh, one other thing: Guiderius and Arviragus are their original, real names. Belarius renamed then Polydore and Cadwal, and that’s the names these two guys know themselves as. Yeah, it’s a little confusing. Again, just go with it.

So, does it make sense now? Obviously Guiderius is saying he hasn’t heard solemn music since his mother died (Apparently these two guys weren’t infants when Belarius stole them and brought them to the cave; but that’s a separate issue). Then he says that there shouldn’t be solemn music without a solemn occasion (accident). What he doesn’t know is that his brother has discovered the dead body of Imogen in the cave (also a separate issue). Why should there not be solemn music? Only monkeys celebrate triumphs without a victory, and lamenting toys are grief for boys. The monkey part I understand; the lamenting toys not so much.

Boy, we’re spending a lot of time on these few lines. I'm not sure I'm getting anything out of this. How about you?

Boy, there are some days where this Shakespeare stuff just doesn't work for me.

And I think this is one of them.

2026-09-22T07:56:49.250-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man’s heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say, ‘Let him roar again, let him roar again.’

Bottom

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act I, Scene ii, Line 66

I’m still not crazy about this play, but it’s starting to grow on me a little, and definitely my favorite part of it is the worker guys practicing and performing the play within the play. Today’s Line is near the beginning of the play where Peter Quince is assigning parts to everyone. Bottom, of course, wants all the parts. He’s pretty funny.

Bottom is a good part in this play. If I was going to be in A Midsummer Night’s Dream I think I would want to play the part of Bottom.

Look at me: eight lines in Twelfth Night and now I’m talking like an actor. Oh my.

Did somebody down there say something about a lion?

I could play a lion.

2026-09-20T06:40:28.520-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

I’ll be at charges for a looking-glass;

And entertain a score or two of tailors

To study fashions to adorn my body:

Since I am crept in favor with myself,

I will maintain it with some little cost.

Duke of Gloster (Richard III)

King Richard the Third Act I, Scene ii, Line 258

Richard (at this point he’s not the king yet, so he’s the Duke of Gloster) has just successfully wooed Lady Anne, whose husband Richard killed in the battle at Tewksbury. Yes, somehow or another he wins her over: Go figure. She then leaves, and Richard is left alone to congratulate himself on how clever he is.

He talks about the feat of getting her to agree to be his wife, and he then concludes that she must see him as something better than he sees himself. From the beginning of the play, he has referred to himself as misshapen and beggarly,

Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;

but here he concludes that this will no longer be the case.

Upon my life, she finds, although I cannot,

Myself to be a marvelous proper man.

I’ll be at charges for a looking-glass;

And entertain …

That’s right, he decides that he’s as good, and as good looking, as the next guy; if not better. I suppose winning the heart of a woman can do that to a guy?

Of course not, Mojo. Why on earth would I, or anyone else, ever refer to you as 'misshapen or beggarly'? For goodness sakes, you are as fine a looking specimen as ever walked on two, or four, feet; furry though those feet are.

And yes, that shaved-shins look is fabulous. It almost looks like you're wearing capris; very European indeed!

You didn't use my razor, did you?

2026-09-16T06:51:47.229-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Well, go to, go to.

Paris

Troilus and Cressida Act II, Scene i, Line 96

Oh my. I chuckled to myself as I read that. I’d been sitting here this morning, drinking my morning coffee, waiting for my morning coffee to do its job of waking me up, and feeling a bit down: sleepy or down? Or maybe a bit of both. Hard to say sometimes. Anyway, I decided to do a Daily Random Line. For two reasons: one is that I like doing Lines and it’s easy to do Lines (that’s one reason), and two is that so, so many times the Daily Line gives me something relevant to my day. Today is no exception. Well, go to, go to. It’s just five words; five short and completely understandable words. There’s no early modern English issues here; no need to translate anything (I really hate the use of the word translate when we’re talking about Will’s stuff; I’m using it sarcastically here). And the fact that it’s repeated, go to, go to, is perfect. It needs to be emphasized. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or down, then just get at it. Get started. Do something! Go to, go to!

Going to is so often precisely my problem. I seem to be almost always (yes, almost) inclined to not go to. I’ve really no idea about the context of this line. It would seem that Paris is telling someone to go ahead and do something. Who he is telling, and what they are going to do, well, who knows. No, literally, who knows; but I don’t. And I don’t need to know. But there's no doubt about the fact that now and almost always I just need to GO TO!

I'm ready to GO TO, Mr. Blagys

Go to where, Mojo?

I don't know. But I'm ready.

I can always count on you, can't I, Mojo.

2026-09-14T07:50:54.172-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr’d wench!

Pale as thy smock! When we shall meet at compt,

This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,

And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl!

Even like thy chastity.

Othello

Othello Act V, Scene ii, Line 275

First off, the word compt at the end of the second line refers to reckoning, or the day of judgement. I know, it seems like an odd little word to have that meaning, but it’s what my on-line Shakespeare glossary says, and it makes sense.

So, what we have here is Othello, alone with the dead body of Desdemona. He killed her earlier in this scene and shortly after he did, he was brought to the realization by Iago’s wife Emilia that Desdemona had been faithful to him. Iago then killed Emilia and ran off. Now Othello is left alone to think about what he did.

In Today’s Lines he’s talking to the dead body of his wife. This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven, and fiends will snatch at it. That’s a great line that creates a vivid image of him falling. I can picture the fiends grabbing at him. I can’t quite decide, though, what the look on her face is that causes his fall. Is it some sort of look of contempt. No, now that I think about it, it’s probably the look of complete innocence, and the look that her dead face is now showing. Othello (or should I say Will) does not attempt to describe that look, does he? How dost thou look now? O ill-starr’d wench! Pale as thy smock! That’s all he gives us. She’s ill-starr’d and she’s pale. Ill-starr’d is just saying that she’s unlucky, but that doesn’t really give us an idea of how she dost look now. I guess it’s just the look of innocence on a dead face, but I suppose you’ll have to decide that for yourself, won’t you.

I wanted to find a look on a face that might represent Desdemona's, but I decided that was a lost cause.

So I'm giving you this picture of Antonio and his arresting officer: a couple of good looks that fall somewhere between a snarl and a sneer.

2026-09-12T07:00:22.766-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

What storm is this that blows so contrary?

Is Romeo slaughter’d, and is Tybalt dead?

My dear-loved cousin, and my dearer lord?-

Then, dreadful trumpet, sound the general doom!

For who is living if those two are gone.

Juliet

Romeo and Juliet Act III, Scene ii, Line 65

Romeo has killed Juliet’s cousin Tybalt in a fight and has consequently been banished. This is what Nurse has come to tell Juliet, but it’s going to take her a while to get the full message out. At the point that she’s speaking Today’s Lines, Juliet thinks that both of the guys are dead. This will be clarified momentarily, but Romeo’s banishment does not make her much happier than the thought of his death, and she’ll go on for another half page of moaning.

Funnily (at least I found it a little funny), a few lines up when Nurse is talking about Romeo she says O Romeo, Romeo. Whilst it’s not Romeo, O Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo, it’s still close enough to Juliet’s famous words to give pause. At least, it was enough to give me pause; I don’t know about you. But let’s face it, there are lots of things that give me pause.

Well, what on earth is giving me pause here?

Oh, that's right; it was these shoes that I saw when I was out and about yesterday. Thems is some stylin' wheels, eh? In fact, it looks like something that Romeo might wear!

2026-09-11T06:45:19.249-07:00

Today’s Totally Random Lines

That Julius Caesar was a famous man;

With what his valour did enrich his wit,

His wit set down to make his valour live:

Death makes no conquest of this conqueror;

For now he lives in fame, though not in life.

Prince

King Richard the Third Act III, Scene i, Line 86

Richard has suggested that the prince reside in the Tower of London until his coronation, and so begins a discussion of the tower and Julius Caesar who, ostensibly, began the construction of it. Of course, at this point the prince, who is just a boy, has no inkling of Richard’s plans to eliminate him. The prince’s mother, on the other hand, has lots of inkling, and has taken herself and the prince’s brother into sanctuary somewhere outside London. It’s an interesting scene. Will paints a picture of an evil man who was able to fool a lot of people, not just young princes. It might be considered a cautionary tale. You should read it. Here, I’ll make it easy on you.

Richard the Third (Modern) :: Internet Shakespeare Editions