The Shakespeare-Expositor: An Aid to the Perfect Understanding of Shakespeare's PlaysKeightley, Thomas
General
The Shakespeare-Expositor: An Aid to the Perfect Understanding of Shakespeare's Plays
Keightley, Thomas
Drama -- Outlines, syllabi, etc.; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Outlines, syllabi, etc.
With Theobald, I am dubious of the last line. The scene would end
better with the couplet, and Glendower is not mentioned anywhere
else in the play. A little higher up in the scene, however, a line
intervenes between two rimes.
* * * * *
SC. 2. "Barloughly Castle call they this at hand?--
Yea, my lord. How brooks your grace the air."
For 'Yea,' we should read _Even so_. Introd. p. 68.
* * * * *
"In murders and in outrage bloody here."
As 4to 1597 reads _bouldy_ for 'bloody', the reading of the other 4tos
and the folio, the right reading would seem to be _boldly_.
* * * * *
"Strive to speak big and clap their female joints
In stiff unwieldy arms."
Pope reads _clasp_ and Collier's folio _feeble_, which seem to be
better.
* * * * *
SC. 3. "Your Grace mistakes _me_; only to be brief,
Left I his title out."
* * * * *
"Had been so brief with you to shorten you,
For taking so the head, your whole head's length."
We should read _off_ for 'so' suggested by that in the preceding line.
* * * * *
"That any harm should stain so fair a show."
The folios of both Collier and Singer read _storm_ for 'harm.'
* * * * *
SC. 4. "And I could sing, would weeping do me good,
And never borrow any tear of thee."
We should either read _weep_ for 'sing' or _singing_ for 'weeping.'
Pope, who is generally followed, read _weep_. I prefer _singing_; so
also does Staunton.
* * * * *
"But stay, _girl_, hëre come the gardeners."
She had already called her 'girl' twice.
* * * * *
"As we this garden. At time of year _we cut_
And wound the bark, the skin of our fruit-trees."
In the first line something is wanting at the end in both 4tos and
folio; in the second the 4tos read 'Do wound,' and those who follow
them read '_We_ at time of year.' I prefer the reading of the folio,
adding _we cut_. If we follow the 4tos, we should read perhaps 'year
_we still_.' The expression 'time of year,' _i.e._ spring (?) occurs in
one of the Sonnets of Thomas Watson (1581?): "And time of year reviveth
everything."
* * * * *
"Their fruits of duty. _The_ superfluous branches."
So also S. Walker; 2nd folio reads _All_.
ACT IV.
SC. 1. "I heard you say that you had rather refuse
The offer of an hundred thousand crowns
Than Bolingbroke's return to England."
This is nonsense, and the last line is unmetrical. A verb is evidently
lost; if we read 'Than _to see_,' or 'Than _see proud_,' all becomes
clear.
* * * * *
"Of good old Abraham. _My_ Lords Appellants."
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account