tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13529575.post3224772500289111696..comments2023-07-07T10:56:11.083-04:00Comments on Shakespeare Geek: The Great Aunt Catherine Debates #1 : What Did Antony Mean?Duane Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16569611828708601563noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13529575.post-32877457879076077382012-01-01T20:58:02.456-05:002012-01-01T20:58:02.456-05:00Antony steps to the podium in front of an angry cr...Antony steps to the podium in front of an angry crowd. What is the reaction he wants to elicit? He would like to say something that has them all nodding their heads in assent. So he cites a proverb.<br /><br />The nice thing about the scholarly editions of Shakespeare's plays is that they are usually quite good about basic research. That includes checking Tilley's "A Dictionary of catkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08829033804624219274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13529575.post-81287297574272949932011-12-28T10:46:51.745-05:002011-12-28T10:46:51.745-05:00Once again we have to ask, is Shakespeare simply p...Once again we have to ask, is Shakespeare simply putting words into the mouth of Antony based solely on the context in which Antony is speaking--simply furthering the characterization and plot? Or, is he doing much more in also dropping in an interesting and highly debatable philosophical comment?<br />I tend to think it's a little of both in this case.<br /><br />Shakespeare has a propensityJMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08099932219392937069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13529575.post-84077880615868686142011-12-28T10:44:02.412-05:002011-12-28T10:44:02.412-05:00I wasn't trying to copy you, Peter! Honest! ...I wasn't trying to copy you, Peter! Honest! I just hit the "Publish Your Comment" button one minute too late!<br /><br />In any case, I agree with Peter completely.<br /><br />kjkjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14863005904313974654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13529575.post-83801643237436676152011-12-28T10:42:45.839-05:002011-12-28T10:42:45.839-05:00First, we're all sorry for your family's l...First, we're all sorry for your family's loss.<br /><br />Second, the idea of William Shakespeare being "wrong" is simply irrelevant here. Shakespeare's <i>character</i> may be wrong in this instance, but Shakespeare himself isn't pronouncing this statement as a universal truth to which he ascribes. Was Shakespeare "wrong" when Macbeth said, "I lead a kjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14863005904313974654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13529575.post-18631077705516689822011-12-28T10:41:18.820-05:002011-12-28T10:41:18.820-05:00Assuming that Shakespeare believes as his characte...Assuming that Shakespeare believes as his characters believe is a mistake. Antony says that the good is oft interred with their bones, not Shakespeare.<br /><br />And remember, Antony doesn't say "always", but rather "oft", which means that it is sometimes the other way around.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07265281339588174852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13529575.post-28606825078472635922011-12-28T10:30:58.870-05:002011-12-28T10:30:58.870-05:00Even just tying that line back to the one that imm...Even just tying that line back to the one that immediately precedes it might help a lot to recontextualise. "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him" sums up what Antony <i>claims</i> to be doing, under Brutus's ostensible permission. So those next two lines are saying, "We're only going to remember the bad things he did, not the good."<br /><br />Of course, you couldCasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12835635673777468306noreply@blogger.com