Monthly Archives: February 2012

Dancing Days are Gone

Posted on February 13, 2012 by jimmie

“For you and I are past our dancing days” (Romeo and Juliet.1.5) Tip for Use. When you wish to refuse an invitation to wild entertainment, e.g. ‘I am past my dancing days’. In “Your Daily Shakespeare” see also ‘Error, e. admitted and due to youthful inexperience – Those were my salad days when I was Read More

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Catch 22 situation

Posted on February 13, 2012 by jimmie

“… I stand as one upon a rock, Environ’d with a wilderness of sea, Who marks the waxing tide grow wave    by wave, Expecting ever when some envious surge Will in his brinish bowel swallow him.” (Titus Andronicus 3.1) Tip for use. Forcefully express that you are surrounded by enemies, ‘I stand upon……sea.’ – or Read More

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We are the Stuff of Dreams

Posted on February 13, 2012 by jimmie

“…We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.” (TEM.4.1) Tip for Use. Express a feeling of unreality and of the fleetingness of life. In the play.  Prospero utters a philosophical consideration for Miranda and Ferdinand’s benefit. Prospero is getting ready to fire the spirits and Read More

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Performance Review

Posted on February 11, 2012 by jimmie

IAGO. Will you hear me Roderigo? RODERIGO. Faith, I have heard too much; for your words and performance are no kin together.” (OTH.4.3) Tips for Use. Extract, ‘Your words and performance are no kin together.’ Good for a politician fighting the incumbent or for a performance review of an employee who talks big but acts Read More

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There is More to it than Hits the Eye

Posted on February 10, 2012 by jimmie

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” (Hamlet 1.5) Tips for Use. Evasive answer to questions of the type, ‘Why this?’ or ‘Why did you do this?’ when you do not want to give a reason. Change ‘Horatio’ to name of party you are talking to. Read More

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You may be right

Posted on February 9, 2012 by jimmie

“Thou speakest wiser than thou art ‘ware of.” (AYLI.2.4) Tips for use. When you want to agree with someone with whom you normally don’t. In the play. Rosalind shows regard for a comment by Touchstone.

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The Thorns of Life

Posted on February 9, 2012 by jimmie

“O, how full of briers is this working-day world!” (AYLI.1.3) Tips for Use. Comment on the difficulties of every day life. In the “Your Daily Shakespeare” book you also find cross-references to ‘Life, a combination of good and bad – The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill go together..’ Read More

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The Web of Life

Posted on February 8, 2012 by jimmie

“The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill go together: our virtues would be proud, if our
faults whipped them not, and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues” (AWEW.3.3) Tip for use. Add a philosophical explanation to the alternation of pleasant and unpleasant events in Read More

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Preamble to a Question

Posted on February 8, 2012 by jimmie

“I will be a fool in question, hoping to be the wiser by your answer. “ (AWEW.2.2) Tips for use. Alternative to ‘Maybe this is a stupid question’ or when you wish to pull the leg of the speaker, especially if he thinks of having been clear in his exposition. In the play. At Rousillon, Read More

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No Objections to Agreement

Posted on February 7, 2012 by jimmie

“May I never To this good purpose, that so fairly shows, Dream of impediment.” (AC.2.2) Tips for Use. Answer to ‘Do you agree?’, particularly if the agreement is  important or represents a compromise reached after intense negotiations. In the play. Antony agrees to the proposal, put forward by Agrippa, that he, Antony, marries Octavia, Octavian’s Read More

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