More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
September 9 - September 11, 2024
when the splitting wind 49 Makes flexible the knees of knotted oaks,
goated line, foreshadowing the constancy theme
Troy in our weakness stands, not in her strength.
Well Troy will fall in her own weakness for Greek gifts, not in Greek strength
They call this bed-work, mapp’ry, closet war;
Sitzkrieg
the ram that batters down the wall, 210 For the great swinge and rudeness of his poise, 211 They place before his hand that made the engine
Amateurs talk battering rams, professionals talk logistics.
AJAX Thou bitchwolf’s son, canst thou not hear? Feel, 10 then. 11 ⟨Strikes him.⟩ THERSITES The plague of Greece upon thee, thou mon- 12 grel beef-witted lord!
If thou use to beat me, I will begin 49 at thy heel and tell what thou art by inches, thou 50 thing of no bowels, thou.
Will you with counters sum 29 The past-proportion of his infinite, 30 And buckle in a waist most fathomless 31 With spans and inches so diminutive 32 As fears and reasons?
These are beautiful words from Troilus, but he's essentially telling Hector, don't try to hem us in with logic. Don't use numbers to value the infinite.
Usually that's right, but Hector is not using logic coldly. He's saying, count the numbers of the dead, and set them against the one.
Hector speaks of these dead, speaks also of Helen, with nothing but love and regard. Troilus speaks with beautiful regard but only for the king's house, and it's surprising to see the nominal hero of the play suddenly espousing these values.
And for an old aunt whom the Greeks held captive, 82 He brought a Grecian queen, whose youth and 83 freshness 84 Wrinkles Apollo’s and makes pale the morning. 85 Why keep we her? The Grecians keep our aunt.
This argument simply concedes that Helen is a hostage.
And the argument is doubly repugnant, valuing Helen because she is younger than the aunt.
ne’ertheless, 198 My sprightly brethren, I propend to you 199 In resolution to keep Helen still, 200 For ’tis a cause that hath no mean dependence 201 Upon our joint and several dignities.
I don't understand, Hector
“O ho!” groans out for “ha ha ha!”—Hey ho!
I'll have what he's having
TROILUS I am giddy; expectation whirls me round. 17 Th’ imaginary relish is so sweet 18 That it enchants my sense. What will it be 19 When that the wat’ry <palate> taste indeed 20 Love’s thrice-repurèd nectar? Death, I fear me, 21 Swooning destruction, or some joy too fine, 22 Too subtle-potent, tuned too sharp in sweetness 23 For the capacity of my ruder powers. 24 I fear it much; and I do fear besides 25 That I shall lose distinction in my joys,
It's as if he senses that he's addicted to his feelings, and it troubles him. "That I shall lose distinction in my joys" sounds almost like he fears that he will increasingly need stronger hits to feel this way again?
As doth a battle when they charge on heaps 27 The enemy flying.
Slightly ominous metaphor when anticipating a meeting with your beloved
Words pay no debts; give her deeds.
Fine words butter no parsnips
I’ll go get a fire.
they've got their own fire
TROILUS Fears make devils of cherubins; they never 69 see truly. 70 CRESSIDA Blind fear, that seeing reason leads, finds 71 safer footing than blind reason, stumbling without 72 fear. To fear the worst oft cures the worse.
archetype opposing temperaments
the will is infinite and the execution confined, that 82 the desire is boundless and the act a slave to limit
Great philosophy, or just good excuse-making
Hard to seem won; but I was won, my lord, 117 With the first glance that ever—pardon me; 118 If I confess much, you will play the tyrant.
You had me at hello.
Wait, I'm blabbing.
your silence, 131 <Cunning> in dumbness, from my weakness draws 132 My very soul of counsel! Stop my mouth.
When you sit there just looking cute, I can't help myself and I blab
When time is old ⟨and⟩ hath forgot itself, 187 When water drops have worn the stones of Troy 188 And blind oblivion swallowed cities up, 189 And mighty states characterless are grated 190 To dusty nothing,
goated line
Let all 204 constant men be Troiluses, all false women Cres- 205 sids,
Can I get a double standard here, to go
What things again most dear in the esteem 134 And poor in worth!
You know who's overvalued? Helen!
AENEAS We know each other well. 32 DIOMEDES We do, and long to know each other worse.
Give swords to poets, and this is what happens
Time, force, and death 107 Do to this body what extremes you can, 108 But the strong base and building of my love 109 Is as the very center of the Earth, 110 Drawing all things to it.
Goated line, spoken by the wrong person
CRESSIDA Tear my bright hair, and scratch my praisèd cheeks, 113 Crack my clear voice with sobs, and break my heart 114 With sounding “Troilus.” I will not go from Troy.
See above.
This is and is not Cressid.
She is and is not Helen
The fractions of her faith, orts of her love, 188 The fragments, scraps, the bits and greasy relics 189 Of her o’er-eaten faith are given to Diomed.
One of the saddest lines of the play, much more than any person's death
to <use> violent thefts 23 And rob in the behalf of charity.
robbin' Hood!
Diomed, believe, 106 I come to lose my arm or win my sleeve.
Dad-joke on the field!
THERSITES No, no, I am a rascal, a scurvy railing 30 knave, a very filthy rogue. 31 HECTOR I do believe thee. Live.
lol
what he will he does, and does so much 29 That proof is called impossibility.
Inconceivable!
THERSITES I am a bastard too. I love bastards. I am 8 bastard begot, bastard instructed, bastard in mind, 9 bastard in valor, in everything illegitimate.
goated fool
