Richard the Third
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lowered upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths,
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments,
Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front,
And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks
Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
-- William Shakespeare's Richard III (Opening Solioquoy)
Why the Shakespeare you ask? Well I feel rather like dear old Richard at the moment. Just not nearly as twisted, or am I?
Just like the opening solioquoy of Richard the Third, which sets up the major plot points of the narrative by allowing the audience to anticipate the coming events and signals what is coming in the rest of the play with perfection, it seems that I, too, may anticipate the coming events as they unfold over the next month or so (hopefully less).
"Plots have I laid..."
In Richard III this quote signals that throughout the play we will see Richard carry out these plots in an attempt to become King of England. In my life, I too will lay plots in order to get through this.
"And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover/...I am determined to prove a villain"
This quote suggests that throughout the play, Richard will prove to the audience that he is a villian since he cannot prove to us that he is a lover (He's a little twisted). Since I cannot prove a lover either, I may have to just prove that I'm a villian, and have a little fun with all the pain that's been caused.
My dear old friend Richard, you're a genius!
10:13 am
