Shakespeare on rats

[marco]

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, King Lear: V, iii
What if my house be troubled with a rat Merchant of Venice: IV, i
Pythagoras' time, that I was an irish rat, which i As You Like It: III, ii

Eats cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat and King Lear: III, iv
Whips out his rapier, cries, 'a rat, a rat!' Hamlet: IV, i
Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk? Romeo and Juliet: III, i

Both your houses! 'zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a Romeo and Juliet: III, i
As I would serve a rat.' Cymbeline: V, v
And, like a rat without a tail, Macbeth: I, iii

William Shakespeare, gentleman

[ArtNea...@germanymail.com]

Art N

[bookburn]

On Friday, April 14, 2017 at 6:26:12 PM UTC-8, marco wrote:
> Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, King Lear: V, iii
> What if my house be troubled with a rat Merchant of Venice: IV, i
> Pythagoras' time, that I was an irish rat, which i As You Like It: III, ii
>
> Eats cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat and King Lear: III, iv
> Whips out his rapier, cries, 'a rat, a rat!' Hamlet: IV, i

"Dead for a ducat," he said. Might indicate something about "ducat," which was a gold or silver coin, pronunciation maybe "ducit" or "ducet."
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/ducat

Context of use in the above case seems to identify Polonius with something that could be offed for a price, perhaps as a rat is exterminated? Still, seems like a gold or silver ducat is a high price to pay. An allusion to rat extermination works, because Hamlet in his mad mood would like to cleans the court of corruption. bookburn

[laraine]

On Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 6:27:16 PM UTC-5, bookburn wrote:
> On Friday, April 14, 2017 at 6:26:12 PM UTC-8, marco wrote:
> > Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, King Lear: V, iii
> > What if my house be troubled with a rat Merchant of Venice: IV, i
> > Pythagoras' time, that I was an irish rat, which i As You Like It: III, ii
> >
> > Eats cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat and King Lear: III, iv
> > Whips out his rapier, cries, 'a rat, a rat!' Hamlet: IV, i
>
> "Dead for a ducat," he said. Might indicate something about "ducat," which was a gold or silver coin, pronunciation maybe "ducit" or "ducet."
> https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/ducat
>
> Context of use in the above case seems to identify Polonius with something that could be offed for a price, perhaps as a rat is exterminated? Still, seems like a gold or silver ducat is a high price to pay. An allusion to rat extermination works, because Hamlet in his mad mood would like to cleans the court of corruption. bookburn

Many of those rat references do seem metaphorical, now that
you mention it...
(I had been thinking of actual rats in the Danish castle.)

But notice just after that he asks if it was the king he killed.
Quite a game of chance he's playing there, strange after having
been so cautious.

C.

[marco]

.

[marco]

mice

Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice. King Henry VI, part I: I, ii

But mice and rats, and such small deer, King Lear: III, iv

As mice by lions--hath pick'd out an act, Measure for Measure: I, iv


William Shakespeare, gentleman

[bookburn]

And we observe that Hamlet pierces a curtain with his foil, and we are aware of how curtains function on stage and as a metaphor. Couldn't get to the old Matty Farrow search site, or I would list a few interesting "curtain" metaphors.

[bookburn]

======
http://www.rhymezone.com/r/ss.cgi?q=curtain&mode=k

Keyword search results:

The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates Macbeth: II, i
The shady curtains from aurora's bed, Romeo and Juliet: I, i
Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night, Romeo and Juliet: III, ii
With oily painting. shall I draw the curtain? The Winter's Tale: V, iii
We will draw the curtain and show you the picture. Twelfth Night: I, v
This absence of your father's draws a curtain, King Henry IV, part I: IV, i
These gifts a curtain before 'em? are they like to Twelfth Night: I, iii
Their ragged curtains poorly are let loose, King Henry V: IV, ii
The fringed curtains of thine eye advance The Tempest: I, ii
Quick, quick, I pray thee; draw the curtain straight: Merchant of Venice: II, ix
Pavilion on deck, with a curtain before it; pericles Pericles, Prince of Tyre: V, i
Make no noise, make no noise; draw the curtains: King Lear: III, vi
Let 'em alone, and draw the curtain close: King Henry VIII: V, ii
I'll draw the curtain: The Winter's Tale: V, iii
Her? come, draw this curtain, and let's see your Toilus and Cressida: III, ii
Go draw aside the curtains and discover Merchant of Venice: II, vii
Drew priam's curtain in the dead of night, King Henry IV, part II: I, i
Do not draw the curtain. The Winter's Tale: V, iii
Come, draw the curtain, nerissa. Merchant of Venice: II, ix
Close up his eyes and draw the curtain close; King Henry VI, part II: III, iii
And curtain'd with a counsel-keeping cave, Titus Andronicus: II, iii
A gentle riddance. draw the curtains, go. Merchant of Venice: II, vii
Soft; by and by. let me the curtains draw. Othello: V, ii 23 results returned.

[laraine]

Was wondering about the ancient references to 'curtain' --

From some wikipedia entries:


Curtain, history of:

"From evidence found in excavation sites at Olynthus, Pompeii and Herculaneum, portieres appear to have been used as room dividers in classic antiquity. Mosaics from the 2nd to 6th century show curtains suspended from rods spanning arches.[2]"


Olynthus (wikipedia):

"an ancient city of Chalcidice" [in Ancient Greece]


----------------------------------------------------------------------


Curtain Theatre:

".... It was called the "Curtain" because it was located near a plot of land called Curtain Close, not because of the sort of front curtain associated with modern theatres, but of its proximity of the City walls, curtain or curtain wall referring to the part of city walls between two bastions"

C.

[marco]

William Shakespeare's curtains

[ArtNea...@germanymail.com]

Art N