Another part of the style that Shakespeare conformed to in his early plays and changed in his later work is the use of elaborate metaphors and conceits. From the video in the section "Retorical Language" we can see the retorical language from the acting. By explicating the King's lines from the play we can see the retorical language as well as the metaphors that match the language. As the first eight lines from the Kings speech are explicated in scene 1 of act three, watch how the figures of speech become too complicated and the excesive detail detracts from the work but could be more entertaining for audiences.
KING
O God, that one might read the book of fate
And see the revolution of the times
Make mountains level, and the continent,
Weary of solid firmness, melt itself
Into the sea, and other times to see
The beachy girdle of the ocean
Too wide for Neptune’s hips;
The first six lines appear to be strait forward if you have prior knowledge of the play. The king has been troubled all night about the outcome of his city and he wants to be able to just ”Read the book of fate to see the revolution of are times” or read a book to know what revolution or changes are coming (OED, Revolution). The King is referring to the Earl of Northumberland and his intention to attack and kill King Henry’s people and take over the Kingdom. The next four lines are him recognizing how “Fate” has changed the mountains, continents, the sea, and oceans. The words “The beachy girdle of the ocean” is the continued lamination and reference to the prayer to “God”. He is saying “We see how the beachy (beach) girdle (undergarment) is sometimes too wide or “beachy” for even the ocean.” The reference to the changes to the earth caused by God’s fate is the King Acknowledging that God is over everything even the earth. That is an elaborate Metaphor given that The King is acknowledging to two friends that whatever will happen to the Kingdom is God’s fate, trying to console himself and not giving a speech in front of an audience. Just imagine if your parent was called on to say a prayer to get back from a church camping trip in safety because they have to go through a blizzard and the parent uses the same diction. The prayer would be considered elaborate and the parent would be looked at as a Pharisee because people that heard the prayer would think he did it just to be cool. The high minded and over dramatic metaphors are what is meant by an elaborate metaphor or Conceit. The first six lines are recognizing how the fate of God is above everything and no one can stop it. The next couple of lines are where it gets even more complicated though.
The next lines are the continuation of the prayer however they take a Shakespearean twist. In line six and seven Shakespeare refers to other societies deities to continue his conceits. The line “too wide for Neptune’s hips” is a reference to Roman mythology. “Neptune” was the Roman God of Water. In Shakespeare’s time “hip” also referred to as “Morbid depression of sprits” (OED, Hip). The reference to “God’s fate” being “too wide” or larger than, “Neptune” or the ocean’s, “Hip” or “depression of spirits” means that fate is bigger than the oceans destructive consequences as a result of circumstances.
The reference to fate is a reoccurring theme in Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare is referencing to The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius. This hugely popular text was the single most influential work in the west on medieval and early Renaissance Christianity. In the text Boethius refers to how evil can exist in a world governed by God. The text refers to the fact that God is a source for Good but that free will can allow bad in because of free will.
From the explicated seven lines above we see a host of complicated references that without a close explication of the text we simply would not understand. This is what is meant by the style of “elaborate metaphors and Conceits”. The lines could have been three guys talking about the kingdom but Instead we a long speech with ornate metaphors to God, the creation, other cultures, and unheard of texts about the astronomical idea of the origins of evil. The huge stanza could be condensed to “ I wish I knew what was going to happen so I don’t have to worry”. This line would not have been as entertaining but it would get the point accross just as well. Shakespeare wrote elaborate comparisons to match his elaborate speech of the King so as to entertain and match the style of his day instead of developing the character later in his life.
No comments:
Post a Comment