Hamlet was fun. Now I’m doing Cymbeline
I wrote responses to Hamlet, one line at a time. I finished a while ago but only just finished getting them all uploaded. Now it’s time to start uploading the Cymbeline I started a couple of years ago. The posts are all a bit behind this moment because of this.
Why Cymbeline? It’s my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays.
How worthy he is I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than story him in his own hearing.
The thing is they haven’t even been storying him outside of his own hearing (a phrase I love, by the way). They’ve been sort of talking around about him but not actually telling any tales. What story would Philario tell about Posthumus? He could have told them before – but he didn’t. I have, historically,…
I beseech you all, be better known to this gentleman; whom I commend to you as a noble friend of mine:
See – this is clear. Now that Posthumus is actually in the room, Philario gets all clear. But I don’t trust him after that sort of ambiguous stuff before Posthumus walked in. It’s a marked change in clarity and tone. That feels important somehow. Philario may be code switching.
Let him be so entertained amongst you as suits, with gentlemen of your knowing, to a stranger of his quality.
See – it’s a little ambiguous. He could be saying “Treat this guy well” but he could also be saying, “How you choose to treat this guy is up to you. It’s your business what you think of him.” I’m not sure why all these guys are being so CAGEY. They’re just not quite willing…
The Cymbeline Project 