“but for these vile guns,/He would himself have been a soldier.”

August 16, 2006 - 7:19 PM by

As a former English teacher, I just love it when people tie current events to classic literature.

Despite the un-Shakespearean blog name of “SnoopyTheGoon,” one Israeli found a parallel between his (her?) feelings about anti-war protests (against Israel) to the Bard’s King Henry IV.

From Hotspur’s plea to the king, upon his return from war,as quoted on Simply Jews:

My liege, I did deny no prisoners.
But I remember, when the fight was done,
When I was dry with rage and extreme toil,
Breathless and faint, leaning upon my sword,
Came there a certain lord, neat, and trimly dress’d,
Fresh as a bridegroom; and his chin new reap’d
Show’d like a stubble-land at harvest-home;
He was perfumed like a milliner;
And ‘twixt his finger and his thumb he held
A pouncet-box, which ever and anon
He gave his nose and took’t away again;
Who therewith angry, when it next came there,
Took it in snuff; and still he smiled and talk’d,
And as the soldiers bore dead bodies by,
He call’d them untaught knaves, unmannerly,
To bring a slovenly unhandsome corse
Betwixt the wind and his nobility.
With many holiday and lady terms
He question’d me; amongst the rest, demanded
My prisoners in your majesty’s behalf.
I then, all smarting with my wounds being cold,
To be so pester’d with a popinjay,
Out of my grief and my impatience,
Answer’d neglectingly I know not what,
He should or he should not; for he made me mad
To see him shine so brisk and smell so sweet
And talk so like a waiting-gentlewoman
Of guns and drums and wounds,–God save the mark!–
And telling me the sovereign’st thing on earth
Was parmaceti for an inward bruise;
And that it was great pity, so it was,
This villanous salt-petre should be digg’d
Out of the bowels of the harmless earth,
Which many a good tall fellow had destroy’d
So cowardly; and but for these vile guns,
He would himself have been a soldier.
This bald unjointed chat of his, my lord,
I answer’d indirectly, as I said;
And I beseech you, let not his report
Come current for an accusation
Betwixt my love and your high majesty.

In other words, if you’re sitting pretty somewhere safe, don’t condescend to put down those who are risking everything to defend themselves (and maybe you).

william shakespeare

Tags: • Category: A New Reality 

Comments

2 Comments on “but for these vile guns,/He would himself have been a soldier.”

  1. SnoopyTheGoon on Wed, Aug 16th 2006 8:05 PM

    2. Hi Sarah,

    Thanks for the kind word. It is with some trepidation that I address an English teacher in a case like this. My mother was one too, which only increases the said feeling ;-)

    Well, despite my love for Shakespeare and the nickname that levels all, I am of a male persuasion. As are my other blog partners. Well, most of them.

    How did it happen that I have missed this blog? Corrected and blogrolled. Best.

    P.S. Am I right in seeing a definite preponderance of female bloggers in your blogroll?

  2. Sarah on Wed, Aug 16th 2006 9:55 PM

    3. Hey, Snoopy.

    Are you referring to the blogroll on the left? I see plenty of male bloggers on it. Abbagav, Dutchblog, Israellycool, Israeli Bunker, Neither Here Nor There, and others.

    As for the content of the blog, it’s a compilation of posts by other bloggers, put together by Allison Kaplan Sommer and, since a few days ago, myself, plus many guest posters. I’d say our posts are pretty evenly distributed between the genders, though I haven’t sat down to count.

    Cheers!

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