The Shakespeare Code

It’s best to read ‘Grief and Melancholy’ Part 36 first.

1596/7

SCANDAL

1596 was a difficult year for Shakespeare. Lord Hunsdon died on 22nd July and the role of Lord Chamberlain passed to Lord Cobham – the sworn enemy of the Earl of Essex and Harry.

The Chamberlain’s Men, in which Shakespeare had bought a share, became Lord Hunsdon’s Men, taking their name from Hunsdon’s son, George Carey, who inherited the title.

Carey, a bon viveur who lived n ear to Harry on the Isle of Wight was to become the model for Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night…

 See: Toby Belch as George Lord Hunsdon.

The actors were playing at the new Swan Theatre, owned by Francis Langley in the Paris Gardens….

Shakespeare’s son Hamnet died a couple of weeks later and was buried on August 11 and Shakespeare with reacted with grief, melancholy and, it seems, violence.

Leslie Hotson – the brilliant Canadian literary historian and sleuth…….

 

…….discovered that at in November 1596 Shakespeare was up before the magistrates and bound over to keep the peace.

In November, 1596, William Wayte petitioned ‘ob metum mortis’ (for fear of death) in a suit for sureties of the peace against William Shakespeare, Francis Langley, Dorothy Soer, wife of John Soer and Anne Lee. Shakespeare also figures in a retaliatory law-suit on the side of Langley.

We don’t know for certain who the women were, but there were most likely prostitutes and Langley, who owned the Swan Theatre and tenements in the area was a known crook and moneylender

Shakespeare, in mixing with low life and prostitutes in the Paris Gardens, was behaving exactly like his new creation, Falstaff…..

Because of the ‘shame’ of Shakespeare’s Court Appearance, Harry dropped Shakespeare for a bit.

Shakespeare feared that this rejection might one day become a permanent one – as it is for Falstaff….

136. (36)

Let me confess that we two must be twain

Although our undivided loves are one:

So shall those blots that do with me remain,

Without thy help, by me be borne alone.

I have to acknowledge that we have to live apart till the scandal of my court appearance blows over – although we still love one another as though we were one person.

So all the shame will be borne by me, without any help from you.

In our two loves there is but one respect,

Though in our lives a separable spite,

Which though it alter not love’s sole effect,

Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.

Though we are two separate men, we are lovers and look at life the same way – even if circumstances at the moment force us to be apart. This won’t interfere with our love for each other, but it steals time away from us which we could have enjoyed together.

I may not ever-more acknowledge thee,

Lest my bewailed guilt should do thee shame,

Nor thou with public kindness honour me,

Unless thou take that honour from thy name:

I cannot acknowledge you as my provider and patron because my appearance in the Magistrates’ Court would bring shame to your family name. And you can’t show me favour in public without detracting from the family honour.

But do not so; I love thee in such sort

As thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

Don’t honour me publicly. I love you in such a way that you are in fact myself – and I can take honour in your honour.

Shakespeare is again playing on the Wriothesley Family – ‘Ung Par Tout’ – ‘All in/for One.’

137. (29)

When in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes

I all alone beweep my out-cast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon my self and curse my fate;

When things are going badly for me – and men (1) Look down at me (2) Don’t fancy me. [‘Eyes’ can = ‘Genitals] I cry in solitude about my ‘out-cast state’.

‘Out-cast state’ means (1) My status as an actor (2) My status as a gay/bisexual man (3) My status as one who is shunned because of his appearance in the dock where he has been bound over ‘to keep the peace’ (4) My status as a gay man who is not attractive to other gay men.

I appeal to heaven about my misfortunes – but heaven doesn’t respond. So I look upon ‘my self’ [= (1) Literal self – as in a mirror (2) My penis] and curse ‘my fate’ = (1) My destiny as a man from a poor background (2) My destiny as a gay man (3) A criminal who has been ‘bound over’.

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Featur’d like him, like him with friends possesst,

Desiring this man’s art, and that man’s scope,

With what I most enjoy contented least.

I wish I could be like someone who has more hope in life’s outcome than I have, more handsome than I am, with more friends than I have, more talented than I am or more far-seeing and free-er than I am…

Yet in these thoughts my self almost despising,

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

(Like to the Lark at break of day arising)

From sullen earth sings hymns at Heaven’s gate;

Yet thinking in this way and despising ‘my self’ [=(1) Literally ‘myself’ and (2) ‘My self’ – ‘my penis’] by chance the thought of you comes into my mind, at which point ‘my state’ [= (1)  ‘How I am’ and (2) ‘Whether my penis is erect or flaccid’] like to the lark ascending soars upwards to heaven and sings at the Gates of Heaven.

Means: (1) The state of my earth-bound  spirit soars to a state of ecstasy from the earth like a rising bird and (2) My flaccid penis rises to its fully erect state and experiences the ecstasy of orgasm. A ‘morning erection’.

For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with Kings.

For when, Harry, I recall your love then I am richer than a King.

138. (88)

When thou shalt be dispos’d to set me light,

And place my merit in the eye of scorn,

Upon thy side, against myself I’ll fight,

And prove thee virtuous, though thou art forsworn:

When you are in the mood to despise me and think all of my worth simply worthless, I’ll take up the position you have adopted against myself and prove you are truthful, even though you lie.

With mine own weakness being best acquainted,

Upon thy part I can set down a story

Of faults conceal’d, wherein I am attainted:

That thou in losing me shalt win much glory:

I know my faults better than anybody does and I can argue on your part about flaws in my character that nobody knows about that ‘attaint’ me [= (1) Smear me and (2) Take away all my titles.]

Note: Harry was later attainted by Queen Elizabeth after the rebellion against her in 1603. He became Mr. Henry Wriothesley.

By being shot of me you will win much praise, Harry!

These four lines demonstrate Shakespeare’s ‘weakness. because they all have ‘feminine endings’.

And I by this will be a gainer too;

For bending all my loving thoughts on thee,

The injuries that to my self I do,

Doing thee vantage, double-vantage me.

It will be to my advantage as well. For, as I think of nothing or nobody but you, by exposing my faults to the world, I increase your prestige – and your prestige is my prestige.

Such is my love, to thee I so belong,

That for thy right, my self will bear all wrong.

For I love you so much, Harry, that my ‘self’ will take all the blame [i.e. (1) ‘My self’ = ‘Literally myself’ and (2) = ‘My penis’] I will take the blame for being gay and shield you from all criticism.

139. (89)

Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault,

And I will comment upon that offence;

Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,

Against thy reasons making no defence.

If you were to get rid of me for some flaw in my character, I would immediately corroborate your judgement. If you were to accuse me of ‘lameness’, [i.e. (1) Literally being disabled or (2) Writing ‘lame’, inadequate verse] I would immediately become ‘lame’, making no defence of myself against your accusations.

Thou canst not (love) disgrace me half so ill

To set a form upon desired change,

As I’ll my self disgrace, knowing thy will,

I will acquaintance strangle and look strange,

Harry, you cannot disgrace me by banishing me as much as I’ll disgrace myself by banishing myself, knowing that’s what you want. I will crush my friendship with you and behave as though I don’t know you….

Be absent from thy walks and in my tongue

Thy sweet beloved name no more shall dwell

Lest I (too much profane) should do it wrong,

And haply of our old acquaintance tell.

I won’t go anywhere near where you frequent and I won’t even mention your name in case I speak about our erstwhile friendship – and so bring profanity to your Godhead.

For thee, against my self I’ll vow debate:

For I must nere love him whom thou dost hate.

I’ll promise I’ll attack myself – because I cannot love someone whom you hate.

140. (90)

Then hate me when thou wilt, if ever, now,

Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross;

Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow,

And do not drop in for an after loss:

If you are going to hate me then hate me now when the whole world is against me after my court appearance. Join in with my detractors – but don’t come along with criticism after the event.

Ah do not, when my heart hath ‘scapt this sorrow,

Come in the rearward of a conquer’d woe;

Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,

To linger out a purpos’d over-throw.

Don’t – after I’ve got over the trauma of my court appearance – attack me after I have recovered. After a night of heavy winds don’t come in with a rainy morning to destroy me with a delayed assault.

If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last,

When other petty griefs have done their spite,

But in the onset come, so shall I taste

At first the very worst of fortune’s might.

If you intend to drop me don’t do so after other antagonists have done their worse: but attack me along with them so that I’ll know the very worst that Fate has to offer.

And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,

Compar’d with loss of thee, will not seem so.

In that case my other problems will seem minor compared with the loss of you.

141. (111)

O for my sake do you with fortune chide,

The guilty goddess of my harmful deeds,

That did not better for my life provide

Then public means which public manners breeds.

Why don’t you, yourself, Harry, attack Dame Fortune, the Goddess who is responsible for my violence and court appearance, who did not provide me with an income apart from the one I make from the public – which means my behaviour is inevitably plebeian.

Shakespeare here is taking a dig at Harry for not providing him with more money so he could retire from the stage.

Thence comes it that my name receives a brand,

And almost thence my nature is subdu’d

To what it works in like the Dyer’s hand;

Pity me then, and wish I were renew’d,

It’s because of this that I have been branded, in the public eye, as a criminal and my nature is contaminated by the theatre in the same way that the hands of a man who dyes clothes is stained by the dye he works with. Pity me then, and wish I could be born again to my correct status in life.

Whilst like a willing patient I will drink

Potions of Eisel ‘gainst my strong infection;

No bitterness that I will bitter think,

Nor double penance to correct correction.

For my part I am prepared to drink your corrective medicine and not think it bitter – nor will I baulk at a double punishment.

Pity me then dear friend, and I assure ye,

E’en that your pity is enough to cure me.

Just pity my situation, Harry, and that pity alone will cure me.

142. (112)

Your love and pity doth th’impression fill,

Which vulgar scandal stampt upon my brow,

For what care I who calls me well or ill,

So you ore-greene my bad, my good allow?

Your love and pity for me fill up the hole on my forehead the branding iron gave when I appeared in court and caused a scandal. Why should I care what people think about me if you ‘ore-greene’ my badness and acknowledge my good points.

‘Ore-greene’ means to (1) Cover over my badness with a green carpet of sweet-smelling herbs (2) Think of my sins as nothing compared to Robert Greene – a writer who was a drunk and philanderer who collaborated with Shakespeare at Titchfield in the early 1590s.

There is a joking reference to Greene – who Nashe claimed had written the ‘upstart crow’ attack on Shakespeare – in Love’s Labour’s Lost:

‘Greene is indeed the colour of lovers’.

You are my All the world, and I must strive

To know my shames and praises from your tongue;

None else to me, nor I to none alive,

That my steel’d sense or changes right or wrong.

You are everything to me and I must learn to judge myself with your judgements. I don’t care about anyone else – nor do they care for me – but I will change in whatever way you, Harry, want me to.

In so profound Abysm I throw all care

Of others’ voices, that my Adder’s sense

To critic and to flatterer stopped are;

Mark how with my neglect I do dispense:

I throw all other people’s criticism of me into a bottomless pit – so my ears – like adder’s ears – are deaf to praise and blame: see how I ignore them!

Note: The adder was thought to have a sense of hearing but could block up its ears if it wanted to.

You are so strongly in my purpose bred

That all the world besides me thinks are dead.

You are so instinctively my mentor that I think everyone else in the world is dead.

To read ‘Love and Rebellion’, Part 38, click: HERE