VOLTEMAND (handing Claudius a document) The King then allowed the Prince to employ his soldiers against Poland, and with this, requests that your majesty allow them to pass through your lands for that enterprise.
CLAUDIUS This is all good news. I'll look over the details later, meantime--thank you for your service in this matter. Get some rest, and tonight we'll feast together.
GERTRUDE Welcome back good ambassadors.
(Voltemand and Cornelius bow and exit.)
POLONIUS The business has ended well.
GERTRUDE Yes, now tell us what you've learned about the prince.
POLONIUS To go on at length about what majesty should be, what duty is, why day is day, night night, and time is time, would be a waste of day, night, and time. Since brevity is the soul of wit, I'll be brief. Your noble son is mad.
GERTRUDE What?
POLONIUS It's true. And that it's true is a pity. But why, we ask? (He takes out a letter.) Ophelia received this letter, and I think it explains what has puzzled us. (He reads.) "To the celestial and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia...."
GERTRUDE This is from Hamlet to Ophelia?
POLONIUS Yes, good madam.
CLAUDIUS Let's hear the rest of it.
POLONIUS (continuing to read) "Doubt that the stars are fire,/ doubt that the sun does move,/ doubt truth to be a liar,/ but never doubt my love for you. Dear Ophelia, others write poetry better than I, my art is not practiced enough to express my longing. But that I love you best, oh, most best, believe it. Thine evermore, most dear lady, as long as I live. Hamlet."
GERTRUDE How has she responded to this?
POLONIUS Before I tell you everything I know, may I ask, what do you think of me?
you use for your name, ferdinand? is it a horse or donkey? a lion? is it smelling a rose? what is it and where does it originate? curious. thaks for your comments, btw. enjoyed.
by
john de herrera (36 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 158 comments)
on Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 7:20:08 PM
It is too bad the picture does not come across well in its shrunken state. It is an image of a bull smelling a flower.
Ferdinand is a Bull who prefers smelling flowers over fighting with the matadors, despite their provocations. The story has been recorded in cartoons and children's books. He is often regarded as a pacifist symbol, and the story was banned at times because of this. There is a decent Wikipedia article about the powerful, but peaceful beast.
Ferdinand has been the name of many rulers. Even our good friend Shakespeare used the name for his king of Navarre in Love's Labour's Lost and for the Prince in The Tempest.It was the assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that set into motion the final steps toward The First World War. Because of his love for, and marriage of, a Countess who was apparently not royal enough, he was widely rebuked and agreed to give up the succession rights of their offspring. Love did prevail for awhile, but politics caught a hold of the star-crossed ruler.
As you ask the question on this particular day, I will tell you the reason I use the name. It is because my mother used to read the story to me and would often refer to me as Ferdinand, her gentle giant. Of course, society ended up grabbing the bull by its horns and throwing me into competition with others in the sports arenas, but I have never lost my preference for non-violence and the smelling of flowers.
Ever heard Bulls on Parade?
by
Ferdinand (17 articles, 4 quicklinks, 29 diaries, 233 comments)
on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 1:12:08 AM
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