To sum up: (1) In the absence of evidence, it would be antecedently improbable that Shakespeare had read the Tale. (2) The resemblance between the Tale and the novel is not strong enough to support Knight's conclusion. It is confined to points of incident, and proves no more than that Lodge had a good memory. (3) The resemblance between the Tale and the play, on the other hand, is mainly in points of expression. Some of those are plainly accidental; and though the coincidence in Nos. 3 and 6 is striking, it is no more than might naturally happen when two poets are treating the same incident independently. APPENDIX B. ON SOME SUPPOSED INCONSISTENCIES IN ACT I. In support of his view that the play was hurriedly finished, Mr. Wright adduces the following 'marks of hasty work': (1) The name of Jaques de Boys. When he comes in in act v. he is called "Second Brother", to distinguish him from the melancholy Jaques. (2) In i. 2. 70, 71, the First Folio has "Clo. One that old Fredericke your Father loues. " From i. 2. 200 and V. 4. 144 it appears that Frederick is the name of the usurping Duke. (3) In i. 2. 238, the First Folio has "But yet indeed the taller is his (i.e. the usurper's) daughter", whereas in i. 3. 108 Rosalind says she is "more than common tall". (4) In i. 2. 255, Orlando exclaims, "But heavenly Rosalind", though he has just been asking Le Beau which was which. (5) "Nor is Touchstone", says Mr. Wright, "at all what we are prepared to expect from the early description of him as 'the clownish fool' and the 'roynish clown'." (6) In i. 3. 68, the swan which belongs to Venus is given to Juno. Such are Mr. Wright's points. (1) and (6) we may at once concede (see note ad loc.). (2) is probably a printer's error-Ros. for Cel. Walker has a list of 60 such mistakes in the First Folio-two others from our play. (4) proves nothing; Orlando would know Rosalind's name though he did not know her by sight. Oliver knows the name "Can you tell (he asks) if Rosalind, the duke's daughter, be banished with her father?" (i. I. 92). Nor is there much force in (5). It must not be forgotten that Touchstone is Shakespeare's first essay in treating the professional fool. He is a court jester, and in i. 2 he is still at court and labouring in his vocation. It is not till he finds himself among rustics that he begins to air his manners. "It is meat and drink to me to see a clown." Mr. Furness actually suggests that Shakespeare based As You Like It on an older play, which crops out (he thinks) in this scene (i. 2). But the scene is undoubtedly Shakespeare's, though not perhaps in his best manner; and I can see no radical difference between the humour of "pancakes and mustard” and the humour of "batlets and peascods". It is not so easy to explain away (3). "Taller" can hardly be a printer's error. The remarkable thing is that Shakespeare should have contradicted himself within 150 lines without noticing it. It should be observed that all these (real or supposed) inconsistencies occur in the first act, and all but two in the second scene of that act. It is possible that Shakespeare may here have laid down his pen, and resumed his work at a later date. No such careless touches mar the forest scenes. It is on "the airy column", not on "the massive pedestal" that he has lavished his care. In any case, he cannot have revised the play for the press. Other indications-remarked on the notes-seem to show that the text of 1623 was printed from a stage copy. NOTE ON SHAKESPEARE'S PROSODY. Orl. Good day and happiness, dear Rosalind! Jaq. Nay then, God be wi' you, an you talk in blank verse. I. Definitions-Verse, Prose, Blank Verse.—In reading any composition, a certain stress is laid on syllables at various intervals. The succession of these stresses constitutes the rhythm, or flow, of the composition: when they succeed each other at (more or less) regular intervals, they constitute metre, and the composition is called Ordinary Shakespearian dialogue is written in a metre which consists of 5 stressed alternating with 5 unstressed syllables, in rising rhythm (i.e., opening on an unstressed syllable), and without rhyme. Hence the name, Blank Verse. verse. 2. More than half of As You Like It, however, is written in prose. Shakespeare's choice of these two modes of expression is noteworthy. It is mainly determined by two considerations: (a) the characters speaking; (b) the dominant sentiment or interest of the situation. Since prose is nearer to the language of ordinary life, it is used (a) by clowns, servants, and women in familiar conversation; (b) whenever the interest is mainly comic, intellectual, or commonplace. Verse is a more ceremonious and conventional mode of speech, and so is used (a) by noble persons; (b) wherever the interest is mainly emotional, passionate, or imaginative. In the present play, observe that (a) the two dukes and the lords generally talk verse, the servants and rustics prose. Rosalind and Celia talk prose when alone, except in i. 3. 83 to end, where see note. (b) Silvius and Phebe, the idyllic characters, always use verse; Touchstone, Audrey, and William always prose. Corin uses verse to Silvius and prose to Touchstone. Rosalind's witty flights are all in prose; Jacques moralizes in blank verse. 3. Variations.-The normal blank verse, then, has 10 syllables, 5 stresses, rising rhythm, no rhyme Good day and hap'piness', dear Ro'salind'. All variations will fall under the head of (a) more or fewer syllables; (b) more or fewer stresses; (c) falling or level rhythm; (d) rhyme. (a) (a) Extra syllables. An additional (unstressed) syllable may be inserted anywhere in a line. It is commonest immediately before a pause, and so is most frequently found at the end of the line. Such endings are called feminine endings, and, properly used, impart a peculiar softness and beauty-cf. v. 4. 8-34 with the first lord's speech ii. 1. 25-43. Two extra syllables are rarely found at the end: perhaps iii. 5. 42— I see no more in you than in the ordinary. But (when there is no slurring) such instances should be classed as 6-stress lines. Within the line, the extra syllable usually comes at the caesura (see below), e.g. And we will mend thy wages. I like' | this place (ii. 4. 88). or with a change of speakers: e.g. And faints for suc❘ cour. Fair sir', I pity her (ii. 4. 69). Extra syllables are also common in proper names; thus, perhaps, If there be truth in sight, you are my Rosalind (v. 4. 109). Indeed, Shakespeare sometimes treats proper names as altogether extra-metrical. (B) Syllables omitted. An unstressed syllable is sometimes, though rarely, omitted. This generally takes place after an emphatic monosyllable, usually an imperative; e.g. Peace', I say. Good even to' | you, friend' (ii. 4. 63). In all these cases there is a marked pause: hence this omission is commonest in the first foot-compare the monosyllabic first feet in Chaucer-and after that in the third. In our last instance, modern editors read 'lean but upon a rush'. (b) (a) Extra stresses. Lines with 6 stresses ('Alexandrines') are occasionally found; e.g. Besides', I like' you not'. If you' will know' my house' (iii. 5. 73). This is the usual type of 6-stress line, with a pause after the third foot. So also ii. I. 49 and 52 (note that half of each line is Jacques' reflection, half Amiens' description), iii. 3. 25, iii. 5. 117, &c. (B) Stresses omitted. Lines with 4 stresses, not being exclamatory or broken lines, are very rare. But cf. Like a ripe sis | ter:-' | the woman low (iv. 3. 86). This may be a true 4-stress line, with extra syllable at the midline pause, as (a) (a) above; or the omission may be compensated by the strong pause. But genuine 4- and 6-stress lines can hardly be regarded as mere variations of the ordinary pentameter. They are new metres, interspersed somewhat arbitrarily at impressive turns of the dialogue. (7) But Shakespeare makes abundant use of short or broken verses. They occur usually at the beginning or end of a speech, when a speaker leaves off in the middle of a verse or interrupts another without regard to the metre. They sometimes occur in the middle of a speech, when the speaker breaks off and resumes anew. Exclamations, interjections, and asides belong to this class of broken lines, and present no difficulty. In ii. 4. 32, 35, 38, Silvius breaks off each time at Thou hast not loved': in v. 2. 76-81, 82-85, 90-93, Silvius's broken line 'And so am I for Phebe' is taken up by the others in a sort of round. Many apparent 4-stress lines are to be explained as two broken lines; e.g. Ros. I have more cause. Cel. Are you his brother? Thou hast not, cousin (i. 3. 86,. Was't you he rescued? (iv. 3. 132). Sometimes a part line seems to do double duty; e.g. And let him feed. Orl. I thank you most for him. So had you need (ii. 7. 168-9). Here Orl. caps the Duke's line, and is in turn capped by Adam.1 So ii. 3. 15-16. (8) In the preceding sections, I have spoken merely of 'stressed' and 'unstressed' syllables, as if this classification were exhaustive. But stress is obviously a matter of degree; every syllable has some stress, and between the faintest and the strongest there are many shades. Hence, without actual omission of stress, a foot may be weakened by the substitution of a weak or intermediate for the normal strong stress. This variation is exceedingly common-not more than 1 line in 15 having the normal 5 full stresses-but is exercised under the following laws (1) The weak stress (') is commonest in the fifth foot; e.g. And high top bald with dry antiquity' (iv. 3. 104). (2) There are never more than two weak stresses in a line. (3) Two weak stresses rarely come together. (4) The loss of weight is generally made up for (except in the fifth foot) in one of two ways. Either, the other syllable in the foot has also a slight stress I fly | thee', for' | I would not injure thee (iii. 5. 9). or, one of the neighbouring feet has two stresses— Will you go' sis' | ter? Shepherd ply her hard (iii. 5. 76). (c) Rhythm. (a) The order of stressed and unstressed syllables may be inverted in any foot, thus changing the rhythm (for that foot) from rising to falling; e.g. (1) Sweet' are the uses of adversity (ii. 1. 12). (2) Than that mix'd' in his cheek (iii. 5. 121). (3) Such Ethiope words, | black'er | in their effect (iv. 3. 35). (4) Afflict me with thy mocks, pi'ty | me not (iii. 5. 33). 1 This is Abbot's "Amphibious Section". König would treat Adam's words as an ordinary broken line at the opening of his speech; but the instances of lines which thus cap each other are too numerous to be accidental. |