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Test yourself on the first utterances in Sh’s Plays…

Here they are in no particular order or chronology:
  1. 'Cease to persuade my loving Proteus;...'
  2. 'Let fame that all hunt after in their lives...'
  3. 'Proceed, Solanus, to procure my fall...'
  4. 'Two households both alike in dignity...'
  5. 'I'll pheeze you in faith...'
  6. 'Now say Chatillon, what would France with us...'
  7. 'Now fair Hippolyta our nuptial hour draws on apace...'
  8. 'In sooth I know not why I am so sad...'
  9. 'Old John of Gaunt, time-honoured Lancaster...'
  10. 'So shaken as we are so wan with care...'
  11. 'Rumour open your ears; for which of you will stop the vent of hearing when loud rumour speaks...'
  12. 'Sir Hugh persuade me not...'
  13. 'I learn in this letter Don Pedro of Aragon comes this night to Messina...'
  14. 'In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband...'
  15. 'O for a muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention...'
  16. 'As I remember Adam, it was upon this fashion...'
  17. 'To sing a song that old was sung, from ashes Ancient Gower is come...'
  18. 'If music be the food of love play on...'
  19. 'Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night...'
  20. 'As by your high imperial majesty...'
  21. 'I wonder how the king escaped our hands...'
  22. 'Good day sir...'
  23. 'Now is the winter of our discontent...'
  24. 'Aeschulus!..'
  25. 'I come no more to make you laugh...'
  26. 'You do not meet a man but frowns...'
  27. 'Bosun!..'
  28. 'I thought the king had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall...'
  29. 'Before we proceed any further hear me speak...'
  30. 'If you shall chance Camillo, to visit Bohemia...'
  31. 'In Troy, there lies a scene...'
  32. 'Who's there?..'
  33. 'Hence! Home you idle creatures get you home...'
  34. 'When shall we three meet again...'
  35. 'Nay, but this dotage of our general's o'erflows the measure...'
  36. 'Noble Patricians patrons of my right...'
  37. 'Tush! never tell me...'
Alright so we can agree by the number that Two Noble Kinsmen is not one of them. Some are obvious, others not so. If you consider yourself a scholar try timing yourself. Enjoy!
December 2nd, 2006 | Category: Play theory

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