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Notes:
This one-page document is
reprinted here, with
permission, from the collection of the Poe Foundation in Richmond,
Virginia.
Mabbott comments that these
notes are probably
from about 1829 (Poems, 1969, p. xxvi, note 6) though without
explanation.
These 73 extracts appear to have been first printed by Burton Pollin in
"Shakespeare in the Works of Edgar Allan Poe," Studies in the
American
Renaissance 1985, Charlottesville: The University Press of
Virginia,
1985, pp. 157-186. Specifically, the excerpts are reprinted on pp.
182-186.
Pollin retains the original order except for entry 16, which he moves
so
that all of the excerpts from The Tempest are together.
In 1866, Lambert A. Wilmer recalled that "On
Literary subjects Poe
held some singularly heterodox opinions. As for Milton, Shakspeare, and
the whole array of illustrious British poets, he professed to hold them
in great contempt" (L. A. Wilmer, "Recollections of Edgar A. Poe,"
Baltimore Daily Commercial, May 23, 1866, vol. I, no.
200., p. 1, col. 5.
Reprinted in Mabbott, 1941, p. 31.). Mabbott comments, "Poe may have
inveighed
against the faults of Shakespeare and Milton, but many references in
his
works show he admired them for all that" (Mabbott, "notes to 'Wilmer's Recollections
of Edgar A. Poe," Merlin,
Together with Recollections
of Edgar A. Poe, New York: Scholar's Facsimiles & Reprints,
1941,
p. 28).
The page has been folded in
half horizontally,
then in half vertically, then in half vertically again, so the page is
divided by folds into eight rectangular segments of equal size. Poe may
have carried this in a pocket. It is possible that he may have used it
as part of one of his lectures, along with his excerpts from Milton.
The spelling of Shakespeare's name was not yet
standardized in Poe's
day, hence Poe's use of "Shakspeare," without the "e" following the
"k."
Sources for the quotations:
Front page,
column 1 (various plays):
1 - "The very rats . . .
" The
Tempest, act I, scene ii (Prospero: "Well demanded, wench; My
tale . . .")
2 - "Nothing of him
that doth . . ." The Tempest,
act I, scene ii (Ariel,
singing: "Full fathom
five thy father lies . . .")
3 - "And but he's
something stained . .
." The Tempest, act I,
scene
ii (Prospero: "No, wench; it eats and sleeps . . .")
4 - "Most sure the
Goddess . . ." The
Tempest, act I, scene ii
(Ferdinand: "Most sure
the goddess on whom . . . ")
5 - "Look! he's
winding up the watch .
. ." The Tempest,
act II, scene i (Sebastian: "Look, he's winding up the
watch
. . .")
6 - "But these
sweet thoughts do even .
. ." The Tempest,
act III, scene i (Ferdinand: "There be some sports are
painful
. . .")
7 - "I do beseech you . . ."
The Tempest, act III, scene i
(Ferdinand: "No, noble
mistress; 'tis fresh morning . . .")
8 - "Every third tho't shall be . .
." The Tempest,
act V, scene i
(Prospero: "Sir, I invite
your highness and . . .")
9 - "Yet writers say as in the sweetest . .
." Two Gentlemen
of Verona, act I, scene ii (Proteus: "Yet writers say, As in
the sweetest . . .")
10 - "Muse not that I thus suddenly . .
." Two
Gentlemen of Verona, act I, scene iii (Antonio: "My will is
something
sorted with his wish . . .")
11 - "And when that hour oerslips . .
." Two Gentlemen
of Verona, act II, scene ii (Proteus: "Here is my hand
for my true constancy . . .")
12 - "For Orpheus' lute was strung . .
." Two Gentlemen
of Verona, act III, scene ii (Proteus: "Say that upon the
altar
of her beauty . . .")
13 - "Are you content ot be our general . .
." Two Gentlemen
of Verona, act IV, scene i (Second Outlaw: "Indeed, because
you
are a banish'd . . .")
14 - "What say you to young master Fenton . .
." The
Merry Wives of Windsor, act III, scene ii (Host, of the inn:
"What say you to young master . . .:)
15 - "Besides these other bars he lays . .
." The
Merry Wives of Windsor, act III, scene iv (Fenton: "Why, thou
must be thyself . . .")
16 - "Hence bashful cunning . . ."
The Tempest, act III, scene i
(Miranda: "At mine unworthiness,
that dare not offer . . .")
Front page, column 2
(Twelfth Night):
17 - "For I can sing . . ." Twelfth
Night, act I,
scene ii (Viola: "There is a fair behaviour in thee, captain . .
.")
18 - "He plays on the viol de gambo . .
." Twelfth Night,
act I, scene iii (Sir Toby: "Fye, that you'll say so! he plays .
. . ")
19 - "It shall become thee well . .
." Twelfth Night,
act I, scene iv (Duke Orsino: "O, then unfold the passion of my
love
. . .")
20 - "And those that are fools . .
." Twelfth Night,
act I, scene v (Clown: "Well, God give them wisdom that have . .
.")
21 - "Two faults madonna . . ." Twelfth
Night, act
I, scene v (Clown: "Two faults madonna . . .")
22 - "Misprision in the highest . .
." Twelfth Night,
act I, scene v (Clown: "Misprision in the highest . . .")
23 - "I think his soul is in . . ." Twelfth
Night,
act I, scene v (Clown: "I think his soul . . ." and Olivia: "I
know
his soul . . .")
24 - "Lady you are the cruellest . .
." Twelfth Night,
act I, scene v (Viola: " 'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red . .
.")
25 - "I see you what you are . . . " Twelfth Night,
act I, scene v (Viola: "I see you what you are . . .")
26 - "I am a gentleman — I'll be sworn . .
." Twelfth
Night, act I, scene v (Olivia: "What is your parentage ? . .
.")
27 - "Antonio: Let me but know . .
." Twelfth Night,
act II, scene i (Antonio: "Let me yet know of you . . .")
28 - "Poor Lady! she were better . .
." Twelfth Night,
act II, scene ii (Viola: "I left no ring with her . . .")
29 - "Do not our lives consist of . .
." Twelfth Night,
act II, scene iii (Sir Toby, "A false conclusion; I hate it as .
. .")
30 - "O what a deal of scorn looks . .
." Twelfth Night,
act III, scene i (Olivia: "O what a deal of scorn looks . . .")
31 - "I pray you let us satisfy our eyes . .
." Twelfth
Night, act III, scene iii (Sebastian: "I am not weary, and
'tis
long to night . . .")
32 - "There comes the countess . .
." Twelfth Night,
act V, scene i (Duke Orsino: "Here comes the countess; now . .
.")
33 - "More than I love these eyes . .
." Twelfth Night,
act V, scene i (Viola: "After him I love more than I love these
eyes
. . .")
34 - "A contract of eternal bond . .
." Twelfth Night,
act V, scene i (Priest: "A contract of eternal bond of love . .
.")
Back page, column 1
(various plays):
35 - "Since when my watch hath told . .
." Twelfth
Night, act V, scene i (Priest: "A contract of eternal bond of
love . . .")
36 - "We took him for a coward . .
." Twelfth Night,
act V, scene i (Sir Andrew Ague-Cheek: "The count's gentleman,
one
Cesario . . .")
37 - "Pardon me sweet one even for . .
." Twelfth Night,
act V, scene i (Sebastian: "I am sorry, madame, I have hurt . .
.")
38 - "One face — one voice — one habit . .
." Twelfth
Night, act V, scene i (Duke Orsino: "One face, one voice, one
habit . . .")
39 - "What countryman? what name . .
." Twelfth Night,
act V, scene i (Sebastian: "Do I stand there? I never had a
brother
. . .")
40 - "But we do learn . . ." Measure
for Measure,
act I, scene iv (Some editions give this as scene v. It takes
place
in "A Nunnery") (Lucio :This is the point. The duke is . . .")
41 - "Falling in the flames . . ." Measure
for Measure,
act II, scene iii (Provost: "I would do more than that, if more
[enter
Juliet] Look, here comes . . ." Most authoritative texts for this play
follow early editions, reading: "Falling in the flawes of her owne
youth.
. .")
42 - "Lets write good angel on . .
." Measure for Measure,
act II, scene iv (Angelo: "When I would pray and think, I think
and
pray . . .")
43 - "An' he had been a dog that . .
." Much Ado about
Nothing, act II, scene iii (Benedict: "An he had been a dog
that
. . .")
44 - "O what men may do! what men . .
." Much Ado about
Nothing, act IV, scene i (Claudio: "O, what men dare do! what
men may do . . .")
45 - "The idea of her life shall sweetly. .
." Much Ado
about Nothing, act IV, scene i (Friar: "Marry, this well
carried
shall on her behalf . . .")
46 - "Done to death by slanderer's tongues . .
." Much
Ado about Nothing, act V, scene iii (Claudio, reading from a
scroll: "Done to death by slanderous tongues . . .") (Most printed
texts
of the play give "slanderous" rather than "slanderer's")
47 - "And in the spiced Indian air by night . .
." Midsummer
Night's Dream, act II, scene i (Titania: "Set your heart at
rest
. . .")
48 - "How came her eyes so bright? . .
." Midsummer Night's
Dream, act II, scene ii (Helena: "O, I am out of breath in
this
fond chase! . . .")
49 - "And those things do best please me . .
." Midsummer
Night's Dream, act III, scene ii (Puck: "Then will two at
once
woo one . . .")
50 - "The thrice 3 muses mourning for . .
." Midsummer
Night's Dream, act V, scene i (Theseus, reading: "The battle
with the Centaurs, to be sung . . .")
51 - "And one in all the world's . .
." Love's Labor's
Lost, act I, scene i (King Ferdinand: "Ay, that there is. Our
court, you know, is haunted . . . ") (Most printed texts of the play
give
"A man in all the world's . . ." rather than "And one in all the
world's
. . .")
52 - "But I protest I love to hear . .
." Love's Labor's
Lost, act I, scene i (King Ferdinand: "Ay, that there is. Our
court, you know, is haunted . . . ")
53 - "Devise wit — write pen — for . .
." Love's Labor's
Lost, act I, scene ii (Don Adriano de Armado: "I do affect
the
very ground, which is base, where . . . ")
54 - "What judgment shall I dread . .
." The Merchant
of Venice, act IV, scene i (Shylock: "What judgment shall I
dread,
doing no wrong ? . . .")
Back page, column 2
(various plays):
55 - "Here will we sit and let the sounds . .
." The
Merchant of Venice, act V, scene i (Lorenzo: "Sweet soul,
let's
in, and there expect their coming . . .")
56 - "And this our life exempt from public . .
." As
You Like It, act II, scene i (Duke Senior: "Now, my co-mates
and brothers in exile . . .")
57 - "Tho' in thy youth thou wert as true . .
." As You
Like It, act II, scene iv (Silvius: "No, Corin, being old,
thou
canst not guess . . .")
58 - "If he compact of jars turn . .
." As You
Like It, act II, scene vii (Duke Senior: "If he, compact of
jars,
grow musical . . .")
59 - "What fool is this . . ." As You Like It,
act II, scene vii (Duke Senior: "What fool is this?" and Jacques:
"O worthy fool . . .")
60 - "Wast ever in court shepherd . .
." As You
Like It, act III, scene ii (Touchstone: "Wast ever in court
shepherd
?" and Corin: "No, truly," etc.)
61 - "The heathen philosopher when he had . .
." As
You Like It, act V, scene i (Touchstone: "Why, thou sayest
well.
I do now remember a saying . . .")
62 - "And hath been tutored in the rudiements .
. ." As You Like It, act V, scene iv
(Orlando: "My lord, the first
time that I ever saw him . . .")
63 - "What shall Cordelia do? . . ." King Lear, act
I, scene i (Cordelia, aside: "What shall Cordelia do ?")
64 - "Let me if not by birth have lands . .
." King
Lear, act I, scene ii (Edmund: "I do serve you in this
business
. . .")
65 - "Some time I shall sleep out . .
." King Lear,
act II, scene ii (Kent: "Pray, do not, sir: I have watched and
travell'd
hard . . .")
66 - "Misshapen chaos of well-seeming . .
." Romeo
and Juliet, act I, scene i (Romeo: "Alas, that love, whose
view
is muffled still . . .")
67 - "O teach me how I should forget . .
." Romeo
and Juliet, act I, scene i (Romeo: "O, teach me how I should
forget to think.")
68 - "Turning his face to the dew-dropping . .
." Romeo and Juliet, act I, scene iv
(Mercutio: "True, I talk
of dreams . . .")
69 - "O she doth teach the torches . .
." Romeo
and Juliet, act I, scene v (Romeo: "O, she doth teach the
torches
to burn bright . . .")
70 - "Your worship in that sense may call . .
." Romeo and Juliet, act III, scene
i
(Mercutio: "But I'll be
hanged, sir, if he wear your livery . . .")
71 - "Heaven and yourself . .
." Romeo and
Juliet, act IV, scene v (Friar Laurence: "Peace, ho, for
shame!
confusion's cure lives not . . .")
72 - "I saw her laid low in her . .
." Romeo
and Juliet, act V, scene i (Balthasar: "Then she is well, and
nothing can be ill . . .")
73 - "O here will I set up . .
." Romeo and
Juliet, act V, scene iii (Romeo: "In faith, I will. Let me
peruse
this face . . .")
For each excerpt, the name of the character speaking and the first line
of that section of dialogue is given.
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[S:0 - MS, about 1829]
- Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Works - Poems - Excerpts from
Shakespeare (MS notes)
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