Oh, that's where it comes from!

I was reminded the other day of this excellent vignette from one of my 'heroes', the late and very great Bernard Levin - how I miss his writings! - and as I am extremely pushed for time at the moment I thought I would leave you this to enjoy:

"Quoting Shakespeare"
If you cannot understand my argument and declare "it's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare. If you claim to be "more sinned against than sinning", you are quoting Shakespeare. If you act "more in sorrow than in anger", if your "wish is father to the thought", if your lost property has "vanished into thin air", you are quoting Shakespeare. If you have ever refused "to budge an inch" or suffered from "green-eyed jealousy", if you have "played fast and loose", if you have been "tongue-tied" - "a tower of strength" - "hoodwinked" or "in a pickle", if you have "knitted your brows" - "made virtue of necessity", insisted on "fair play" - "slept not one wink" - "stood on ceremony" - "danced attendance" on "your lord and master" - "laughed yourself into stitches", had "short shrift" - "cold comfort", or "too much of a good thing", if you have "seen better days", or lived "in a fools paradise", why, be that as it may, "the more fool you", for it is a "foregone Conclusion" that you are "as good luck would have it", quoting Shakespeare. If you think "it is high time", and that "that is the long and the short of it", if you believe that "the game is up", and that "truth will out", even if it involves your "own flesh and blood", if you" lie low" till "the crack of doom" because you suspect "foul play", if you have "teeth set on edge at one fell swoop" - "without rhyme or reason", then "to give the devil his due" if the "truth were known" for surely you have a "tongue in your head", you are quoting Shakespeare. Even if you bid me "good riddance" and "send me packing", if you wish I was "dead as a doornail", if you think I am an "eyesore" - a "laughing stock" - the "devil incarnate" - "a stony-hearted villain" - "bloody-minded", or a "blinking idiot", then "by jove" - "o lord"- "tut, tut!" - "For goodness sake" - "what the dickens!" - "but me no buts" - "it is all one to me", for you are quoting Shakespeare...

Comments

[dearieme]

And no examiner will be confident that you are wrong if you claim the quotation "Lights! Lights!"

[Stella (yes, me)]

As my mother said on watching a recent production of Hamlet (!) "That Shakespeare is so lazy, he merely strings a whole lot of quotations together" - but he does do it to great effect.

[David Duff]

Your Mum has a sharp ear and a good wit!

[Jennifer Duff]

I had been looking for that 'vignette' for ages, having seen it on my daughter's school wall. Thanks for posting it.

Coincidence, my son's name is David, and my maiden name Duff!

[David Duff]

Delighted to have been of service, Jennifer, and my compliments to your son. In fact I owe you a thank you for reminding me of Levin's excellent Shakespearean wit which I will re-publish on my blog today because amongst all the rubbish I have produced and accumulated over the years, that is one worth repeating.

[Jennifer Duff]

Mr Levin's piece is brilliant indeed. From the first sentence, one cannot help wanting to read it all in one go. I can understand why he did not use paragraphs, they are just not needed. Genius. But then he did inspire himself from another genius, as there will ever be only one Shakespeare!
And oh, thanks for the compliment in 'repeating yourself', you've got a fair bit of wit yourself, haven't you!!?

[David Duff]

Yes and Levin was famous for his long sentences, too. I vaguely remember one of his articles for The Times consisted of just one sentence. I owe him because he was the man who, via his enthusiastic reviews, prodded me back to enjoying theatre. As for my wit, Jennifer, not all my readers would agree!