Tuesday, January 10, 2012

the quintessential quote

This quote was included in a recent newsletter from the passion of my previous life... the theatrical world; and we all know how much I love quotes so I'm thinking two birds one stone! 



“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 recall your salad days, 
you are quoting Shakespeare; 
if you act more in sorrow than in anger; 
if your wish is farther 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 a 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 fool's 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 early days 
and clear out bag and baggage, 
if you think it is high time and that that is the long and 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 your 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 door-nail, 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.” 
― Bernard Levin


If you think about it this could be a great script to tuck away into one's repertoire ... you know...for those occasions when one needs to whip out a soliloquy!

7 comments:

  1. That's a very clever quote! I love the one by Marcel Proust as well. Happy New Year to you and yours.

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  2. Brillian! Yey, these are words and sayings we use in everyday life!Thank you Possum for making me feel very intelligent and wonderfully literate. :)

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  3. i have to agree, thats quite clever...

    it's just too bad that that bitch Bernard Levin stole it from ME!

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  4. I feel smarter now. Lol!! ;-) I am off to see Julius Caesar next week...looking forward. Have a great weekend!

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  5. took me a few minutes to get the title down :P

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  6. I teach high school English, and I love this! (I'm visiting from Doorkeeper at http://reneeannsmith.com/.)

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