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Spiders’ Strings and Ponderous Things: Solving a Crux in Measure for Measure

Spiders’ Strings and Ponderous Things: Solving a Crux in Measure for Measure Spiders’ Strings and Ponderous Things: Solving a Crux in Measur e for Measure by Carl D. Atkins eorge T. Wright notes that “The fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the witches in Macbeth ,the caskets in The Merchant of GVenice, and several speakers of Epilogues and Prologues sig- nal their peculiar status (at least part of the time) through tetrameter couplets” . 1 Missing from this catalog is the Duke’s final speech in act 3 of Measure for Measure Wh . ether one considers it a “sententious” speech as Edward Capell would have it, a “chorus summarising the drama’s import” as Alfred Thiselton writes, or a “finale to an act full of sur- prises” according to j. W. Lever,2 it is in keeping with the marking of the Duke’s special status in the play. In addition to the rhyming tetrameters , Brindsley Nicholson notes “the close connectio n of each thought with that which precedes it”; he also notes “the shortness of each clause— each, with one exception, ending with the couplet” . 3 This adds to the sentent iousness of verse, as if we are being treated to a stream of adages by the Duke. The exception that http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Studies in Philology University of North Carolina Press

Spiders’ Strings and Ponderous Things: Solving a Crux in Measure for Measure

Studies in Philology , Volume 107 (3) – Jul 9, 2010

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Publisher
University of North Carolina Press
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 The University of North Carolina Press.
ISSN
1543-0383

Abstract

Spiders’ Strings and Ponderous Things: Solving a Crux in Measur e for Measure by Carl D. Atkins eorge T. Wright notes that “The fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the witches in Macbeth ,the caskets in The Merchant of GVenice, and several speakers of Epilogues and Prologues sig- nal their peculiar status (at least part of the time) through tetrameter couplets” . 1 Missing from this catalog is the Duke’s final speech in act 3 of Measure for Measure Wh . ether one considers it a “sententious” speech as Edward Capell would have it, a “chorus summarising the drama’s import” as Alfred Thiselton writes, or a “finale to an act full of sur- prises” according to j. W. Lever,2 it is in keeping with the marking of the Duke’s special status in the play. In addition to the rhyming tetrameters , Brindsley Nicholson notes “the close connectio n of each thought with that which precedes it”; he also notes “the shortness of each clause— each, with one exception, ending with the couplet” . 3 This adds to the sentent iousness of verse, as if we are being treated to a stream of adages by the Duke. The exception that

Journal

Studies in PhilologyUniversity of North Carolina Press

Published: Jul 9, 2010

There are no references for this article.