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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.1024  Monday, 20 November 2006

[1] 	From: 	Steve Sohmer <DRSOHMER@aol.com>
 	Date: 	Saturday, 18 Nov 2006 12:59:41 EST
 	Subj: 	Re: SHK 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux

[2] 	From: 	John W. Kennedy <jwkenne@attglobal.net>
 	Date: 	Saturday, 18 Nov 2006 14:42:45 -0500
 	Subj: 	Re: SHK 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux

[3] 	From: 	Peter Bridgman <peter@pfjb.freeserve.co.uk>
 	Date: 	Sunday, 19 Nov 2006 15:25:31 -0000
 	Subj: 	Re: SHK 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Steve Sohmer <DRSOHMER@aol.com>
Date: 		Saturday, 18 Nov 2006 12:59:41 EST
Subject: 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux

Dear Larry Weiss et al,

I see no need of emendation in this passage from TIM. The Sun and Moon are 
siblings of divergent fortunes, i.e. the lesser shines by the other's 
light ... which theme runs through the piece to the final Pasturer and his 
hungry brother ... who departs when the larder is bare.

Steve

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		John W. Kennedy <jwkenne@attglobal.net>
Date: 		Saturday, 18 Nov 2006 14:42:45 -0500
Subject: 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux

Larry Weiss <larry@lweiss.net>

>At the beginning of the long scene before Timon's cave (IV.iii), Timon 
has a soliloquy which begins:
>
>   O blessed breeding Sunday, draw from the earth
>   Rotten humidity: Below thy Sisters Orbe
>   Infect the ayre.  Twinn'd Brothers of one wombe.
>   Whose procreation, residence, and birth,
>   Scarce is dividant; touch them with severall fortunes,
>   The greater scornes the lesser.  Not Nature
>   (To whom all sores lay siege) can bear great Fortune
>   But by contempt of Nature.
>   Raise me this Begger, and deny't that Lord,
>   The Senators shall beare contempt hereditary,
>   The Begger Native Honor.
>   It is the Pastour, lards the Brothers sides,
>   The want that makes him leave: ....
>
>Most editors emend "Brothers" to "rother's" or "wether's" and
>"leave" to "lean"; so that the last two lines mean simply that a
>beast is fattened by forage and starves when there is none, hardly
>a striking revelation or one that contributes to the point Timon
>is making.  It occurs to me that the correct reading is precisely
>as set out in F1 (revising only spelling and pointing).  The sense
>would be that one brother will depart from another when the other
>ceases to offer wealth.  This fits the theme of the play and the
>notions that Timon is expressing.  Any thoughts?

But why? For the sake of the literalism of "brother" (an imperfect 
literalism, anyway, since not one of Timon's betrayers is Timon's parent's 
son), you're introducing the bizarre image of the "brother" growing fat 
off the pasture. "Rother" or "wether", on the other hand, make perfect 
sense as an image, and still possess an obvious reference to Timon's 
situation.

[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Peter Bridgman <peter@pfjb.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: 		Sunday, 19 Nov 2006 15:25:31 -0000
Subject: 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.1011 Timon of Athens Crux

Larry Weiss writes ...

>Most editors emend "Brothers" to "rother's" or "wether's" and "leave" to 
"lean" ...

The Oxford editors seem to agree with you about "brothers", but not about 
"leave".  I must say I agree with them.  Which of the following makes the 
more sense ... ?

It is the pasture that lards the brother's sides,
The want that makes him lean.

It is the pasture that lards the brother's sides,
The want that makes him leave.

Peter Bridgman

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