Shakespeare and Oysters


Today I woke up with Shakespeare in my mind
Particularly with the Quote "The world is (one's) Oyster" which in fact goes more like "Why then the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open."

I decided to post a little explanation of where this interesting quote comes from, for those of you that don't know..

Falstaff:
I will not lend thee a penny.

Pistol:
Why then the world's mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open.

Falstaff:
Not a penny.

The Merry Wives Of Windsor Act 2, scene 2, 2–5

If you boast that "The world's my oyster" nowadays, you're claiming that the world's riches are yours to leisurely pluck from the shell. The braggart ensign Pistol, however, utters the phrase as a sort of threat—of the aggressively bombastic kind he's known for. Sir John Falstaff, a braggart almost the equal of Pistol, refuses to lend him a penny; Pistol promises to use his sword, if not on Falstaff, then on other helpless victims, to pry open their purses. Pistol's thievish intentions have largely been forgotten, and "The world's my oyster" has become merely a conceited proclamation of opportunity. "If the world is your oyster, you have the ability and the freedom to do anything or go anywhere. You're young and healthy and you've got no commitments, so the world is your oyster."


Source: http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes

Comments

  1. Very interesting! Thanks for the explanation! I did not know any of that...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like this post. A lot.

    ReplyDelete

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