Bill Olson's Commentary on
Subtext and Symbols
in the Opening Soliloquy
Notes and Commentary © 2001 Bill Olson
Act 1, Scene 1
London. A street.
Notes in red are by
Bill Olson.
Enter GLOUCESTER, solus
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
The sun is a symbol of the House of York.
And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
"Our house" = the House of York.
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
All the trouble that had befallen the House of York have gone away
with the victories of war, as if they have been buried in the depths of
the ocean.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
"Alarums" would be like drawing a sword.
“Changed to Merry Meetings" -- the hand drops the sword and
is held out to be shaken in a gesture of friendship.
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
"Measures" -- dances.
Richard would be disdainful about this, but not in an over-acting
type of way.
Grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;
"Front" = forehead.
And now, instead of mounting barded steeds
"Barbéd" (note the accent for poetic emphasis in the pronunciation)
= armored. This can be
substituted without ruining the poetry.
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.
The above lines are a metaphor describing how War slumbers.
"Lascivious pleasing," indicates disdain.
He does not find this morally acceptable or "cute."
But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks,
Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass;
I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty
"Want" = lack.
To strut before a wanton ambling nymph;
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deformed, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them;
The above line might be delivered in a way to show pain.
This would humanize Richard, giving him more depth.
Giving the audience brief chance to empathize with him.
Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
With the above line, he's pouting, holding up his head against the
pain. Anger is in his voice.
"Weak piping time of peace" is a term that further shows
his disdain at "these times."
Have no delight to pass away the time,
"Pass away" could be taken to mean "waste away."
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun
"The sun" is the sun of York. His shadow indicates his secret power struggle in the House
of York. “Shadow in the
sun” could also conjure images of him eclipsing the sun, as would the
moon -- covering or obscuring its brilliance.
The phrase also implies Richard viewing himself as a mote in the
sun of York’s eye-like countenance. “Shadow” connotes stealthy
lurking).
And descant on mine own deformity:
The above line could be delivered with slight embarrassment as he
realizes he'd gotten carried away with "talking on his
deformities."
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
"Lover" is a metaphor: He cannot love these days of peace;
he excels in war. "Well-spoken
days" is delivered with disdain.
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
"These days" would be delivered with seething
disdain
spitting from his voice.
Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous,
"Inductions" = Beginnings.
By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams,
To set my brother Clarence and the king
In deadly hate the one against the other:
And if King Edward be as true and just
As I am subtle, false and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mew'd up,
"Mew'd up" = Caged up or locked up.
This can be substituted without ruining the poetry.
About a prophecy, which says that 'G'
Of Edward's heirs the murderer shall be.
Dive, thoughts, down to my soul: here
Clarence comes.
“Dive, thoughts, down to my soul: here
Clarence comes.” This line
can be removed depending upon directing plan without losing a thing.
Enter CLARENCE, guarded, and BRAKENBURY