{"id":5358,"date":"2006-09-23T12:10:41","date_gmt":"2006-09-23T16:10:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=5358"},"modified":"2015-05-23T20:35:33","modified_gmt":"2015-05-24T00:35:33","slug":"comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=5358","title":{"rendered":"Comparison: Folio and Riverside"},"content":{"rendered":"

I went to check the “twixt clock and cock” monologue<\/a> in the folio<\/a>\"\" – to compare it to the Riverside Shakespeare version – and check it out. Line by line. Fascinating. (And yes – “f” are “s”s in the folio. You get used to it after a while.)<\/p>\n

Riverside Shakespeare:<\/b><\/p>\n

False to his bed! What is it to be false?
\nTo lie in watch there and to think on him?
\nTo weep ‘twixt clock and clock? if sleep charge nature,
\nTo break it with a fearful dream of him
\nAnd cry myself awake? that’s false to’s bed, is it?<\/p>\n

Folio text:<\/b><\/p>\n

Falfe to his Bed? What is it to be falfe?
\nTo lye in watch there, and to thinke on him?
\nTo weepe ‘twixt clock and clock? If fleep charge Nature,
\nTo breake it with a fearfull dreame of him
\nAnd cry my felfe awake? That’s falfe to’s bed? Is it?<\/p>\n

Check out the differences. That first “false to his bed” in the monologue is NOT an exclamation in the folio -although it appears in the Riverside as an exclamation. But in the folio it is a QUESTION. Enormous difference, in terms of the playing of it. Also – in terms of the MEANING. What is Imogen DOING here? What is she actually saying?<\/p>\n

My interpretation is: when it’s a question, she – after reading his letter – is still trying to process what her husband just said to her. She is still in a state of shock, where she must just repeat what she just heard. “False to his bed?” Whereas, with an exclamation mark, like in Riverside – she immediately jumps to the anger and the hurt. She is pissed. “False to his bed!” (Subtext: the NERVE of that guy!) But no – the folio has it as a question. HUGE difference.<\/p>\n

Also, that last line:<\/p>\n

In the Riverside, it’s all one sentence – with commas added.<\/p>\n

“that’s false to his bed, is it?”<\/p>\n

It’s all one thing. In the folio – it’s more choppy. That’s false to his bed? Is it? Her thought process is still erratic (see, Olivier was right: the thought is IN THE LINE.) … so she’s asking one question: “That’s false to his bed?” Then she realizes she is not done, and questions again: “Is it?”<\/p>\n

To me – the folio is MUCH more plain, in terms of emotion. You can feel Imogen’s processing of the betrayal – in the punctuation. In the Riverside, it’s ironed out a bit – modernized.<\/p>\n

That’s false to his bed? Is it?<\/p>\n

I prefer that one.<\/p>\n

\n