The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 10.0577 Tuesday, 30 March 1999.
[1] From: Roy Flannagan <
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Date: Monday, 29 Mar 1999 09:13:28 -0800
Subj: Re: SHK 10.055 Q: Lines and Limes in The Tempest
[2] From: Anthony Burton <
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Date: Monday, 29 Mar 1999 12:16:44 -0800
Subj: Re: SHK 10.055 Q: Lines and Limes in The Tempest
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Roy Flannagan <
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Date: Monday, 29 Mar 1999 09:13:28 -0800
Subject: 10.055 Q: Lines and Limes in The Tempest
Comment: Re: SHK 10.055 Q: Lines and Limes in The Tempest
Since the juice (exudate?) of lime twigs was used to snare birds with
"quick-lime," it wouldn't be a good idea to hang laundry on a sticky
twig. I thought that Falstaff's rag-tag conscriptees stole clothing
from off hedges, as with hawthorn, which might be a good place to hang
laundry. Not many herbs would have a growth habit large or sturdy
enough to support a shirt, though I bet a sachet of rosemary or lavender
(still used in southern France) would be nice to put in with the fresh
laundry.
Roy Flannagan
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Anthony Burton <
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Date: Monday, 29 Mar 1999 12:16:44 -0800
Subject: 10.055 Q: Lines and Limes in The Tempest
Comment: Re: SHK 10.055 Q: Lines and Limes in The Tempest
>In The Tempest, 4.1., Ariel is instructed by Prospero to hang the
>glistering apparel with which Caliban etc. are to be seduced from their
>conspiratorial action 'on this line'. As editors point out 'line' is a
>variant of 'lind', meaning 'lime-tree or linden'. As far as I can
>recall, in every production I have seen, the clothes are in fact hung
>upon some kind of 'clothes-line', yet, as Orgel points out, 'there are
>no contemporary references to clothes-lines', and so he concludes that
>the apparel is draped over a property tree (and we learn later that
>there is a 'line-grove that weather-fends [Prospero's] cell'). It's
>certainly true that clothing was hung out to dry on bushes or hedges
>during the period (cf. Autolycus in WT,4.3.5) but the lime-tree
>scarcely sounds a likely candidate, given its stickiness (and some at
>least of the domestic manuals I have consulted encourage draping
>clothing over herbs such as rosemary to give a pleasant aroma to the
>clothes).
>
>Does anyone know of any evidence to contradict Orgel's assertion (which
>so far seems to me entirely well-founded)? Has anyone ever seen a
>production which took any notice of the academic conviction that a
>'lime-tree' is meant here? I'd be grateful for any suggestions of places
>to look.
>
>David Lindley
As I understand it, many different kinds of tree were called lime trees,
including the tupelo and linden. One of them was a favorite for
decorative carving, but I'm not sure which. Is the sticky variety to
which you refer the citrus fruit tree, or something else?
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